Car owner recalls Denver parking garage collapse: "It was just chaos"

Dozens of cars have been trapped in a parking garage since the concrete crumbled on Monday afternoon. The garage that collapsed is part of a two-story building with rooftop parking in the 3600 block of S. Yosemite Street and is located next to a 10-story multi-tenant office building.  

"We hear a large boom, and it sounds like metal crashing on metal, but I didn't think too much of it because, like I said, it's Denver. There's a lot of noise in Denver," said Jennifer Burgess.

Burgess soon would learn her Silver Ford Escape was beneath the garage's concrete wall, crushed from the impact.

"Shock, and a whole lot of disbelief," said Burgess, "and then from there it was just chaos."

Burgess says her company's insurance will likely help with the damages to her car, but says it's not knowing when they can go back to their cars that has people like her concerned.

"What's going to happen in two weeks when I still don't have a vehicle, no way to get from here to work," said Burgess.

Denver's Community Planning and Development team told CBS Colorado this week it could take a few days before the structure is safe for people to come back to:

CPD issued an order for the owner to obtain an emergency shoring permit based on the recommendations of a Colorado-licensed structural engineer that will allow temporary shoring/stabilization of the garage. The shoring under the permit will be inspected by a Colorado-licensed structural engineer and a CPD building inspector, after which people may be allowed to retrieve vehicles. This will likely take a few days or more.

The owners of the structure, a real estate group based in Florida called SF Partners, sent an email to tenants of the building this week saying in part, "We understand the inconvenience this situation may cause and sincerely appreciate your patience and understanding."

Burgess says it's not the first time she or other people have noticed structural concerns with the property.

"When people would drive ahead, like above us, you could feel it moving, you'd be like 'Oh, is it good'," she said. "There would be times when you would see little bits and pieces of concrete."

A city spokesperson tells CBS Colorado they "had no reason to believe there were concerns with the garage" in the past.

"I'm hoping they just fix it and get it right, and hopefully this never happens again, because this was just crazy," said Burgess.