DENVER — Dozens of people are still waiting to retrieve their vehicles six days after a Denver parking garage collapsed on South Yosemite Street near East Hampden Avenue.
The Denver Fire Department (DFD) said the collapse crushed two vehicles, but no one was hurt. Denver7 obtained photos from city inspectors showing the extent of the damage, including caved-in concrete and several vehicles tilted sideways.
Joy Sims, a Parker resident, is still waiting to get her car out of the garage. She works for a nonprofit that was in the process of moving into the building attached to the garage.
"We had just unpacked the last box when our neighbor came in, and he's like, the garage just fell in, like, you guys need to leave the building," Sims said. "Half of our stuff is at the old location. You know, I've been reaching out to them, like, when can we complete this move? Because we don't want to pay rent in two spaces. Since we're a nonprofit, we have a limited budget on rent."
While her car is not damaged, she said other people are facing a different reality.
"I was like, 'Thank God, my car is not in the crack.' But I feel sorry for all the people whose cars have been damaged, because it's an underground garage as well," Sims said.
Denver's Community Planning and Development Department (CPD)sent a Notice of Unsafe Structure to the parking garage's owner, Miami-based KAS Yosemite LLC, detailing required next steps and a timeline for repairs.
The notice officially declares the structure as dangerous, saying "there are portions that may fall and cause damage to persons or property." The document says the owner has until Friday, May 29, to get a permit from the city to either repair the structure or demolish the damaged areas.
KAS Yosemite LLC has until Friday, August 28, to complete all work to demolish or repair the buildings, according to the notice.
Alexandra Foster, a spokesperson for the Community Planning and Development Department, said CPD also ordered the owner to get an emergency shoring permit to temporarily stabilize the garage. A Colorado licensed structural engineer and a CPD building inspector will inspect the shoring, according to Foster.
She said it's possible the vehicle owners can retrieve their cars this week once the emergency shoring is complete.
The department is also requiring the garage owner to get a structural evaluation of the connected office tower by a Colorado licensed engineer to investigate, identify and recommend any needed repairs.
