Judge lays out timeline for repairs at Burnsville apartments with suspended license

A consent order has laid out a timeline for the owner and manager of Parkvue Flats to make repairs after the city of Burnsville suspended the complex's rental license in December for racking up dozens of code violations.

The rental license is still suspended at the three-building, 313-unit complex at 1501 E. Burnsville Parkway, meaning the property owner and management company cannot rent out any more units. Existing tenants, however, can stay in their homes.

The length of time allowed for repairs ranges from three weeks to six months from the order's date. The initial three-week deadline is Feb. 24.

City attorney Jared Shepherd said the consent order was issued after the parties involved — including property owner Bridge WF II MN and management company Bridge Residential PM LLC — sat down to negotiate a timeline.

"The city is certainly happy with the order and the ability to hold the defendants accountable for making the necessary repairs," Shepherd said.

Utah-based Bridge bought the buildings in December 2021.

Problems started in May 2022 when a routine fire inspection turned up 57 code violations, including missing exit lights and handrails, overflowing trash rooms and half-done Sheetrock repairs. Water was found in parking garages and basements.

On Nov. 11, there was an apartment fire — but not a single alarm sounded. In December, 21 new or existing code violations were found.

Different deadlines

The most "urgent and doable" fixes at the 50-year-old buildings were given a shorter time frame, Shepherd said, while more complex items were allowed more time.

According to the order:

If Bridge misses a deadline, the order allows the city to go to court and have the company's compliance reviewed. If they're found to be noncompliant, the city could seek an order of contempt, Shepherd said.

Burnsville City Council Member Cara Schulz said that renters and landlords enter into a contract when a unit is rented out and, in this case, the landlord clearly didn't uphold their end of the deal.

"This is just past what is allowable," Schulz said.

Resident Angela Woodard, who has lived at Parkvue since August, has had various issues while living there. She said she saw roaches the day she moved in.

In late December, her two bathrooms became very cold after someone left a garage door open. The pipes burst and her unit flooded the week before Christmas. On Christmas, her unit was condemned.

She then moved into a smaller unit and had to sign a new lease in January. She said that even now, there are pieces of Sheetrock cut out from walls and trash rooms are still "atrocious." She's also seen mold in her unit's vents, she said.

"Taking advantage of people — that really makes me mad," she said.