MUSCATINE, Iowa – The property owners of the building housing the Welch Apartments proactively addressed a potentially serious situation late last week by voluntarily evacuating the 17 residents. The decision was made after consultation with a structural engineer regarding "bulging walls, and floors pulling away from the wall" that were discovered in the building.
Currently, only the building manager and maintenance person have access to the building.
Until more is known about the risk posed by the building to pedestrians and vehicles, the sidewalks and parking spaces adjoining the Welch Apartments on West 3rd Street and Iowa Avenue have been closed.
The property owner is housing the residents in a local hotel and providing them a dining stipend. The process of finding all the residents new places to live started on Monday when the residents met with the property owner and the City of Muscatine Housing Department to discuss their options.
Once new places to live have been located, the owner will pay movers to relocate the residents' belongings from the Welch Apartments to their new residences.
However, the building will need to be temporarily shored up before movers will be allowed inside, and the process of hiring a contractor to do this work, which should begin this week, is currently underway.
Structural engineers from Klingner & Associates were hired to assess the extent of the issues with the building and to determine potential remedies for the Welch Apartments building. The property owner is awaiting the report and will make a decision on whether to repair or demolish the structure based on the findings.