The Davenport Fire Department is planning another search of the partially collapsed apartment building in downtown Davenport, once it determines the safest way to do so, Fire Marshall Jim Morris said during a news conference on Tuesday.
Morris was one of several Davenport officials who spoke at the news conference on the city’s ongoing efforts to deal with the aftermath of the partial collapse on Sunday of the six-story apartment building called The Davenport.
Morris said, “it is our goal to conduct an additional search for any occupants and pets that still remain inside.” The problem is the building is unstable, and was shifting even when first responders originally entered it on Sunday.
“This building is extremely volatile,” he said.
After using thermal imaging and other scanning equipment, as well as search-and-rescue dogs to assist in searching the building for anyone still trapped, city officials concluded there were no survivors remaining in the 116-year-old structure. That was wrong.
On Monday evening, Lisa Brooks appeared in the window of her fourth story apartment calling for help. The crowd that had already gathered at the barricades before the building to demand the city make sure everyone was out of the building began chanting, “Get her out!”
After being rescued by firefighters, Brooks told her family she’d hidden under her couch in shock after she heard and felt the collapse on Sunday.
During Tuesday’s news conference, Davenport Mayor Mike Matson said he understood people wanted to know why Brooks hadn’t been found by searchers,
“I do not know,” Matson said. “We do not know. But understand, please, that I and the city is [sic] committed to finding out.”
A woman, Lisa Brooks who has been missing is in The Davenport Apartment building. She’s waving from the third floor. The building was slated for demo tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/KOudOTA3Ul
— Sarah Watson (@K_5mydearwatson) May 30, 2023
The city had announced it planned to begin demolition of the building on Monday, prior to Brooks’ appearance, Matson insisted on Tuesday there had never been any intention to begin demolition immediately. Instead, he said it was the beginning of a demolition process that required permits to be filed, plans to be finalized and equipment to dismantle the building to be put in place. The process, Matson said, was being guided by “real-time information” about the state of the building and related concerns.
There had been no plans for an additional search of the building after Sunday, because “no confirmed viable signs of life were noted at that time,” Davenport Fire Chief Mike Carlsten said at the news conference. But the fact that Brooks had remained in her apartment undetected changed that.
There are still five people believed to have been residents of The Davenport who are unaccounted for. Of those five, there are “two that we have the firm belief that are potentially still in the building,” Davenport Police Chief Jeff Bladel said.
The status of the other three persons is unclear. Bladel said they initially had three different lists of tenants, and those lists contained contradictory and possibly outdated information. It is possible one or more of the three no longer resided in the building.
A series of protests have taken place near the building, with protesters calling on the city not to demolish it quickly and to make certain of the whereabouts of the missing five before taking any further action. Protesters are also demanding answers about how the building which had had bricks dropping from its exterior was considered safe for people to continue living in until it collapsed.
The building is owned by Andrew Wold, who owns multiple properties in Davenport. During a protest on Tuesday evening, several participants said Wold had a reputation for failing to properly maintain some of his rental properties. Wold has not been responding to reporters’ requests for comments.
In January, bricks were falling off the building, and the owner was ordered to make repairs. Those repairs were completed and passed city inspection, Davenport Development and Neighborhood Services Director Rich Oswald said at Tuesday’s news conference.
“The repairs in January met what building code requires for repairs,” Oswald said.
In mid-May, bricks were “popping off” the back wall of the building and repairs were ordered again. On both occasions, the owner was required to submit a report from a structural engineering firm to certify the building would remain safe to occupy while repairs were made. On both occasions, Wold hired Bettendorf-based Select Structural Engineering to assess the building. In January and again two weeks ago, Select reported that the building was safe for occupants to continue living in while repairs were made.
Repairs to the back wall of The Davenport had not yet been completed when the collapse happened on Sunday, Oswald said. It was the back wall of the building that collapsed.
The two residents believed to still be in the building are Ryan Hitchcock and Brandon Colvin. Speaking to Local 4 News early Tuesday morning, Colvin’s cousin Mike Collier pointed to Colvin’s apartment, which was one of those missing its exterior wall and much of its floor.
“We believe Brandon is in the rubble,” Collier said, referring to the large pile of rubble created by the partial collapse. “And they’re trying to tear down this building without actually doing a thorough search to make sure that no one is still in the building. Yesterday, they found a woman in the building [when] they said there was no one in there. We’re missing Ryan Hitchcock and we’re missing Brandon Colvin.”
Collier, who has been a part of the protests that demand the city find the five before moving forward, told IPR “he distrusts the city’s search effort.”
Mayor Matson said city officials had met with the families of both Hithcock and Colvin on Monday night to bring them up-to-date about search and recovery efforts. Hitchcock’s cousin Amy Anderson, who attended that meeting, was invited to speak at the news conference on Tuesday.
“I completely wanted to come and make my voice heard on behalf of Ryan,” she said. “I was extremely close with him, and I know he would want what I’m about to say.”
Anderson expressed support for the city’s approach, and criticized the people who protested the city’s actions and demanded a more thorough search on Monday night, saying “I was completely just kind of mortified about the protests.”
“Ryan wouldn’t want anyone else to put their lives at risk… [for] somebody who probably has not survived,” she said. It is believed that Hitchcock’s remains are buried in the debris pile.
Anderson said she wants the city to move forward expeditiously with the dismantling of the building, so her cousin’s remains can be recovered.
“Any delays is one more day that he’s under there.”
Amy Anderson is the cousin of Ryan Hitchcock. She’s pleading for the protests to end so the building can come down and the body of her cousin can be recovered. “Pushing delays is one more day that he’s under there.” pic.twitter.com/7EgLZFXTsg
— Gretchen Teske (@peskyteske) May 30, 2023
As of Tuesday morning’s news conference, the city was waiting on the arrival of a drone with laser-scanning equipment to be used to create a 3D model of the damaged building to determine how best to proceed.
Fire Marshall Morris said explosives will not be used to bring down the building. The Davenport will be carefully dismantled to try to avoid any damage to neighboring properties or injuries. But Morris warned the building is continuing to decay and further collapses could occur at any time.
More than 50 people have been displaced by the building’s collapse. Mayor Matson said the Red Cross is taking the lead in assisting the displaced, and any contributions community members want to make to support their fellow citizens should be directed to the Quad Cities Red Cross. The Humane Society has been working with first responders to remove pets from the building.
Mayor Matson said all the evidence that is being gathered about what happened to The Davenport “turned over to an investigation team.”
“The lead of that team is yet to be determined,” he said. “But we are in consultation with state officials on the proper course of action.”
Police Chief Bladel was asked at the news conference if the building collapse might result in criminal charges. He said it is too soon to make that sort of determination.
After the #Davenport building collapse, property owner Andrew Wold has been fined by the city. What’s he owe? $300 and an additional $95 for court fees.
Source: Tony Watt//@qctimes via court records
— Gretchen Teske (@peskyteske) May 31, 2023
