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Internal Collapse, Evacuation

Copyright © Joel Lawson All rights reserved.

 

Residents of this apartment building, at 1841 16th Street NW, were evacuated after critical internal walls collapsed overnight and early morning Saturday. Inspectors also evacuated the neighboring property. T remains blocked.

 

Our organization, the Dupont Circle Citizens Association (www.dupont-circle.org), worked hard, in conjunction with the mayor's office, to secure accommodations for displaced residents at a nearby hotel, and subsequent accommodations with area residents.

 

**Displaced residents need your help** If you have a spare room or other accommodations, these displaced residents need a place to stay starting Monday night, for a few days, as they work quickly to locate housing. I've met these folks, and they are good people. Please email me directly at: joellawson@mac.com

 

We will be taking action--in conjuction with the Dupont Circle Conservancy (dupontcircleconservancy.org)--regarding potential loss of a historic property, helping the residents find housing, and we'll monitor the obligations of the landlord to their tenants in this emergency.

 

The landlords were mentioned in a May 4 Washington Post article about problem properties:

 

"In 2005, DCRA spent $9,000 on a house on 16th Street NW valued at $1 million and owned by professor Amy Mazur and her physician husband, Joseph Liberman. Liberman said he and his wife rent out the house and were unaware of complaints about its condition."

 

Doubt it. (Article link below)

 

16th Street was blocked for most of the morning and early afternoon, and a section of T Street remains off limits, due to danger of collapse.

 

May 4 article mentioning landlords:

 

www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/05/03/...

 

Photos of interior walls collapsing:

 

picasaweb.google.com/depewbri/1841Collapse

 

UPDATE (Monday morning): Emergency shoring underway, and residents permitted temporary access to retrieve belongings.

 

JULY 31 UPDATE: The owners intend "partial demolition" on Monday, Aug. 4. The Dupont Circle Conservancy, DCCA and others are in communication with city officials regarding the owners' plans:

 

greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=1098

 

 

 

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Uploaded on June 7, 2008
Taken on June 7, 2008