Code Violations Plague Owner

Across the street, "designer lofts" still under construction were selling for $300,000 and up.

"I can honestly say I was appalled at the condition of the building," said Delores Anderson of the D.C. Office of the Tenant Advocate, whose officials visited the Ontario Road building late last year. "I just kept shaking my head, like, 'What is this?' "

Until recently, NWJ had owned 75 percent of the building and the minority owner had resisted making renovations, Kretschman said. He said NWJ has repeatedly repaired the doors and has invested tens of thousands of dollars in the property, recently installing new lights. The company said it is also putting in a new security system and steel doors.

"There's probably about 15 guys in that building working on it on an ongoing basis," he said.

The complex has been cited for nearly 1,400 code violations, prompting the advisory neighborhood commission to pass a resolution calling for a building cleanup. Last fall, Weaver, Reynolds and others brought over donated white paint to clean up the building. NWJ filed suit against Reynolds, who is being represented by the D.C. attorney general's office.

"The owners just want to sell the place," said tenant Barbara Salinas, who lives with her mother, a housekeeper who pays $650 a month in rent. Salinas said many tenants grew tired of the blighted conditions and moved out. "They're not here anymore. The whole neighborhood -- swoosh -- it's gone."

Database editor Sarah Cohen and news researcher Meg Smith contributed to this report.