Fort Bragg soldiers temporarily banned from troubled Fayetteville apartment complex

Soldiers are not allowed to enter new leases or renew existing leases at the complex, the military said. Military personnel already living at the complex are not required to move unless a lease renewal occurs while the ban is in effect.

During the ban, the owners of the apartment complex, Gastonia-based Southwood Realty, will plead their case before the Fort Bragg Armed Forces Disciplinary Board as to why soldiers should live there, the military said. Fort Bragg will then decide whether to remove the ban or make it permanent.

“This action was taken to keep our uniformed service members and their families away from the criminal activity and behaviors that we at Fort Bragg have been monitoring for some time,” Ben Abel, Fort Bragg spokesman, said in a statement.

The 700-unit complex, at 301 Barcelona Drive, has been the site of a wide range of crimes, including burglaries, armed robberies, assaults, domestic disputes, drug deals and reports of gunfire.

The complex is also the site of two double-homicides this year.

The ongoing crime prompted city officials in April to file a nuisance lawsuit against the property owner.

But the suit isn't the first time the city has taken legal action against the complex. A lawsuit last year resulted in the installation of an iron fence around the complex, along with security cameras and signs encouraging residents to report suspicious activity.