1350 Martin Luther King Blvd

By Jose Leyva

The residents at 1350 Martin Luther King Blvd. in the South Bronx, are forming a tenants’ association to ensure that their landlord, Hunter Management, makes comprehensive improvements to the building.

More than anything, the tenants do not want to live through another winter without heat or hot water. Last year, tenants in the 13-unit building lost hot water and heat several times, sometimes up to three days in a row.

“Most of our problems existed before Hunter Management bought the building,” said Pat Joseph, president of the newly formed tenants’ association. “But we are starting to worry about the deterioration of our houses.”

The Department of Housing Preservation and Development received 729 complaints from the tenants of the 1350 and the 1352 buildings since Oct. 30, 2008. Ninety per cent of the complaints related to the lack of hot water and heat. According to the city’s Department of Buildings, the building has nine open violations since 1993, only one in 2009, and none in 2008.

This apartment building at 1350 Martin Luther King Blvd. is in generally good condition. The lock to the main entrance works. The common areas are clean and the paint on the halls and the stairs looks almost new. According to three tenants, the heat has been working so far.

Currently, 10 of the apartments are occupied, and two of the three vacant ones are undergoing renovation to their bathrooms, kitchen and living rooms.

“The last time this building received major renovation was 10 years ago or so,” said Mason, the former superintendent of the 80-year-old building.