After residents spend weeks without water, 65-year-old Denver condo building "unsafe for occupation"
Residents are now out of an 80 unit condominium complex at 1121 Albion Street in Denver after the building was ordered vacated by the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.
"I was all freaked out at first because you know we didn't really know what was going on," said resident and condominium owner Phil Boden.
"I've been staying in two different places," said Boden, who has found housing at a couple different Comfort Inns.
Rob Lobato has also been staying at a hotel. He was back to pick up a few things in the 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. hours that residents were allowed back in.
"That was the consensus we were going to be able to stay then this notice on the door was Monday," he said.
The building has been without running water for most of the past two weeks since Denver's record setting cold snap drove temperatures to -19 at Denver International Airport in mid-January.
"It was an emotional, physical, mental, just beatdown," said Leslie Luke of her rush to find a new apartment after talking to her landlord, who will let her out of her lease.
"It took a lot out of me and a lot of outlay money that I really didn't have laying around."
The building has seven known pipe breaks from the cold. Part of the problem of repairing it is that there may be asbestos in the area where some of the breaks occurred. The health department says the building cannot be occupied until the water is repaired and it has to be brought into compliance with Denver housing standards.
"We try to balance everything when there are issues like this. But this is a significant public health issue no running water in the building," said Emily Williams, spokesperson for the Denver Department of Public Health and Environment.
It could take months.
The DDPHE says it is helping the HOA with documentation that hopefully will assist in getting insurance payments to cover the cost of living elsewhere while the building is repaired.
The building, which dates to 1959 has issues of aging associated with a 65 year old building and water problems have happened before. Boden, who served on a prior HOA board for the Americana Condominiums says they contracted a plumber to line pipes, but work was only partially completed.
"They just ran off with our money," he said about the overall situation.
Some complained of the work of a past management company in keeping track the building's problems and getting them repaired. There is a new management company now monitoring the problems, but the building's plumbing problems are significant. Some of the leaks may be in areas where there is asbestos, requiring further remediation and more time. A general contractor is looking at the situation.
The HOA's President, L Steve, led a discussion with residents Tuesday night to share more about the situation and the history of problems along with what's being done.
"I see a horizon, but there's a lot of smoke and fire," said Steve.
