Partially Collapsed Iowa Apartment Building To Be Demolished | Columbus Ohio Dump Trucks
City officials believe there were no deaths in the six-story building's partial collapse.
Photo courtesy of Iowa Task Force 1
An apartment building in Davenport, Iowa, that partially collapsed May 28 had been undergoing exterior brick repairs but the remains of the structure are now due to be demolished.
City officials believe no one was killed when a portion of the six-story Main Street building’s rear collapsed shortly before 5 p.m. Rescuers helped eight people escape the building, at least one of whom was still hospitalized May 29, according to Fire Chief Mike Carlsten and Mayor Mike Matson. There were no credible reports of anyone still missing, Carlsten told reporters at a press conference May 29.
A city spokesperson told reporters that the building's owner was served with a notice and order for demolition. A contractor was on site May 29 and demolition was scheduled to begin the morning of May 30.
The building is a mix of 84 residential and commercial units, according to Rich Oswald, the city’s director of development and neighborhood services. Records show it was originally built as a hotel in 1907.
The cause of the collapse was still under investigation, city officials said. Oswald told reporters that officials recently issued a notice to the building’s owner after receiving complaints of bricks falling from the building.
Records show the owner, Davenport Hotel LLC, received a permit to replace 100 linear ft of brick exterior May 24. The permit notes that wall bracing would be installed per an engineer’s design. City officials also issued a permit to the building owner earlier this year for repairs to the brick exterior. The building passed an inspection May 1.
Residents would not be allowed back inside prior to the demolition because of the structure’s unstable condition, a city spokesperson told reporters. The Red Cross was assisting displaced residents.
