Tenants at Historic Raymond Boulevard Tower Say Management Silence and Unresolved Security Issues Have Become the Norm
Residents of one of downtown Newark’s most recognizable residential buildings say persistent safety lapses, deteriorating living conditions, and a lack of communication from management have turned daily life inside the landmark Eleven80 tower into a source of growing frustration and anxiety.
The Art Deco high-rise at 1180 Raymond Boulevard, once celebrated as a symbol of Newark’s revival, commands premium rents and offers sweeping views of Manhattan. For tenants like Andy Dwyer, who pays about $3,600 per month for an upper-floor apartment with an east-facing terrace, the scenery and architectural legacy initially justified the cost. Today, he says those benefits no longer offset the mounting problems.
Standing in his apartment, Dwyer gestures to a cup filled with brown-tinted tap water, using it as an example of what residents describe as chronic plumbing and infrastructure issues. According to tenants, water quality concerns are compounded by recurring leaks, frequent plumbing failures, and mold conditions severe enough in some units to prompt temporary rent abatements.
Broken amenities are another point of contention. A basement bowling alley that once featured prominently in the building’s marketing materials has reportedly been unusable for roughly five years. Residents say the pattern extends beyond cosmetic inconveniences, pointing instead to failures that directly affect safety. Tenants claim the main entrance doors remain unlocked around the clock, while security cameras and the buzzer system are either malfunctioning or completely offline.
Those concerns intensified after a violent incident last year involving a building security guard. According to multiple residents, the guard was assaulted twice in a single day by the same individual, first inside the building’s lobby and later outside on the sidewalk, where a knife was allegedly used. Tenants say they were never formally notified of the attack and learned about it only through neighbors and witnesses. They add that the front doors were never repaired following the incident and remain unsecured.
Residents describe what they see as a long-standing communication breakdown with building management. Several say maintenance requests and emails often go unanswered, and reaching a decision-maker by phone has proven nearly impossible. The problems, they contend, worsened after management shifted around 2020, when oversight moved from Cogswell Real Estate to Cushman & Wakefield.
An online tenant platform introduced last year was intended to improve communication and foster community interaction. Instead, residents say it quickly became a forum for complaints about unresolved issues. The platform was later disabled, with management citing misuse of the system, a move tenants interpreted as silencing criticism rather than addressing underlying concerns.
Despite the turmoil, many residents maintain a deep affection for the building itself. Designed by renowned Newark architect Frank Grad and opened in 1931, the structure was once the tallest office building in New Jersey. Originally known as the Lefcourt Building and later the Raymond Commerce Building, it fell into disrepair after the 1967 riots before eventually being redeveloped into luxury apartments in the early 2000s. That conversion positioned Eleven80 as an early example of the office-to-residential trend that now defines much of Newark’s urban redevelopment and remains a key focus of the state’s evolving real estate market.
Today, however, tenants say the building’s historic prestige is being undermined by neglect. Longtime resident Susana Holguin-Veras said the lack of transparency following the attack on the security guard was especially alarming. Even if part of the incident occurred outside, she noted, it involved an employee and had direct implications for resident safety.
Other tenants report additional security breaches that they believe stem from the unlocked front entrance, including unauthorized individuals wandering common areas. One resident described encountering a stranger inside a women’s locker room, while another claimed a homeless individual had been sleeping in the building’s vestibule.
Adding to the uncertainty are reports that the property’s owner, Pacific Oak Strategic Opportunity REIT, has explored selling the building amid broader financial challenges. Some residents speculate that deferred maintenance and rising rents may be part of a strategy to reduce occupancy ahead of a sale, though no official explanation has been offered.
Former tenant Anna Horsford, who lived at Eleven80 for a decade, said learning about an intruder in the women’s spa was the final factor that prompted her departure. She said her rent was increased by $200 despite ongoing maintenance failures and security concerns, a decision she felt was impossible to justify.
As she left the building for the last time, Horsford said the front doors were still not functioning properly.
For residents who remain, the message is clear: the building’s reputation and rent levels no longer align with the reality inside its walls. Until security, maintenance, and communication issues are meaningfully addressed, tenants say Eleven80’s historic stature offers little comfort in the face of daily uncertainty.
