AURORA, Colo. — Closure notices have been posted at the Edge of Lowry apartments, the now infamous complex at the center of gang concerns in the City of Aurora.
This comes at the same time another complex owned by the same parent company — CBZ Management — William Penn Apartments was closed Thursday.
The City of Aurora hired a temporary administrator to assess the property at Dallas Street and E 12th Ave. and connect tenants with relocation resources, according to Ryan Luby, deputy director of the communications and marketing department for the city.
Property Solutions Colorado was brought on to manage the transition over the next several weeks. The organization will conduct a census of who lives on the property. Paula Forshee will lead the effort. Forshee and her team posted closure notices, informing tenants they must vacate the apartment complex no later than 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 18. Anyone who remains at the complex past that date could be arrested for trespassing.
“Many of the established tenants have endured a lot already. The compassionate and dignified thing to do is get them out of an unsafe situation and present them with options on a case-by-case basis,” Forshee said.
To apply and qualify for relocation assistance, tenants must provide their names, contact information and valid government identification to Property Solutions Colorado. The organization will then conduct a background check.
Law enforcement will patrol the apartment complex throughout the transition.
The city sought and was granted an emergency order earlier this month to shut down the complex, citing an alleged kidnapping and other violent incidents dating back to September 2023.
Judge Shawn Day’s ruling found the complex presents “an immediate threat to public safety and welfare if allowed to remain open," according to court documents.
“It would be irresponsible for us to allow anyone to stay at the property any longer, and the court agrees,” Aurora City Manager Jason Batchelor said. “We are grateful for our various community partners that are helping us find meaningful solutions for the established tenants as Aurora is not a county and does not have county-level human services functions.”
The Edge of Lowry apartments have been in the national spotlight since last summer because of a video that went viral showing armed men entering one of the units in the complex, sparking claims that the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua (TdA) had "taken over" the complex.
Denver7 has been following developments at several troubled apartment complexes in Aurora since before claims that the Tren de Aragua gang had taken over one of the apartment buildings surfaced. Scroll through the timeline below to read our coverage.