Syracuse, N.Y. – The new owners of Ballantyne Garden Apartments knew they were in for a heavy lift. The property was rife with code violations. It had become a magnet for squatters, prostitutes and drug dealers.
But Brooklyn resident Mendel Klein and his partners believed they could turn around the 140-unit complex in the North Valley neighborhood of Syracuse. They bought it last year at a foreclosure auction for $4 million.
Now they are pursuing an ambitious vision: They want to transform Ballantyne Garden Apartments into something new: The Cortile, a luxury apartment complex…