Inspection cites rotting stairs, rusted supports at condemned Kalamazoo apartment complex

Added: 2026-05-16

[00:00:00]A good evening. Frustration and confusion are growing tonight after [music] every unit at a Kalamazoo apartment complex is very abruptly condemned. We broke the story last night and we are following up again.

[00:00:11]NewsChannel 3 has obtained the inspection report that detail what Kalamazoo Township has deemed major safety violations at the Wildwood off Main Apartment Complex. Our Tyler Brubaker has been working to figure out what the options are for folks who live there. He's joining us live at the complex to explain what the latest is.

[00:00:29]Tyler.

[00:00:32]Yeah, Andy. And you know, I've seen a number of people actually moving stuff out of their apartments. We're talking about more than 30 buildings, nearly 300 different units here. And all of them with a sign like this. You can see it back there in the distance. It's an orange sign saying condemned. People here say the property managers are telling them they can stay. But as we found out, it's not really that simple.

[00:00:54]And if you look down here, this is literally completely rotted. And this one's fun. So, if you're not careful, the steps literally fall off. I trip on this all the time. Tyler Truss has lived at Wildwood off Main for 6 months. He says there have been big problems ever since. So, I have to show up home with this.

[00:01:13]It's a joke. Every unit here has a sign like this. NewsChannel 3 filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the recent inspection reports for each building. We received dozens of documents. Most buildings have the same problems. Stairways and decks rotting and falling apart. Metal supports rusting away. We saw many of the same issues including metal panels tearing away underneath a deck. Also, this makeshift birdhouse. Holes in the sides of buildings where animals can make themselves at home. If we have to leave within a very short time period, um I don't know how any of us would get out.

[00:01:51]>> Neighbors also tell me while they can stay, they're risking being fined by the township. And behind me here is the leasing office. We've been trying to get answers because so many people who live here say that there's been a lack of communication. So, I'm going to go inside and see potentially if we can get some answers for them. We have three big questions. Are people required to pay for the rest of their lease? Will apartment management pay the fines for the people who stay? And are they planning to fix the issues? The leasing manager answered each one with no comment. She also referred me to the owners New Earth Residential, which did not get back with me.

[00:02:31]We also reached out to Kalamazoo Township building official Mike Alwine.

[00:02:35]He did not get back with us, but of course, if and when we get a response, we'll let you know. For now, live in Kalamazoo Township, Tyler Drummond, News Channel 3. All right, Tyler. Thanks.

[00:02:44]We'll keep an eye on this developing story out of Kalamazoo. For the latest, head to our website. That's wwmt.com, and you can also download our News Channel 3 app to stay on top of our top stories.