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Dec 11, 2023

Rochester, Minn. condo building site stabilized following structural concerns

A 15-story condo building in downtown Rochester remains evacuated after an

A 15-story condo building in downtown Rochester remains evacuated after an inspection raised concerns about the tower's structural integrity.

Late Saturday, the city of Rochester announced an engineering firm had completed shoring operations on the site and the situation has stabilized.

The firm will discuss further repairs with the city's community development department on Monday, according to a news release.

The Rochester Tower Condominiums houses roughly 180 residents. Temporary lodging has been provided.

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The building was evacuated Friday afternoon after a structural engineer alerted authorities.

"The building is not safe at this time. This is a threat," Rochester Fire Chief Eric Kerska told the Rochester Post-Bulletin on Friday. "Once the residents are out, the owners have contracted with a company to come in to shore it up. … There's a couple columns that aren't structurally sound and they’re going to use other materials to shore it up and make that building safe."

The city reopened 2 Street SW to vehicular and pedestrian traffic Saturday night. Northbound lanes on 5 Avenue SW, from 2 Street SW to 3 Street SW, will remain closed until Monday afternoon, as construction equipment needs to be removed.

No injuries were reported.

The news comes less than a week after a 6-story apartment building in Iowa partially collapsed. The body of one of the people who had been missing was recovered Saturday. Two other people are still unaccounted for.