AURORA, Colo. — The dilapidated Edge of Lowry apartment complex in Aurora, which gained widespread national media attention after viral video of armed men in its hallways fueled claims of a gang take over last summer, shut down Tuesday morning as advocates for the tenants criticized the way the city handled the closure.
The incident — which rapidly caught the eye of conservative news organizations and became a talking point for President Donald Trump about the dangers of illegal immigration during the campaign trail last year — was just one in a laundry list of issues plaguing the complex for the last several years.
The issues at the complex became widely publicized after the Aug. 18, 2024 recording spread through social media, with conservative-leaning accounts claiming the city had been taken over by the Venezuelan prison gang Tren de Aragua (TdA).
Shortly after that recording went viral, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman appeared on Fox News claiming the gang had taken over two apartment buildings. He would later walk back those claims in an Sep. 3 interview with Denver7.
Later that month, the Aurora Police Department deemed two apartment complexes — the Edge of Lowry and 200 Columbia — "criminal nuisances" and threatened closure over safety concerns that included "crime and deterioration."
The company that owns Edge of Lowry — CBZ Management — claimed gang members prevented them from making repairs at their Aurora properties, saying it was too dangerous for their employees to be on site.
An apartment complex marred in controversy
Code enforcement and inspection records dating back to 2020, however, show numerous violations prior to an influx of Venezuelan immigrants in the Denver metro, including mice infestations, ceiling damage, and dozens of unlawful vehicles parked in the parking lot.
In early December, CBZ Management and the city of Aurora agreed to close the Edge of Lowry apartment complex for safety reasons and repairs.
A few days later, those safety concerns would come to a head after 16 suspected gang members were taken into custody following a violent home invasion and kidnapping at the complex on Dec. 17.
Denver7 spoke exclusively with both victims after the suspected gang members were taken into custody. Hear them describe their ordeal in the video player below.
By Jan. 10, the situation at the complex reached such a “breaking point” that the city sought an emergency closure of the troubled apartments, claiming the property presented "an immediate threat to public safety and welfare."
A judge sided with the city three days later, and granted an emergency order "to allow the city to begin the temporary closure process at the properties," said City of Aurora spokesperson Ryan Luby in an email to Denver7.
Exact details about the closure were not known at the time, but city officials said they were working on relocation assistance for the people living in 60 units that would be impacted by the order.
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.
On Jan. 24, city officials announced they had posted closure notices, informing tenants that they had to vacate their units by Feb. 18. Anyone who remains at the complex past that date could be arrested for trespassing.
Ryan Luby, deputy director of the communications and marketing department for the city, told Denver7 on Monday that the last remaining residents had moved out over the weekend after the administrator informed him that the remaining residents had "a place to go."
Advocacy groups who are assisting tenants with relocation resources told Denver7 they raised more than $26,000 to help relocate 28 families.
In a statement to Denver7, Housekey Action Network Denver (HAND) officials criticized the city and CBZ Management's handling of the closure.
"Those families are in a better situation today because, when government failed, the community came together," said V. Reeves, a HAND spokesperson.
Jon Marcantoni, with The Redress Movement, described the closure as "preventable" and argued that CBZ has a history of mismanagement.
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