More than 35 residents of the Summit Hill apartment complex were displaced after the building’s interior partially collapsed Monday afternoon.
Contractors operating without a permit removed a load-bearing wall in the basement of the apartment complex, located at 1202 McKenna Blvd., which caused a woman to nearly fall through her floor and four apartments to be deemed too dangerous to re-enter.
Upon arrival at 3:46 p.m., Madison first responders helped search the building and escort tenants out, according to the City of Madison Fire Department. They provided an all-clear and determined that nobody had been injured during the event.
Property managers paid for those displaced to stay in local hotels.
RMK Management oversees the property and fired back against accusations they had knowledge of the contracting team operating without a permit.
“The Summit Hill management team was not aware of any potential permitting issues with this renovation. We are committed to using reputable, local contractors that are licensed in Madison and have been vetted by the city,” the company said in a statement received by Channel 3000. “As the operator, we will continue to work with all parties involved to ensure work is completed safely in accordance with local ordinances."
RMK told 27 News they hired Meyer Painting & Drywall for a new community room in the basement, but Engineered Construction has now taken over repairs for the faulty construction.
Summit Hill apartments were still taped off as of Tuesday. No further updates have been provided as to the timetable for re-entrance or possible reconstruction of the facility.
