MEMPHIS, Tenn. — An abandoned church in Frayser has caused parents to become outraged.
Parents said the building on Dellwood, with its broken windows and peeled apart fence, is dangerous because it sits across the street from Frayser Elementary School.
Monday, the city sent a crew to cut the grass around the building yet again.
“It’s very open. It’s very dangerous. There are kids always walking especially at nighttime when summer was here,” said mother Dominique Hamilton, who lives a few doors down from the blight.
She won’t let her two kids anywhere close to the building, because she said it’s a haven for criminals.
“I see people over there smoking and doing whatever they want to do,” said Hamilton. “It’s an eyesore to the community.”
Memphis Public Works told WREG it’s received complaints about the blight, and crews have had to cut overgrown grass and weeds several times.
WREG found out Victory Tabernacle Church owns the property and owes more than $150,000 in taxes and penalties to the county and city.
Public Works said it’s tried to take the owner to environmental court, but no one has ever showed up, so the property continues to sit there while your tax dollars go towards some of the upkeep.
“City of Memphis Ground Maintenance facilitated weed mitigation for this property 3 times during 2014 and has mitigated weeds twice this year within the months of July and August. The owner of Victory Tabernacle Church was cited to court and the City billed the property owner for services rendered to cut the high grass. Furthermore, liens are placed on the property in efforts to collect for services to mitigate the property,” said Arlenia Cole with Public Works.
DeAndre Brown told WREG he works with kids in the neighborhood.
“It’s very unsafe, but we have been in conversations with a group who is trying to get ownership or receivership from environmental court,” he said.
Brown said he knew of several organizations that wanted to turn the building into an after-school hangout for children, which had parents like Hamilton even more upset.
“Especially when there are predominately young kids around. There are a lot of sick people out there. Maybe Memphis can do something better with that building,” said Hamilton.
WREG contacted Victory Tabernacle Church on the phone and through email and Facebook, but never heard back as of Monday night.
Public Works said it would send someone out to look at the broken windows, and if needed, crews will board them up, and bill the owner once again.
UPDATE: Public Works told WREG Tuesday the building was scheduled to be torn down, but a group of non-profits fought it. They want to rehab it.
