The city of Aurora has reached a legal agreement with the owners of 1568 Nome St., an apartment complex at the center of speculation about the presence of Venezuelan gang members in the city, according to documents released by the city.
In the documents, the building’s owner agrees to list the property for sale and pay abatement costs in order to avoid prosecution for a raft of legal violations. The agreement is dated Aug. 12, 2024, the day before the city closed the complex, leaving more than 300 people scrambling for housing. Residents complained of mold, animals, trash and crime.
That closure, and its surrounding circumstances, garnered national attention, resulting in a presidential debate call-out and a potential, but still unofficial, visit to Aurora by former President Donald Trump.
At the time, city officials said the closure was necessary after years of unsafe conditions that went unaddressed by property owner Zev Baumgarten, who is represented in documents as both Nome Partners LLC and CBZ Management
The correspondence outlined in the documents was between city attorneys and Walter Slatkin, a Denver-based lawyer representing Nome Partners LLC. In it, Nome Partners LLC agreed to pay the city up to $60,000 for abatement costs associated with the closure and trash removal at the property. The company also agreed to actively market the property for sale within six months of the abatement’s completion.
The agreement, signed by Slatkin on Aug. 8, 2024, also waived Baumgarten’s right to a speedy trial in the case. This resulted in the delay of his jury trial for dozens of building code violations, which was originally going to happen on Aug. 27.
The case is now set for trial on Feb. 14, 2025, although he could avoid trial altogether if Nome Partners LLC holds up its end of the legal agreement with city attorneys.
Michael Brannen, a spokesperson for the city, said if Nome Partners LLC pays the city back for costs accrued during the abatement and lists the property for sale before his trial date, Aurora will file a motion to dismiss with prejudice all pending claims, actions, summons, and suits against Baumgarten and his business entities. That means the case would be closed and could not be brought back to court.
The city says this particular agreement is only for the property on Nome St. and is not tied to other properties managed or owned by Baumgarten, Nome Partners LLC, or CBZ Management. Two other complexes, Whispering Pines and The Edge at Lowry, have both been featured in coverage spanning the globe following speculation about their ties to the Tren de Aragua gang.
The attorney who signed the agreement with the city has not yet responded to Denverite’s request for comment.
