UPDATE at 2 p.m. on Oct. 16: City Attorney Scott Holmes said all lawsuits against the City of Tuscaloosa related the Hub were dismissed with prejudice in February of 2020. 

The Hub Tuscaloosa, a luxury apartment complex located beside Bryant-Denny Stadium, has received attention from residents for health and safety issues within the apartments.

Since opening in August 2018, students and parents have complained about mold, flooding, leaks, floors covered in construction-related dust, and unreliable staff. A group of students filed a lawsuit against the Hub and the city of Tuscaloosa, which a spokesperson from Humble Law Firm said is pending. 

Andrew Cartwright, a sophomore majoring in finance and a Hub resident, has experienced issues since he moved in at the beginning of the fall semester. He was allowed to move in one day before classes began — a change from the original lease offering three days. 

“I have had problems with the Hub since before moving in,” Cartwright said. “After the long wait, upon arriving at our apartment, it was disgusting. Almost every surface was dirty. In addition, the sink was clogged with no working garbage disposal, and our sink sat full of dirty water for a week as we waited for it to be fixed.”

Cartwright said mold has been a consistent issue, and he’s experienced symptoms of mold sickness. Mold produces allergens, which can cause an allergic reaction or hay fever-type symptoms. This can be caused from inhaling or touching mold spores. 

Lily Mai, director of communications for the Hub, said the mold was due to rainfall.

“The heavy rainfall we had in September impacted some residents and displaced others,” Mai said. “We worked closely with anyone experiencing issues, and there are no residents in [un]inhabitable situations.” 

The Hub continues to allow new tenants to sign leases. 

“I have only been a Hub resident since the beginning of this school year, and knew I was deceived into my lease right about the time I arrived,” Cartwright said. “Their advertising makes it seem much better than it is.”

Cartwright said he submitted a maintenance request but never heard back. He plans to call the health department to “make sure this gets resolved.”

The last environmental assessment of the apartment complex, conducted almost 10 months ago, shows no outstanding code violations. 

Many tenants residing at the Hub have taken it upon themselves to raise awareness of the problems, resulting in a petition to get management’s attention. The petition had over 140 signatures before being deleted and claimed there is “not one good thing” to be said about the Hub. 

“Above the fact that I will never consider re-signing at the Hub, I hope that myself and the other students can come together to resolve our poor living situation,” Cartwright said.

Questions? Email the News desk at [email protected].