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The Mildred -
A "restricted Use" tag placed by city workers
Thirteen days after the city of Beaumont posted a big orange tag on the front door of the historic Mildred Building at 1415 Calder Ave., denoting a state of disrepair, the lack of hot water at the apartment complex spurring the designation has been remedied, according to a report from the Beaumont Plumbing company fixing the issue. A spokesperson for the property said the repairs were made in as timely a fashion as possible considering the lack of parts available for the 90 plus year-old building.
The Mildred, as it is affectionately referenced, has shined as a beacon of beauty from a bygone area in the heart of Beaumont for decades, its nearly 100-year-old façade a fixture for foodies and fun-seekers as the property and its surrounding neighbors serve as a backdrop for the city’s popular First Thursdays celebrations.
Still, according to a violation notice from the city of Beaumont on Oct. 21, the structure owned by Tom Flanagan was in violation of providing basic amenities – such as heat and hot water – to the tenants who reside at the apartment building.
“Caution: This structure has been inspected and found to be in violation of the 2015 INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE,” a “RESTRICTED USE” tag affixed to the property’s front door by the City of Beaumont Building Codes Division reads, citing provisions made in sections covering unsafe structures and equipment, structure unfit for human occupancy, and dangerous structure or premises.
The building had allegedly been in the state of disrepair, “for quite a while,” according to complaints forwarded to Beaumont Planning Director Chis Boone. A current tenant reported to The Examiner that, “The heat had been out for about 18 to 20 months. There was no heat last winter at all. It was icy the winter before. As for the hot water, this time it has been out 5 days or so.
“We have gone up to a month in the past several years off and on.” Despite complaints made to the planning director and The Examiner, Boone did not find any official complaints lodged with the city for the extended dates of disrepair expressed by current and former tenants of the property. However, the complaints made to the newspaper don’t end with one tenant, and span years of alleged disrepair.
The current orange tag placed on the building allows until Nov. 10 for the repairs to be made – and the disposition of the “heat” is still uncertain. The Mildred’s spokesperson reported that a plumber had pulled permits to begin the required repair on Oct. 25, with the work scheduled complete as of Nov. 3.