Displaced, Rochester Tower resident wonders what's next

Jun. 4—ROCHESTER — Having less than three hours to pack after learning she had to evacuate her home, Amy Abts understandably forgot a few things.

For one, Abts didn't know how long she would have to be away from her seventh floor home at the Rochester Towers Condominium in downtown Rochester. She also wasn't sure if she wanted to use the entire time allotted.

Abst was one of the approximately 180 residents displaced when the

building was evacuated due to structural concerns Friday, June 2, 2023

. They were given notice around 4:45 p.m. to be out of the building by 7:30 p.m.

"Was it even safe for me to use all that time?" Abts said she wondered as she packed some essentials and her two cats' food and carriers.

Nonetheless, Abts said she considers herself fortunate to have had the notice.

"I was able to evacuate very quickly," she said. "I read my emails."

Abts was referring to the email from the residential management company that manages the building to residents telling them inspectors found structural defects in the 12-story building and deemed it unsafe to occupy.

Despite that, she didn't pack some work clothes, some of her medications nor her guitars and lyrics. (Abts, a musician, is performing Saturday at the History Center of Olmsted County.)

She said while packing she wasn't sure how safe it would be to use the full time allotted to residents to pack their essentials and evacuate.

Abts said it was odd knowing her belongings are sitting at home but are inaccessible.

She is grateful the Red Cross offered temporary shelter at Zumbro Lutheran Church, 624 Third Ave. SW., to residents who needed it. Abts is staying at her parents' home in Rochester, but said the past couple of days have been a whirlwind of uncertainty and trauma. Abts has lived in the building for about two years, she said.

Abts added that she's glad the company and city inspectors moved quickly and on the side of caution. As of Sunday, she and some other residents were told via email they will be able to get back into their homes in the building Tuesday. That email specified some units will still be off limits to people as of Tuesday. Abts said her unit is not one of those. However, she said it was unclear whether that is a temporary situation to allow residents to retrieve their belongings or that they will be allowed to move back in.

Even if she and some residents are allowed back in, she isn't sure how she'll feel once she's back home after the evacuation.

"It runs through my mind, how will I move back into that building and trust that it's safe," she said.

She said she wants to return with a mindset of trust — that city inspectors, contractors and the management company did what needs to be done.

"If I second guess that, I'll go crazy," she said. "My biggest fear is not feeling safe in my home."

An update from

the City of Rochester Saturday stated the engineering firm on site responsible for assessing the structural issues at the tower had stabilized the structure

but that residents are not yet being allowed back in.

However, Second Street Southwest was reopened Saturday night while the northbound lanes on Fifth Avenue Southwest from Second Street to Third Street remained closed Sunday into Monday.

Abts said she hopes to learn more Monday when and if she can return home.

"Everything's up in the air at this point," she said. "I'm not discounting anything or taking anything for granted."

Until then, she expressed gratitude for dozens of offers of help from around the community.

"Even strangers have been empathetic about this," she said.