1 year ago
30
THE PARTIALLY COLLAPSED BUILDING HERE IN DOWNTOWN DAVENPORT STILL STANDING. THREE PEOPLE UNACCOUNTED FOR, TWO PRESUMED DEAD IN THE RUBBLE BEHIND ME. THE QUESTION WE ASKED THE CITY OF DAVENPORT, WHY DID IT TRUST THE BUILDING’S OWNERS? STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING FIRM AND NOT HIRE ITS OWN? AS PEOPLE CONTINUE TO GATHER AND SIGNS HANG ON FENCING OUTSIDE, THE PARTIALLY COLLAPSED BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN DAVENPORT, IT’S WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE BUILDING CAME DOWN THAT RAISES QUESTIONS AS A REPORT FROM A STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING COMPANY HIRED BY THE BUILDING’S OWNER SAID PARTS OF THE BUILDING’S WEST WALL BRICK FACADE, QUOTE, APPEAR TO BE READY TO FALL IMMINENTLY, END QUOTE. BUT CITY LEADERS CONTINUE TO SAY THE FIRM SAID THAT BUILDING WAS STRUCTURALLY SOUND. AT WHAT POINT DO YOU BRING IN YOUR OWN ENGINEER TO LOOK AT IT AND NOT TRUST AN ENGINEER? THAT’S HIRED BY THE CITY ITSELF OR BY THE BUILDING OWNER ITSELF? FROM SELECT STRUCTURAL? THE ANSWER IOWANS YEAH. SO I WILL SAY SORT OF LIKE CHIEF BEAVERDALE, THIS IS THIS IS A NEW THING FOR THIS CITY. WE HAVE GREAT QUALIFIED ENGINEERS IN THIS AREA AND THIS IS NEW AND WE’LL BE LOOKING AT THAT. THAT REPORT DONE MAY 23RD. THE BUILDING ITSELF COLLAPSED MAY 28TH, A PERMIT IN QUESTION, THE CITY SAID WAS LABELED APPROVED BY MISTAKE. IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN LABELED INCOMPLETE SHEET. THE CITY SAID TODAY THAT BUILDING INSPECTOR RESIGNED. CITY LEADERS SAY THREE PEOPLE ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR. RYAN HITCHCOCK, BRANDON COLVIN AND DANIEL ARION HITCHCOCK AND COLVIN, BELIEVED TO BE DEAD IN THE RUBBLE. POLICE ARE HAVING A TOUGH TIME FINDING FAMILY FOR ARION TO LOCATE HIM. THE FAMILIES NEED US. THE FAMILIES NEED ALL OF US TO REMAIN A LEVEL HEAD AND TRY TO FIGURE THESE THINGS OUT. COLVIN’S SON, BRANDON COLVIN JR SPENT THE NIGHT CAMPED OUT ON FOURTH STREET JUST FEET FROM WHERE HIS DAD IS BELIEVED TO BE BURIED IN THE RUBBLE. THE BUILDING FEED FROM HIM. CITY LEADERS SAY, COULD STILL COLLAPSE AT ANY TIME. IT’S DANGEROUS AND IT’S SHIFTING. DANGEROUS AND SHIFTING AS LEADERS FIGURE OUT HOW TO DEMOLISH THAT BUILDING SAFELY. AS FOR DEMOLITION, THE MAYOR SAYS THERE IS NOT A TIMETABLE FOR THAT. BUT WHEN IT COMES DOWN, IT’LL COME DOWN WITH DIGNITY FOR THE PEOPLE STILL STUCK INSIDE. IN
Façade appeared 'ready to fall,' but residents were allowed to stay before Iowa building collapse
A structural engineering firm's report, hired by the building's owner, showed brick façade appeared "ready to fall imminently" just days before an apartment building collapsed in downtown Davenport, Iowa. City leaders said three people remained unaccounted for, two are believed to be dead in the rubble.The report from Select Structural Engineering, hired by Andrew Wold, spelled out issues on the west wall. It was released with dozens of other documents Wednesday night. Another February report from the same firm noted issues with the wall as well. Still, city leaders said Thursday the firm said the building was structurally sound, and they did not order residents to evacuate."At what point do you bring in a city engineer to look at it instead of trusting an engineer hired by the owner himself?" KCCI Investigates asked during Wednesday's news conference. "I will say, just like Chief Bladel, this is a new thing for this city. We have great qualified engineers in this area and this is new, we'll be looking at that," responded Rich Oswald, Davenport's director of Development and Neighborhood Services.Oswald also said a professional engineer is certified and an engineer's report stamped by an engineer is state licensed and is a qualified report. The May 24 report from Select Structural Engineering shows the firm visited the day before. The building collapsed on May 28. Other reporters and residents questioned a permit the city granted, but later said shouldn't have been and showed "denied," but should have shown "incomplete." At the news conference Thursday, and in a Facebook post, the city clarified. The city worker clicked the permit passed as a "clerical error." The work was not completed and therefore couldn't be labeled complete, the city says. The staff member, according to Mayor Mike Matson, resigned. “Do I have regrets about this tragedy and about people potentially losing their lives? Hell yeah. Do I think about this every moment? Hell yeah,” Mayor Mike Matson said. “I have regrets about a lot of things. Believe me, we’re going to look at that.”Three people remain unaccounted for: Branden Colvin, Ryan Hitchcock and Daniel Prien. Hitchcock and Colvin are believed to be dead in the rubble."I can't stress enough, the families need us," said police Chief Jeff Bladel. "The families need all of us to remain at a level head and try to figure things out."The city also announced each displaced household would be eligible to receive $6,000 from the city and $5,000 in state grant money for those up to 200% of the federal poverty level. Businesses are also eligible for money and so are those who were displaced from nearby apartments."Our thoughts and prayers are with our tenants and families during this difficult time," Andrew Wold said in part in a statement, almost 72 hours after a building he owned collapsed in downtown Davenport.Wold was taken to civil court by the city for violating city code, the city believes he failed to keep his building safe at about 5 p.m. Sunday, when the building collapsed. If convicted, he will be fined $300 and $95 in court costs. Though, city leaders clarified Thursday that civil lawsuit was filed to make sure Wold doesn't transfer ownership of the building and will be required to pay for what city leaders call a costly demolition.The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A structural engineering firm's report, hired by the building's owner, showed brick façade appeared "ready to fall imminently" just days before an apartment building collapsed in downtown Davenport, Iowa. City leaders said three people remained unaccounted for, two are believed to be dead in the rubble.
The report from Select Structural Engineering, hired by Andrew Wold, spelled out issues on the west wall. It was released with dozens of other documents Wednesday night. Another February report from the same firm noted issues with the wall as well. Still, city leaders said Thursday the firm said the building was structurally sound, and they did not order residents to evacuate.
"At what point do you bring in a city engineer to look at it instead of trusting an engineer hired by the owner himself?" KCCI Investigates asked during Wednesday's news conference. "I will say, just like Chief Bladel, this is a new thing for this city. We have great qualified engineers in this area and this is new, we'll be looking at that," responded Rich Oswald, Davenport's director of Development and Neighborhood Services.
Oswald also said a professional engineer is certified and an engineer's report stamped by an engineer is state licensed and is a qualified report.
The May 24 report from Select Structural Engineering shows the firm visited the day before. The building collapsed on May 28.
Other reporters and residents questioned a permit the city granted, but later said shouldn't have been and showed "denied," but should have shown "incomplete." At the news conference Thursday, and in a Facebook post, the city clarified. The city worker clicked the permit passed as a "clerical error." The work was not completed and therefore couldn't be labeled complete, the city says. The staff member, according to Mayor Mike Matson, resigned.
“Do I have regrets about this tragedy and about people potentially losing their lives? Hell yeah. Do I think about this every moment? Hell yeah,” Mayor Mike Matson said. “I have regrets about a lot of things. Believe me, we’re going to look at that.”
Three people remain unaccounted for: Branden Colvin, Ryan Hitchcock and Daniel Prien. Hitchcock and Colvin are believed to be dead in the rubble.
"I can't stress enough, the families need us," said police Chief Jeff Bladel. "The families need all of us to remain at a level head and try to figure things out."
The city also announced each displaced household would be eligible to receive $6,000 from the city and $5,000 in state grant money for those up to 200% of the federal poverty level. Businesses are also eligible for money and so are those who were displaced from nearby apartments.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with our tenants and families during this difficult time," Andrew Wold said in part in a statement, almost 72 hours after a building he owned collapsed in downtown Davenport.
Wold was taken to civil court by the city for violating city code, the city believes he failed to keep his building safe at about 5 p.m. Sunday, when the building collapsed. If convicted, he will be fined $300 and $95 in court costs. Though, city leaders clarified Thursday that civil lawsuit was filed to make sure Wold doesn't transfer ownership of the building and will be required to pay for what city leaders call a costly demolition.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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