DAVENPORT, Iowa — The city of Davenport released nearly 100 documents Wednesday night related to the partial collapse at a downtown apartment building.
Following days of questions about the building's structural integrity, past inspections and overall livability, the documents shed light into the conditions at 324 Main Street.
The city clarified the building's flip-flopping inspection status in a Thursday Facebook post.
The city claims a staff member erroneously clicked "pass" on an inspection report instead of "incomplete" on Thursday, May 25. The staffer then left town, only to change it to "incomplete" on Tuesday, May 30 when they returned and realized the error.
Because of the switch, the city's external facing system displayed the word "failed", which lead many to believe the city had retroactively corrected a false permit report. The staff member has since quit.
But there are still countless questions unanswered, and three people unaccounted for.
WATCH: City of Davenport holds Thursday morning press conference (Thursday, June 1)
With tenants complaining of windows not opening, heating and AC on the fritz, fire violations and ceiling cracks in their apartments, and inspectors calling for repairs for more than three years, there's plenty to digest about the history of "The Davenport."
The building's owner, Andrew Wold, was fined $300 plus $95 in court fees for failing to keep the building safe and sanitary. He issued a statement sending "thoughts and prayers" to the tenants and their families.
To view all the documents posted Wednesday, click here. Below are the main takeaways from the city's documents, in chronological order.
In a report from Townsend Engineering to Fire Marshal Jim Morris, inspectors Tony Haut and Cory Voelkers shared what they found in a visit to the building. The inspection was prompted by bricks falling from the exterior of the sixth floor onto the sidewalk below.
They recommended adding a temporary brick façade before moving on to permanent repairs, stating that the "damage to the building is not structural and the building is safe to occupy".
Just two months later, a re-inspection found substandard conditions such as inoperable windows, deteriorated ceiling tiles and structurally unsound walls were not yet fixed.
Twenty-two apartments were required to be vacated and approved before anyone could occupy them again.
It was recommended all engineering repairs be scheduled and completed prior to the next inspection on May 14, 2021.
Reinspection photos show cracks on the exterior walls of the building.
The building was granted an extension for correcting previous violations outlined in 2020 and earlier in February 2021.
A final notice was filed, warning that violations still had not been corrected, including vacating and inspecting 22 apartments within the building, repairing exterior walls for weather protection and installing smoke detectors where they were missing.
Exterior wall and structural deterioration violations were pointed out in a complaint notice for one of the units; the notice required an engineer to step in and fix the problems.
Photos from within the apartment show evidence of cracks in the walls and loose ceiling tiles.
Another tenant complaint shows photos of ceiling leaks.
An emergency site visit was performed by a licensed professional engineer for Select Structural, David Valliere. According to his inspection and report, a permanent fix for some of the deteriorating wall conditions would likely include a full wall replacement.
Valliere wrote: "The main takeaway from this inspection is that this damaged area is not an imminent danger to the entire building and its residents. An evacuation or lockout of the building is not necessary at this time. The damage will still be addressed and repaired."
Here are the suggested fixes Valliere submitted.
That same day, Chief Building Official Trishna Pradhan released an official notice of public hazard for the building.
Pradhan's notice details that part of the southwest wall had gradually began failing, and there was visible crumbling of the exterior load-bearing wall under the support beam. Additionally, exterior brick veneer had began separating due to rain and ice buildup.
In order for the building to remain operable and habitable, Pradhan requested repairs suggested by Valliere's report be made. A deadline of Feb. 24 was set for structural wall repair permits.
"Emergency vacate orders will be posted on the building if the failing masonry area is not secured per this letter," the notice reads.
Select Structural sent a letter to the city confirming structural repairs were necessary, though there was not an "imminent threat to the building or its residents".
Following reinspection, Code Enforcement Officer Anthony Haut addressed an official notice to vacate to Andrew Wold, the owner, due to previous violations going uncorrected.
It required the building to be vacant by Feb. 27, 2023, at midnight. The building was not vacated.
A mason with Bi-State Masonry "pointed out that the area immediately to the north of the work area has a large and potentially dangerous void beneath the façade wythe of clay brick."
City inspectors learned “the west wall has collapsed into the scaffolding” and were informed by workers that “it’s going to be a bigger job that (cq.) what they believed it to be,” according to a city spreadsheet.
David Valliere confirmed with Trishna Pradhan via email that the contractor, Bi-State Masonry, had began working on repairs as recommended. T
hough the plan had been modified to allow the installation of clay brick wall segments rather than a single layer of clay brick, it was accepted because it would "add structural strength to the replaced areas."
March 3, 2023
Bi-State Masonry, Inc., walked off the job after the building owner did not change orders that cost more due to “unforeseen work needing performed."
Fire Marshal Jim Morris contacted owner Andrew Wold about multiple fire violations within the building, including garbage in the hallways, fire doors not latching, outdated smoke alarms and uninspected fire extinguishers.
Photos show the progress of repairs and damages along the exterior walls of the building.
Code Enforcement Officer Anthony Haut issued another notice for the entire building to vacate, this time by June 3, 2023 at 7:30 a.m.
An engineer report suggested patches in the west side of the building’s brick façade “appear ready to fall imminently” and could be a safety hazard.
"This lack of bracing helps explain why the façade is currently about to topple outward. The brick façade is unlikely to be preserved in place, but it can be brought down in a safe, controlled manner," the report reads.
Fire Marshal Jim Morris released a notification of public hazard following the building's partial collapse around 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 28.
The notice cites "unsafe structural condition, extensive water damage at time of collapse and continued shifting of the building due to the significant deterioration of structural support" and calls it an imminent hazard to the public, other nearby structures and emergency responders.
According to the notice, the city demanded immediate demolition of the structure to start "upon securing a contractor".