Fred Lewis is standing up against unjust property seizure by the City of St. Louis and Mayor Tishaura Jones. Learn about his legal battle.”
Fred Lewis, a lifelong resident of the Northside neighborhood in St. Louis, has found himself at odds with the city and Mayor Tishaura Jones’s office.
For years, Lewis has taken pride in his community, influenced by his mother’s legacy as an educator at Hempstead Elementary. However, his dedication to revitalizing his neighborhood has been met with frustration and injustice. Lewis embarked on a mission to make a positive change in his community, particularly in addressing the marginalization of the Black community.
Engaging in real estate, he acquired the old JC Penny department store on Dr. Martin Luther King Dr., seeing it as a place of hope for revitalization. The sturdy, 65,000 square foot concrete structure symbolized the resilience he remembered from his youth. His efforts seemed promising until he received a letter of condemnation and code violations for the property in January. Shocked by the accusations of neglect, Lewis reached out to the inspector for clarification, only to be met with silence.
Despite his efforts to maintain the property, he received a second letter in February, threatening hefty fines and forced renovations. Lewis soon discovered Mayor Tishaura Jones “Stabilized Community St. Louis” program, supposedly aimed at renovating abandoned homes in targeted neighborhoods.
However, he realized that his property was being unfairly targeted under this program. Despite not fitting the criteria of a vacant absentee owner, Lewis found contractors assessing his property without his consent.
The city’s estimation of $163,300 for renovations on his impeccable property further fueled Lewis’ frustration and sense of injustice. Feeling violated by the attempted break-ins and unauthorized assessments, Lewis saw this as an orchestrated attack on his personal property and livelihood.
Seeking answers, Lewis approached city officials, only to be met with vague explanations and a lack of transparency regarding the program. He discovered that there was minimal documentation available, further raising concerns about the program’s legitimacy and its impact on property owners like himself.
In response, Lewis was told to take legal actions by filing a restraining order against the city. He also plans to have an organized meeting in April to address why his property was included in the program despite its impeccable condition. Beyond his personal struggle, Lewis emphasizes the need for systemic change in the city’s approach to community revitalization.
He advocates for increased mediation and collaboration between state representatives and local businesses, rather than punitive measures that further marginalize already disenfranchised communities.
As Lewis prepares to defend his property rights and integrity, his story sheds light on the systemic injustices faced by residents striving to uplift their communities in the face of bureaucratic hurdles and institutional neglect. It serves as a call to action for fair and equitable policies that empower rather than dispossess those who have long been marginalized.
#Injustice #PropertySeizure #StLouis
