STOCKTON — The area once known as the pride of Stockton’s Miracle Mile shopping district is in bad shape and business owners in the area want the city and property owner to fix it.
“People are breaking in, smoking meth, there’s transients all up and down breaking in. We see all kind of sordid individuals going all around,” Constance Carter, CEO of Catalyst Real Estate Professionals explained.
Carter owns one of the nine businesses that were forced to close last year because of unsafe conditions. She says now it’s even more dangerous to step inside.
“Now it smells like urine and feces,” Carter said.
Nearby business owners agree.
“I don’t know anything about the building, all I know [is] it’s not good that it’s empty,” Al Greco owner, Al’s Comic Books said.
Cell phone video recently filmed by Carter shows two people in handcuffs. Officers say they were arrested for trespassing and drug possession.
She feels the property owner, Christopher Bennit, should have fixed the issues faster.
“It didn’t warrant a whole building shut down,” Carter said. “These repairs could have been fixed over a weekend or over a two week period.”
She also believes the city’s red tape was unnecessary.
“The city definitely had a hand in the way the Miracle Mile looks today and it’s very unfortunate,” Carter said.
Connie Cochran, Stockton’s Community Relations Officer, says the city does not own the building.
“It would be [Bennit’s] responsibility to secure the building and he really should, since the building is vacant in particular, be there daily, checking on the building and making sure that it is secured,” Cochran said.
Cochran explains they’ve approved some permits so Bennit can start repairs.
“Units one through six, I believe, and just a portion of the building and those are ready for him to come and work with the city and pick up those permits,” Cochran said.
Carter is now back in business in the Mile where she would like to stay but she just doesn’t see herself in the Empire building again.
“[A] place that was so full of peace and harmony that we looked forward to being a part of, it doesn’t feel the same. It just feels like someone violated us,” Carter said.
The Stockton Police Department says in June there was a fire, last Saturday there was another fire and then on Tuesday officers made the trespassing arrests filmed by Carter.
FOX40 reached out to Bennit’s attorneys and have not received a response.