Report of Building Collapse Causes Concern in Poughkeepsie
On Thursday afternoon, the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department alerted the public to stay away from a "building collapse", causing many to fear the worst.
While most people pictured a pile of rubble where the building once stood, that was far from the actual situation. The structure didn't immediately crumble to the ground, but it was still a very dangerous situation that could have ended tragically.
Unstable Building Being Demolished in Poughkeepsie, NY
Aside from a brief warning on Facebook, the City of Poughkeepsie Fire Department did not reveal much more information about the "building collapse".
It turns out that the building did not completely collapse, but was in danger of completely coming down due to serious structural damage.
The old building is a rental unit on Hamilton Street near the Arterial. Residents were immediately removed from the building and not allowed to reenter due to the possibility of complete structural failure.
Social media reports indicate that bricks had fallen from the building and wide cracks had formed on its foundation. The building inspector ordered the building to be completely taken down, which is common practice when it appears that there is no way to safely repair a structure that may be in danger of collapsing.
Images from Google Street View from a year ago show what appears to be a sagging brick wall and cracks in the building's facade. It's unknown if they are connected to the structural issues that caused the building to be condemned.
On Thursday night, crews could be seen completely dismantling the apartment building on North Hamilton Street. Pictures of the property show heavy equipment standing on parts of the already destroyed building, pulling apart the roof.
An exposed wall reveals that items in the upstairs apartment, including what looks like a television mounted to the wall, were all left behind during the emergency evacuation of the apartment building.
It's unclear what will happen to the property after the structure has been completely razed.