Katie Langford – The Denver Post
One person was injured after a stairwell and exterior balcony collapsed at an apartment building near West 30th Avenue and Vallejo Street in Denver’s Highland neighborhood.
Denver Fire Department crews responded to the building around 12:30 p.m. Monday after callers reported a stairwell and exterior balcony collapsed on a building where the upper floors were under construction, according to the agency.
One construction worker was taken to a hospital in a personal vehicle, and firefighters helped two families on lower floors leave safely. Residents on the lower floors are being relocated to hotels, fire officials said. The number of people displaced was not immediately available.
Residents living on the second and third floor of the 18-unit complex were already in hotels because of the construction work, said Denver Community Planning and Development spokesperson Ryan Huff.
The contractor did not obtain a permit for structural repairs and will receive a notice of violation from the city, Huff said.
“We understand this collapse has displaced residents and they want to return home as soon as they can,” Huff said in a statement. “We will work with Denver Fire and the building owner to support interim and long-term structural solutions so that residents can safely access their homes as soon as possible.”
The area is fenced off for public safety, Huff said.
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