Burned Colorado Springs apartment building set to reopen Labor Day weekend
Three months have passed since a fire displaced more than 100 tenants at the Regency Tower apartments in southwest Colorado Springs, but some of those residents are less than two weeks away from returning.
The building is scheduled to reopen Sept. 1., and most residents who lived on the north side below the 10th floor will be allowed to return.
Those units have little to no damage from the May 24 fire and will be cleaned free of charge by the restoration crew before residents return.
“We have a fire department inspection and an elevator inspection next week,” said Chris Weston, manager of the restoration project. “We’re on schedule, even a little ahead of schedule. The fire is a major loss approaching $5 million in damage.”
Weston said such a restoration can last as long as a year — and, in fact, that’s how long it will take to repair the heaviest-damaged units.
“The fire damaged a third of the 136 units here,” he said. “The fire was generally contained to one unit but smoke and water caused most of the damage.”
Some tenants who have moved to other housing were at the building Friday, recovering belongings they weren’t allowed to take immediately after the fire.
“I’m moving to Arizona,” said Douglas Polley. “You can live in hotels only so long. I lost about $80,000 worth of possessions. But I’d still like to move back here someday.”
“It won’t be the same here,” said Leslie Thomas. “I’ve heard that around 30% of the residents aren’t coming back. It’s sad. But I love it here, that’s why I’m coming back.”
The crew has finished most of the initial cleanup and asbestos removal but repairs will continue to the heavily damaged 10th and 11th floors, as well as to some units below and common areas on the ground floor.
The cause of the fire in a 10th-floor unit has not been released. Darlyne Justesen, 89, died of smoke inhalation several days after the fire.
Returning tenants won’t have to pay higher rent.
Regency Tower management will have to replace extensive renovations to hallways and ground-floor common areas that were completed just a few weeks before the fire.
“The new carpet came from Scotland,” Weston said. “Only a few places in the world make the type we want. We’ve already placed our order.”
The building will have upgraded fire and smoke alarms, able to better detect smoke in hallways and individual units, and contact firefighters more quickly.
