Months after Pittsburgh apartment parking garage collapse, tenants say it still hasn't been fixed
Bracken House on the North Shore prides itself as "a prime Pittsburgh location" that offers "everything you need to feel at home," according to its website. But residents say the apartment complex is anything but.
The on-site parking garage partially collapsed in late April, and people who live there say that's just the start of the problems.
Neighbors on Thursday took off work to listen to a hearing at the magistrate between the city and the apartment building. But when it got continued with no one there from building management, the residents demanded action and a new meeting next week.
A huge sheet of plywood blocks access to the elevators at the Bracken House apartments and garage. There's still a posted blue condemned sign on the wall, nearly four months since the April 23 collapse.
"That was the day that our parking garage collapsed during the draft, night one of the draft, and we've been given no information since that date," said resident Melissa Nocine.
Nocine says residents are paying full-priced rent but can no longer access working elevators or park their cars on site.
She's concerned for elderly and disabled residents at the North Shore property, because the condemned elevators are the only elevators.
"They've been trapped essentially, yes," Nocine said. "If there's no elevators that are working, then there's no way for them to get down."
And residents say safety is a concern walking to and from the alternative parking option, nearly a mile away on the North Shore. Mark Shumaker says a shuttle does run, but not all night.
"We have a significant walk at odd hours of the day that we didn't originally sign up for," Shumaker said.
After Thursday's failed summary trial between the city and the property manager, the meeting got pushed until next week, and the judge promised them someone from the building would show.
"There are parts of the building that don't seem secure," said resident Natalie Schwarzwalder. "They're crumbling, they look like they're falling apart, and as the garage collapsed in April, we don't know if that could be any of our buildings or apartments next."
Residents provided KDKA with the latest email from building management, saying, "The city has received all required documentation from the engineer to evaluate reopening," insinuating they're still waiting on the city.
But this email from a city employee, in response to a concerned resident, says, "The project is not currently waiting on the city for approval."
"I really wish we as residents had more power or somebody to support us going through what we're going through right now," Nocine said.
KDKA reached out to the apartment building management in multiple ways and the company that owns them, Coastal Ridge Real Estate out of Columbus, Ohio. KDKA did get in touch with someone who said she'd contact the team but needed more time to get a response.
