CLEVELAND — Following a day-long excavation of the collapsed two-story parking garage at the Marine Towers West apartments, the high-rise was deemed safe at 2 p.m. on Friday.
Engineers and fire officials conducted Friday morning inspections of the garage site and the building’s foundation. The garage collapsed around 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Residents told to stay away for 24-hours lingered early Friday, hoping to retrieve essentials and some normalcy headed into Christmas Day.
“Building safety is my main concern,” said resident Isaiah Molton, who was trying to get into the building to retrieve medication and Christmas gifts.
Several residents expressed frustration over the lack of information from the building’s manager and the city on Friday.
Others returned hoping to learn the fate of their vehicles.
“My car is just five months old,” Ralph Sanderson said. “I park close to the building underneath and hoping it’s not too bad.”
About 24 cars were in the garage when it collapsed Thursday morning. Several crushed cars were hauled out later that same day.
Sanderson was in the shower yesterday when he felt the building shake. He said the water quickly went cold.
Multiple residents from the Marine Towers West and the neighboring high-rise – Marine Towers East -- told 3News they heard jackhammering and saw construction in the garage in the days before the collapse. Lakewood city officials said yesterday they were unaware of any such work.
3News reached out to city officials on Friday and no one was available to talk.
*Editor's Note: The video in the player above is from a previous report.