McKee housing closed, not livable

The city of Pittsburgh ruled last week that two Oakland apartment complexes were unfit for… The city of Pittsburgh ruled last week that two Oakland apartment complexes were unfit for habitation by man, beast or Pitt student. The city’s Bureau of Building Inspection posted large, red signs with the caveat, “Danger, Keep out” on the apartment buildings at 331 and 337 McKee Place last Wednesday and ordered that all residents vacate by the following Monday. BBI “ordered these buildings closed based on violations of the State Building Code” according to Chief Building Inspector Dan Cipriani. Among the violations at 331 McKee Place, inspectors reportedly found that the fire escapes were unsafe. In addition, the ceilings and doors were not properly fire-rated. These violations, however, were not the first for the building. According to Cipriani, the property has had been a place of interest for inspectors since 2006. This week’s round of problems proved to be the last straw for the city of Pittsburgh.

“We would rather an inconvenience than a tragedy,” said Cipriani. “When it comes to life safety, everyone needs to comply, and when violations are sent, they are not to be taken lightly.” The building’s owner, Jason Cohen, suffered more bad news when he found himself at the center of another problematic housing situation just a few blocks away. The 42-unit apartment complex at 3408 Parkview Ave. was ordered by the city to undergo a thorough and complete inspection Thursday, in light of similar concerns as his McKee Place property. When the inspectors arrived bright and early to perform their task, they were surprised to find that they were not the only city employees on the premises. The Pittsburgh Fire Department was on the scene to extinguish a stove-top fire inside of the building in question. Public Safety Director Michael Huss told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that the fire was “accidental, electrical in nature.” While the fire department tried to evacuate the building, however, they found that many intercoms and smoke detectors were not working. This forced firefighters to then knock on residents’ doors to bring them to safety. Once the commotion died down and all residents were safe and accounted for, the firefighters attended to the fire and the inspectors resumed their work. They noted, however, that conditions had not significantly changed from previous inspections since 2006. The owner was given time to correct violations and spent the next days with the city’s building inspectors installing, repairing and testing smoke detectors, sprinkler systems and other safety devices. In spite of these violations to the health and safety of residents, Cipriani was quick to clear up any misconceptions that the buildings were being condemned. “Right now,” he said, “there is an unsafe condition. There is definitely an incentive for the owners of the properties to fix the condition as quickly as possible. “If they are able to do so, then everyone can come back,” he said. “Students don’t need to move out, they just can not live in the building until it has been brought up to code.”