Residents can return to the Asteri apartment tower in Ithaca after the building passed a safety test Friday.
Residents in the 181-unit building had to leave their apartments over two weeks ago due to fire safety concerns.
City officials said broken windows in the building’s stairwells, discovered by firefighters responding to a fire alarm call, endangered residents by preventing safe escape in case of a fire. The city then issued an order to vacate the building immediately.
However, on Friday the building’s pressurization system “performed as intended” during testing, according to a statement from the city. The previous order to vacate was lifted after the test was successfully completed.
According to a statement from the Vecino Group, which owns the building, the company will “implement a coordinated, phased return of residents” now that the order is no longer in place. Many have been living in hotels since the order was issued.
Vecino said some residents could return to the building Friday.
“TCAT [Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit] transportation services are expected to be available, subject to availability, to assist residents with travel from the Quality Inn to Asteri Ithaca between the hours of 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM,” the statement said.
It added that Vecino will coordinate to bring back residents at other hotels starting Monday.
Vecino will continue to make additional permanent repairs to the building, “including full window replacements, addressing other non-life-threatening fire code violations, and additional unit‑specific work.”
The fire department will also regularly inspect the building until all code violations are resolved. Asteri will be subject to “periodic inspections consistent with all multi‑unit residential buildings in the city.”
The apartment tower opened less than two years ago, receiving tax incentives as well as state and federal funding. Since then, residents and activists say conditions in the building have rapidly deteriorated. Even before the order to vacate was issued, the Vecino Group was being sued by the nonprofit that runs the conference center attached to Asteri and the building’s tenants.
Earlier this month, the Tompkins County Industrial Development Agency issued Vecino an order of default related to the order to vacate. It is unclear how the residents' return will impact that notice.
This is a developing story and will be updated as we receive more information.
