Construction ending soon on old Elm Grove Garden Apt. Complex

BATON ROUGE, La. (WAFB) - Residents used to call it a nightmare to live there, now city leaders hope a new construction will benefit the Scotlandville community.

From plumbing problems to bug infestation, the Elm Grove Garden apartment complex has come a long way. Now, a new complex replaces the old deplorable living conditions. City leaders call it, “Capstone at Scotlandville.”

“It’s not just about housing, it’s about bringing that kind of programming that has type of education enrichment activities, especially for this apartment complex. What we are really talking about is three- and two-bedroom units,” said Marlee Pittman, interim director of community development with the Mayor’s Office.

The Capstone apartments will offer affordable housing for low-income families struggling to get on their feet.

“Our administration has been focused on uplifting disinvested communities, and when you think about the Old Elm Grove apartments that was there prior, it was deplorable, it was an eyesore, it was a pain for the community,” said Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.

“To provide a greater place for people to live, who do live there and ensure that the entire surrounding area benefits, the entire Scotlandville community benefits,” Pittman added.

However, not everyone in the community is as hopeful.

“I have bars as you see, I have cameras as you see, surveillance in order to live in my community and that was because of the remnants of the past,” says Dina Johnson.

Johnson has lived in a house for the past 54 years, her home sits across from the apartment complex. She says she saw a lot of police activity over the years.

“During the two years that they weren’t in operation was the most peaceful this has been since back in the 70s’. A lot of drug infested, it was bad, it was bad. We had people’s lives that have been taken over there, multiple, you know, high chase. I am just afraid of what’s to come. I am not saying that I don’t want to welcome the program and hope that the program is successful, I just have this great fear that of what I’ve experienced before will return as well,” explains Johnson.

City leaders say the construction is supposed to be done soon, if you are interested in applying for a unit.

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