Red Cross working with local agencies, Davenport officials to help residents, businesses affected by downtown building collapse

DAVENPORT, Iowa (KWQC) - The Red Cross is working with local agencies and Davenport officials to help residents and businesses affected by the downtown building collapse.

Officials held a briefing at 2 p.m. Thursday for the partially collapsed building downtown.

“First of all our hearts are with the entire community. This has been a horrific event for all of us and our hearts are right here with our own community,” Trish Burnett Executive Director for the Red Cross said during the briefing Thursday afternoon. '

According to Burnett, a shelter is open at the former Select Hospital location at Marquette and Kimberly, they want anyone to feel welcome to come and pets are also welcome. They offer a safe place to stay, to just come in for air conditioning, food, charge a phone, and get health and mental health services.

The Red Cross has partnered with more than 15 different agencies in the Quad Cities to help with a resource center 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Burnet said. The resource center will be Saturday at the Downtown Davenport YMCA for residents impacted to do an intake process where the Red Cross will get their information, then be able to meet individually with the different agencies and with the Red Cross to find out about resources that will be available to them now and going forward.

“It’s just a wonderful opportunity for [residents] to come together and get some support mental health wise, but also learning about resources to get them help for their recovery,” Burnett said. “And our work will continue as long as we’re needed with this.”

According to the Director for Community Economic Development Bruce Berger, by next week the City Council is looking to ratify assistance for residents in the building of $6,000 for the household. For residents in adjacent buildings, there will be $1,000 assistance per household.

To apply for either assistant residents are asked to come to the resource center event Saturday. The Red Cross will have staff available for any questions.

Berger said there will be assistance also for commercial displacement and the Red Cross will be reaching out to them directly. And then for businesses impacted in adjacent buildings, because there are several that are still displaced.

City officials held a briefing at 10 a.m. Thursday, where they spoke about two of the 5 unaccounted for being found. The three still unaccounted for are Daniel Prien, Brandon Colvin and Ryan Hitchcock.

Rick Oswald, City of Davenport Development Services Director, addressed the status of a permit that was issued to 324 Main Street on May 25, 2023.

The City of Davenport issued a municipal infraction on May 30 to the owner of the building that partially collapsed, initiating legal action, according to city officials. This legal action was taken to ensure the owner of the property cannot transfer the property to another owner in an effort to avoid a large lien that is expected.

For a running list of updates follow this story.

TV6 will provide updates on-air and online as the story unfolds.

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