Last tenants evacuated from building near apartment structure that collapsed in Iowa
Residents of the Executive Square Building in Davenport, IA, located just north of a near partially collapsed apartment structure, were evacuated over "structural concerns." (Credit: WQAD)
DAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — The remaining tenants of a building near a partially collapsed apartment structure were evacuated Thursday because of “areas of structural concern,” Davenport officials said.
Residents of five apartments at the Executive Square Building were told to evacuate “out of an abundance of caution,” city spokeswoman Sarah Ott said in a statement.
The decision came after city staff and structural engineers assessed conditions near the apartment building that partially collapsed on May 28, killing three people, injuring several and displacing dozens, Ott said.
Assessments are being made before dismantling the partially collapsed building proceeds, she said.
Thursday’s evacuations will leave the Executive Square building vacant. Most residents and commercial unit tenants had already been ordered to leave.
Lawsuits have been filed in connection with the partial collapse of the apartment building. Plaintiffs contend the property owner, Andrew Wold, and the city received several complaints about the building’s poor condition in recent years.