City leaders look for solutions for long-vacant apartment complex

A fire last week at the Vista Shadow Mountain Apartments at 61st and Memorial has again put a spotlight on the complex which has sat vacant for nearly 3 years now.

It was condemned back in the summer of 2021 because of fire code violations, and the City of Tulsa revoked the owner’s Certificate of Occupancy.

The troubles surrounding the complex have long been on the radar of District 7 City Councilor Lori Decter Wright, who cited the good schools, good neighborhoods, and the abundance of retail and entertainment in the area, saying the apartment site is a prime location that needs to be used.

“There’s so many reasons that people want to live in that area. And just to continue to let it sit there is not an option for me. That’s one thing that I know for sure. It cannot continue to just dilapidate,” Wright said.

She says the property is up for sale, but so far there’s been no takers.

She says she’s checking with the Mayor’s Office, the Fire Marshal’s Office, and the Code Enforcement office to find out what the city’s options are.

There is a legal mechanism available to the City by which they can deem a property a “chronic public nuisance,” but Wright doesn’t know if that could be used to prompt the owner to make a sale.