Residents at the 181-unit Asteri apartment tower in downtown Ithaca were given an order to vacate due to safety concerns Wednesday.
A statement from the city announcing the order said that firefighters found broken and missing glass in the building's stairwells after responding to a fire alarm.
“This created an unsafe condition that prevented the stairwells from functioning as protected exit enclosures, which are required for safe evacuation during an emergency.”
The release explained that certain structures in the building are meant to control the spread of smoke and fire, but that the broken windows “rendered those systems unreliable.”
The complex opened less than two years ago alongside an all-electric conference center.
Vecino Group, which owns the apartment tower, is currently being sued by both the nonprofit that runs the conference center and the building’s tenants.
Forty of the units at Asteri are set aside for people transitioning out of homelessness.
Mayor Robert Cantelmo announced the order at the Ithaca Common Council meeting Wednesday.
“I personally am furious with the critical mismanagement and abject failure of the Vecino Group to maintain a habitable and safe housing environment for our fellow Ithacans,” he said.
The city says it is coordinating with the property owner, on-site supportive services providers, and Tompkins County officials to find temporary housing for residents.
Cantelmo said the city is “working with state and local officials to hold property management to account.”
The city has more information on resources for residents displaced by the order on its website.