United Way helps relocate displaced International Towers residents

Residents of the International Towers in downtown Youngstown had until noon Friday to vacate the building. Earlier in the week, the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley led a multi-agency initiative to find temporary housing for the displaced residents.

The order to vacate came in response to a preliminary structural engineering report released Monday that detailed safety concerns at the Realty Tower. The International Towers is located at 25 Market St., just south of the troubled 13-story building.

The order stemmed from safety concerns related to a May 28 gas explosion at the Realty Tower. The deadly explosion killed Chase Bank employee Akil Drake and injured several people. The blast caused extensive damage to the Realty Tower and displaced residents. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the incident.

Cleveland-based structural engineering firm Barber & Hoffman, Inc. prepared the preliminary structural engineering report for the City of Youngstown. The report was released Tuesday during a public safety update press conference at the Covelli Centre Community Room in Youngstown.

Barber & Hoffman recommended closing all buildings within a 210-foot radius of the Realty Tower, “until the building is demolished or made safe by temporary bracing at the ground floor.” The report found the building “in a dangerous condition” and “in imminent danger of collapse without modification to replace the function of the ground floor diaphragm.”

The report identified a “collapse hazard zone” around the Realty Tower that included the Stambaugh Building, the International Towers and sections of East Federal, Market and Champion streets. Since the blast, the DoubleTree Hotel and Bistro 1907 have remained closed due to safety concerns.

Barber & Hoffman also recommended the evacuation of the International Towers. Youngstown Fire Chief Barry F. Finley notified management to evacuate the apartment complex by noon Friday.

On Tuesday, the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley and local social-service agencies visited International Towers to assess needs and assist in the relocation effort.

Millennia Housing Management owns and operates the apartment complex. The company’s website describes the International Towers as “for those 62 and older or those who have a disability.” The income-based, affordable-housing facility serves 165 residents, including many with special needs.

“We had staff down there with Catholic Charities, the Red Cross and others to categorize the majority,” said Bob Hannon, president of The United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley. Hannon said some residents require additional mental-health support, while others have mobility issues.

“We’ve been getting good response from local nursing homes. And we imagine that some, if not many, will end up in nursing homes. Some hotels have reached out. We’re not sure where they fit. We’re also trying to determine what the length of stay will be.”

“I think the big concern is the people who are healthy who just don’t have a place to stay that may not quality for a local nursing home. That’s what we’re trying to focus in on right now,” Hannon said.

“The management team and residents of the International Towers are aware of and are complying with the Youngstown city-mandated evacuation of the property,” said Isys Caffey-Horne, a public relations representative for the International Towers management. “The city has not provided exact timing for when residents can return to their apartments, but we have been advised that residents should plan for one month.”

“Once all resident placements have been confirmed, the Youngstown Fire Department and Youngstown Police Department will conduct a floor by floor, unit by unit safety and welfare check,” said the Mayor’s Office in a mid-week media advisory.