Antioch Mayor Lamar Thorpe accused absentee landlords of playing a major role in creating blight at a press conference Tuesday.
He spoke outside the Delta Fair Shopping Center, which he said has gone from a thriving place to shop to a symbol of economic decline, neglect and disinvestment.
Thorpe said the empty properties attract encampments, drug activity and crime. He blames absent corporate landlords for creating the issue.
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“Because, from city manager to city manager, a culture has been created where absent landlords receive special treatment,” Thorpe said. “And this exchange for special treatment gets residents empty, dilapidated building that have become crime hubs and blight.”
He asked the city council to take action against nine commercial property owners. While council members did discuss the issue at a meeting later in the day, they did not take any action.
Thorpe told NBC Bay area that there will be more talks about the issue in a closed session at their next meeting.
