Skyvue Apartments residents return after condemnation notice and evacuation order
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — Residents of an apartment building in Pittsburgh who were ordered to evacuate last week by the city have returned.
On Dec. 20, the city said the Department of Permits, Licenses, and Inspections issued a condemnation notice and evacuation order for Skyvue Apartments on Forbes Avenue in the city's Oakland neighborhood due to broken elevators.
"It was definitely very inconvenient because it was right around the holidays," resident Netra Mohta said on Thursday.
She's home for the holidays. Her sister lives on the 10th floor of the apartment building. Tenants living on floors five through 13 were required to leave when the city condemned the building.
"It was definitely hectic," Mohta said.
The complex housed them at the Residence Inn Pittsburgh Oakland/University Place, which is next door. The condemnation notice came after emergency crews arrived to help a resident in need of medical help and discovered all four elevators were broken.
Vincent Luo left town just the day before. He lives on the ninth floor.
"I walked up and down like three times the day it was out of order to pick my luggage," Luo said.
A sign is now posted on the door of the building saying one elevator has been fixed and residents are allowed back inside.
Skyvue Apartments is a Greystar property less than 10 years old. This was not the first time the building has faced issues. In 2019, an electrical fire temporarily forced residents to evacuate. A month later, the building was cited for failing to maintain a fully functioning fire alarm system.