As the once-bustling City View Apartments in downtown Omaha stands deserted, questions of accountability linger. The building was deemed uninhabitable last summer, following a slew of health and safety violations that left residents scrambling for new homes.
The deplorable conditions caught many in a bind, including a disabled veteran stranded on the 10th floor due to a broken elevator. Complaints included human waste in stairwells, non-functional kitchen sinks, and ceilings with holes. Infestations of bed bugs forced some to abandon their belongings.
It’s been nearly a year since the apartment tower, which housed 200 units, was closed on July 31, leaving behind a trail of displaced residents and unanswered questions.
Drugs, Bugs, and a Dead Body
Remi Dortch moved into City View Apartments at 604 S. 22nd St. in November 2020. Initially finding the place affordable and relatively safe, Dortch soon encountered a series of escalating issues. By the time she moved to a newly remodeled unit on the seventh floor, the problems had multiplied.
Constant disturbances, such as fights, police interventions, and squatters, plagued the complex. Dortch recalled multiple incidents of dead bodies being discovered in the laundry room and reported widespread drug use.
“That apartment was like something straight out of a freaking movie,” Dortch stated. “There were shootings up there, people kicking at people’s doors, constantly having to worry about getting robbed. It was a lot.”
In January 2025, the city nearly shut down the property, but the Miami-based owners, Tzadik Management, narrowly avoided closure by repairing the fire alarm system. However, the discovery of bed bugs in February 2025 pushed Dortch to finally move out.
“Bugs crawling all over her stuff,” Dortch said, referring to her daughter’s belongings. “That was the deal breaker to me.”
The apartment complex was ultimately closed in June 2025 by a new management company, not the city, after accumulating numerous safety hazards, financial issues, and code violations.
Nebraska Public Media News attempted to contact Tzadik Management for comment, but calls were not returned. Despite the closure, Tzadik continues to operate and recently announced property acquisitions in South Dakota, boasting “record-low vacancy levels.”
No Citations for Out-of-State Owners
Efforts to seek legal recourse for the displaced residents, led by local tenant law attorney Dave Pantos, hit a dead end. A class-action lawsuit wasn’t viable due to the property being placed in receivership at the request of Merchants Bank of Indiana, which claimed Tzadik owed over $18 million.
A real estate transfer on July 1 listed City View Acquisitions LLC as the new owner following a $3 million purchase from Ash Realty Spe Ii, LLC.
Pantos criticized the city’s reactive approach, stating, “The result typically is, a place doesn’t pass inspection and the city at some point says okay, well now it has to close and no one can go there — there’s no middle ground.”
Tzadik City View LLC acquired City View in 2019, with plans to offer “the best management possible,” according to a press release at the time. However, by 2024, as code violations mounted, the company became unreachable, forcing the city to communicate through legal representatives.
City Attorney Matt Kuhse mentioned the difficulty of citing the out-of-state company, noting extradition for municipal offenses is not feasible. “Extradition from Florida to Omaha for a municipal offense does not happen,” Kuhse said.
Similar closures have occurred in Omaha, such as the Yale Park Apartments in 2018 and the Flora apartments in 2022, often drawing considerable media attention. However, Pantos emphasized that smaller units often face similar unsafe conditions.
“City View included elderly people, people in poverty, people with substance abuse issues,” Pantos remarked. “Different entities pulled together to do something, but things like this do happen all the time.”
Nonprofits and volunteers often bear the responsibility of aiding displaced residents. Between 100 and 130 people lived in City View at its closure. Local nonprofits, led by figures like Tamika Mease of North Omaha Community Partnership, coordinated efforts to provide housing and resources to affected individuals.
“I mean, drugs, trafficking, anything detrimental that you can think of was taking place in that building,” Mease said.
Efforts involved coordinating with social workers, storing belongings, and replacing infested furniture. Volunteers also informed residents without cell phones about the impending closure.
“I’m not gonna lie to you, City View kicked our butts,” Mease admitted.
Dortch and her family found a better living situation before the forced closure, but she wishes the former owners had been more accountable. “We had to live there; they didn’t,” Dortch said. “That was just a place for them to talk about every day versus having to go there every day.”
City View remains vacant today, another addition to Omaha’s list of properties failing to meet the basic needs of vulnerable residents.
