Damage, safety concerns force Minneapolis residents out of apartment building

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) - After a Minneapolis apartment building was deemed uninhabitable due to damage and safety concerns, more than 20 tenants had just 72 hours to find a new place to go. Now, many are saying nearby construction is to blame.

Tenants scrambled Friday after they came home to a sign saying that the building was unsafe and that they would all have to move out by the end of the weekend.

Located on the 2000 block of Aldrich Avenue South, the building became a big concern after one large crack appeared – followed by another and another. In fact, many cracks now extend up the walls and across the floors of the apartment building.

According to the property owner, Mike Fedderson, the problems with the foundation started when the excavation began in the lot nearby.

Fedderson said the cracks continued getting worse, and that the construction company and the city weren’t responding to requests for help. 

“We asked that they put the project on hold until the problems in our building was resolved,” he said.

“They had been monitoring them, and there was no indication to us that this would happen,” added Meghan Johnson, a former resident.

There are half-inch to an inch-wide cracks all throughout the foundation, and some of the walls are starting to buckle.

“It’s a very urgent issue and what’s been frustrating is that I am trying to get as much help with this within 24 hours, and people don’t seem to realize that it is urgent, and safety is concern,” said Kai Kaniess, a former tenant. 

Fedderson said there is also concern construction could cause a gas line to rupture. 

Meanwhile, finding a new place to live on such short notice hasn't been easy for the more than 20 tenants who were living inside. 

“Moving stuff has been kind of crazy. It’s just been a lot of frantically rushing around, trying to figure out what’s next. We still don’t have a place yet,” said Hunter, a tenant.

For now, Hunter and Meghan said they're going to an Airbnb. But they, along with other tenants in the building, hope to have answers soon. 

“It seems weird that one day it’s fine and then all the sudden it’s totally uninhabitable,” Hunter said. 

Fox 9 did reach out to the construction company and the city for comment, but calls were not immediately returned. 

Fedderson said he is now working with the city and the construction company to try and resolve the problem.