N. Phila. apartments deemed unsafe, evacuated [The Philadelphia Inquirer]

Aug. 26--Living in the Granada Apartments was far from perfect, according to resident Darnell Mitchell. The North Philadelphia building was roach-infested, requests for repairs always went unanswered, his shower was plagued with black mold, and Mitchell and his wife had to get a cat to keep the mice away.

But this week, when the city's Department of Licenses and Inspections abruptly ordered all tenants out of the building due to safety concerns, Mitchell, 29, and his wife weren't celebrating.

"They could have given us a little bit more time to move," said Mitchell, cradling his cat in a backpack Thursday afternoon outside the building, on the 6100 block of North 17th Street. "At least a week."

Residents were told Tuesday night that they had until Thursday morning to clear out, Mitchell said. That deadline was extended to 2 p.m.

Major concerns about fire safety were behind the short-term notice to take over the property, the most drastic measure that L&I can take, said Maura Kennedy, a spokeswoman for the city.

The inoperable alarm system was determined to be beyond repair, the emergency lighting system wasn't working, and fire exits -- stairwells or exterior escapes -- were in disrepair, she said.

On Monday, L&I inspectors checked out a report that the alarm system had been vandalized, and on Tuesday evening they informed the residents of Thursday morning's deadline. Representatives of the city's Office of Supportive Housing were at the meeting, offering help.

"We recognize that this was short-term notice for the residents . . . so we are working them to provide emergency housing services," Kennedy said.

Many of the residents moving out Thursday said they planned to stay with relatives or friends. Mitchell and his wife were temporarily moving in with his mother.

Nova Marsh, 55, who lived in the building for five years, said Thursday afternoon that she still wasn't sure where she was going.

"Honestly, my apartment was very nice," she said. "But in the basement it was horrible. Trash everywhere, dirt, roaches in the dryer."

The three-story building, which has about 50 units, had other serious violations, too. After an Aug. 18 inspection, L&I announced that the owners would have to cease operation Sept. 21. The alarm problem simply accelerated the timetable, Kennedy said.

Ownership of the building was unclear because of a bankruptcy filing, she said.

Tenants said they had been told they would receive checks for three months of rent payments.

Sheila Minor, 48, was outside the building Thursday waiting for her brother, Anthony, to finish moving his things into their mother's car. Anthony Minor lived in the Granada Apartments for 13 years, she said.

"This was a nice building when he moved in, but it just went downhill," she said. "I think it got to be where the management just stopped taking care of things."

Contact staff writer Allison Steele at 215-854-2641 or [email protected].

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