Former Ypsilanti apartment complex owner returns as property manager, hoping change its reputation
Residents at the Arbor One apartment complex in Ypsilanti, Michigan, have been vocal about safety and maintenance issues plaguing the property in the past several years.
A fire in February 2024 displaced residents in 24 units at the complex. It is one of several issues that forced tenants to ask more of the property owner.
The complex is now under new management and it is a familiar face.
Stewart Beal, owner of Beal Properties, says he's working to change the complex's reputation, starting by listening to its residents. Beal bought this property back in 2018 and, after bringing it to full occupancy by 2020, sold it to the current owner.
Five years later, the complex is once again in disarray. Beal is now on a personal mission to turn things around, just like he did once before.
"Honestly, it's been a little crappy. Our water and heat has been messed up for about three to four months now. People have been in and out, and it's still not fixed," said current Arbor One resident Jazmyn Smith.
In the seven months since she moved in, Smith says she has all but given up on getting a response from maintenance.
"We had to put in multiple—I'm not talking about one or two—I'm talking about three or four maintenance orders for them to be like, 'Hey, OK, you've got our attention,'" Smith said.
Beal says this will no longer be the case now that he's once again managing the property.
"We're creating a resident advisory board. It's bridging the gap between resident concerns and property management," Beal said.
He says he's working to fill every unit, 200 of which are unlivable right now, by addressing thousands of code violations that have stacked up over the years.
"The apartments that we deliver will have certificate of occupancies on them, will be to code, will be nice," he said.
Although it will a lot of time and money, Beal admits he feels responsible for returning the property to the condition he left it in five years ago.
"We expect to do right by the residents, do right by the city, and do right by the owner and investors in this property," he said.
Beal says they hope to meet those expectations in about 18 months.
