Greensboro Leaves Unsafe West Market Apartments Vacant

The city has not repaired the District at West Market, an evacuated building that has sat empty for nearly eleven months.

Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Apartments

Mid-century brick apartment block with empty dark windows and a chain-link fence in the foreground under flat overcast daylight. — The city of Greensboro cannot repair the privately owned District at West Market, which has sat evacuated for nearly eleven months, leaving about 180 former residents displaced while it awaits the owner's response. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Nearly 180 people lived in the District at West Market before the city deemed the building unsafe and evacuated residents in 2025. The city cannot make repairs because the building is private property, and it is waiting until January for the owner to respond before referring the building to the Minimum Housing Commission.

Why it matters

The city's options are limited by private property rules, leaving the former residents displaced and the building in limbo for Greensboro renters. Because the owner has not yet presented a clear plan, the building's future in the downtown area remains uncertain.

The figures come from city records of the 2025 evacuation, which displaced nearly 180 residents and left the building empty for almost a year. The city has not said how long repairs would take or whether the owner intends to restore the building, and the owner's latest update, that an architect is involved, has not been followed by a timeline.

The details

The city deemed the District at West Market unsafe and evacuated residents, but it cannot make repairs itself because the building is privately owned. The owner's most recent update said it is working with an architect, while the city's original contact at the company has left, and the city staff has reached out for another update.

2025: The District at West Market closed and residents were evacuated.
January 2027: The city will wait for the property owner to respond before referring the building to the Minimum Housing Commission.

Big Picture

Under Greensboro's minimum housing process, an unsafe privately owned building is referred to the Minimum Housing Commission only after the owner fails to act, which is the step the city is now delaying until January. That sequence leaves the District at West Market in the same holding pattern that the process was designed to resolve.

Former residents of the District at West Market have been displaced for nearly a year and cannot return until the building is repaired or demolished. Renters near the downtown Greenway and West Friendly Avenue should watch for any city action on the property, since the city can order demolition.

The takeaway

Renters in unsafe privately owned buildings depend on owner action, so residents facing a similar evacuation should document their housing status and contact the city's code enforcement office early. Tracking referral deadlines with the local housing authority can shorten the time spent displaced.