Rochester Towers Condominium residents rush to exit, wait to return
Jun. 5—ROCHESTER — Without a place to permanently live, the approximately 180 residents of the Rochester Towers Condominium wonder when they can return home.
Residents are living in hotels and with family and friends in the area. They're uncertain when they can return to the building as of Monday afternoon.
"Essentially everybody that lives there has nothing," said resident Bonnie Barnett, who lives at the condominium with her husband and their cat and dog.
The 15-story condominium, at 207 Fifth Ave. SW, was
evacuated on Friday evening due to structural concerns
in a routine inspection. Construction crews worked to add temporary shoring to a few columns over the weekend, which allowed Second Street Southwest to reopen on Saturday night. A temporary shelter was established at Zumbro Lutheran Church, though, no residents were housed there, according to Melanie Tschida, executive director of the American Red Cross Southeast Minnesota chapter.
Barnett said there are "no answers, just lots of questions," such as when their home will become home again and if their condo could be sold in the future. The Barnetts moved into their condo five years ago after their previous home burned down.
"This is our second time we've lost everything," Barnett said.
They're temporarily living with extended family.
"Initially we thought it would be a weekend, and now we don't know," Barnett said. "We don't know. We don't know when we'll ever be able to get back in or if we will. And nobody knows anything."
Other residents of the condominium tower echoed the feelings of uncertainty and frustration in awaiting news on their homes.
Resident Amy Abts said she and
other residents received an email that they could get back into the building on Tuesday,
though it is uncertain if the time is to retrieve items or move back in.
One resident pointed to the building that collapsed in Davenport, Iowa, as a tragedy that hit a little close to home for the Rochester Towers residents.
Rochester Fire Department Chief Eric Kerska said on Friday that "the owners have been extremely diligent and forward-thinking" and "they've been actively trying to take care of their residents." Tschida said the Red Cross also has a shelter trailer with 50 cots, blankets and related supplies to respond to area emergencies.
"It'd be nice to know but ... it has to go through a process. But in the meantime, what do you do?" Barnett said. "Who thought when you had to go out for the weekend that you take your checkbook, you take all of your financial papers because you might not ever be able to go there? You don't take your heirlooms, things which are important to you. None of those things because it was temporary."
According to several individuals, residents received an email around 4:45 p.m. on Friday and were told to evacuate with whatever they could grab by 7:30 p.m. The scene during that time was filled with people loading cars that had been moved from the garage to the parking lot "out of an abundance of caution," Kerska said on Friday.
