Earlier this year, extensive renovations began at the City View in the Square affordable senior living co-op, also known as Washington Square Co-op, in Kalamazoo.
The building has 219 one-bedroom units and is an affordable, income-limited apartment complex for seniors.
In June, WMUK took photos inside the co-op showing exposed wiring on all 13 residential floors of the building.
Photos showed wires hanging down low enough to touch people walking under them, and hanging in front of resident doors. WMUK shared the photos with the city of Kalamazoo and CSI Support and Development, which owns the co-op.
In a statement, city of Kalamazoo spokesperson Mike Smith said the city fire marshal visited the property after viewing the photos and instructed construction crews to secure low-hanging wires.
"I recently checked with the City’s codes administrator, who said that City crews, along with Fire Marshall Scott Brooks, recently went to the building and they had everything supported temporarily in the areas that the residents are to have access to during construction. The City crews and Fire Marshall Brooks spoke with the superintendent on site with Wolverine Construction to ensure that the issues of concern during construction were maintained per the Michigan Building Code," Smith said in an email sent on July 13.
Adinda Veltrop, spokesperson for CSI Support and Development, said in a statement that the city conducted a follow-up inspection and confirmed all safety measures had been completed.
"Last week there was a Public Safety inspection of the building and construction, including the open ceilings in hallways. The conditions here, including any visible wiring, are normal for the level of construction that the building is currently experiencing. Our General Contractor follows Lockout/Tagout procedures in accordance with the National Electrical Code, as is required. In conversation with the inspector and the fire marshal, we made sure to actively take steps to resolve any low-hanging wires; during a second inspection a few days later, they confirmed that we had completed these efforts successfully," Veltrop said in an email dated July 16.
According to CSI officials, construction is set to continue over the next several months. The renovations include new flooring and lighting, added lounges, updated apartment units with new countertops and fixtures, increased accessibility and more.
"The safety of our members is and remains always a priority for CSI Support & Development. During this $11.7 million renovation at City View in the Square, we work hard to keep our members well-informed and involved. Our on-site safety officer conducts daily walks to ensure everybody’s safety, and every Monday we host a public construction meeting to share updates. These are also compiled in a weekly construction newsletter that we distribute door-to-door to all members. To make it easy to ask questions or voice concerns, we’re also providing a public drop box where members can submit comments that we will address in future newsletters," Veltrop said.
CSI is receiving tax credits for the renovations under an agreement with the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. In exchange for the tax credits, CSI has agreed to continue renting the units at an affordable rate for the next 30 years.
WMUK visited the property on July 15 and confirmed that all wires that were previously hanging down have now been secured.
