DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A fire ripped through eight units at a DeKalb County condominium complex Monday morning, bringing new attention to the problems that have persisted at the partially abandoned building for years.
Flames shot through the roof at Brannon Hill Condominiums, leaving a charred building off Old Hampton Drive. DeKalb Fire Cpt. Jaeson Daniels said two of the eight units were renters, but squatters also were occupying the building. He added that there was so much damage, it is hard to determine the cause.
The fire's destruction is another layer to an already dilapidating building. They have long been considered an eyesore and a danger to the people living in them. The area has been dubbed as the "worst community in America," as it grew notorious for the crime and blight that seemed to be a reoccurring in the area.
The community at one time had more than 300 units. Over the years, it has had more than 100 demolished and 100 are still occupied.
"There's some with no running water, power cables stretched from one building to the next to plug in a heater," said Dekalb County Commissioner Ted Terry. Terry represents District 6, which covers part of the Brannon Hill Condominiums area. He said it's a community that has had problems for the last 20 years.
"Unfortunately the court system and backlogs have prevented a lot of the condemnations of the dangerous structures that remain," said Terry.
After years of dealing with crime, squatters, trash and dangerous living conditions, the county took action.
In November 2016, a judge signed an order stating the buildings needed to be repaired in 60 days or the county would intervene. Eight months later in July 2017, DeKalb County demolished 28 units. Then, that December, 40 more units were demolished.
The work continued a year later in October 2018. The county filled a sinkhole to allow DeKalb Fire and Rescue access to the complex. The county demolished another 56 units in May 2019 and in December the following year, 700 dumped tires were removed from the property.
Though the county said it has made progress over the years, Terry said there's more to be done, but one of the biggest challenges has been trying to identify the various property owners to deal with issues.
"Each unit is owned by a separate condo owner," he said. "It's just one of the pitfalls of a derelict condo association, it can kind of have a death spiral."
With both Georgia Piedmont Technical College and a campus of Georgia State across the street, Terry said there is hope. Once the legal process starts rolling again, they can continue to demolish uninhabitable units, making room for something new.
"It's a great opportunity for redevelopment to create affordable housing and turn around a property that's been in decline for 20 years," Terry said.