Birmingham condemns Bankhead Towers apartment complex

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT) — The City of Birmingham has announced the condemnation of Bankhead Towers, a high-rise apartment complex for residents age 62 and older.

A notice to vacate was plastered on the front doors of the complex, urging residents to leave as soon as possible. Bankhead Towers was originally built as a hotel in 1926 but was subsequently converted to subsidized apartments in the mid-1970s.

The notice reads as follows:

“Whereas, it has been determined by appropriate inspection that the building to which this order is attached does not comply with the provisions of ordinance No.15-164 of the general code of Birmingham, Alabama, SEC. 108.5 of the property maintenance code as codified in the city of Birmingham Technical Code, 2015. All persons are hereby warned that it is unlawful to rent, lease, occupy, or permit the use or occupancy of this building for human habitation or as a place of employment for humans, or to remove or deface this placard except as provided in section 108.4.1 of the property maintenance code for the city of Birmingham, 2015. Any person failing to comply with said notice shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor or civil infraction as determined by the local municipality and the violation shall be deemed as a strict liability offense which may impose fines up to $500.00 per day for each offense.”

City spokesperson Rick Journey confirmed that the city is working to determine residents’ next steps and making sure their well-being remains a “top priority.”

No further information has been released.

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