West Palm Beach building officials have inspected and reopened the Alexander Lofts Wednesday after last week's wall collapse.
Dozens of residents were displaced last Thursday after parts of the east side of the wall came crashing down. Four people in the law offices below were injured.
City building officials inspected the scaffolding Wednesday to ensure it met requirements before declaring the building could reopen to the public.
"Just relief and excitement," said Meredith Harper, one of the resident. "I think we're all really happy that we're going to be going back.'"
Meanwhile, the building owners will continue to work on repairs to the east and north sides of the building where the brick face has begun to separate from the building structure.
While the street is open to pedestrian traffic, Fern Street between Olive Avenue and Dixie Highway remains closed to vehicles. That closure could last through the weekend.
Alexander Lofts released the following statement Wednesday afternoon:
Safety scaffolding along Fern Street has been installed and City inspectors have approved the building for immediate re-occupancy. The scaffolding will provide protection for pedestrians and allow vehicular traffic to return to normal as we continue to repair damages to the façade. The City is expected to reopen Fern Street for partial traffic flow later this week. Contractors are now working to secure sections of the east and north facing walls.
#BREAKINGNEWS @WestPalmBch Alexander Lofts reopen. Details: https://t.co/Dby3pQqiyO @DowntownWPB #WPBnews #iLoveWPB pic.twitter.com/FU1QDR1svZ
— West Palm Beach (@westpalmbch) March 9, 2016
City clears scaffolding inspection. Alexander Lofts residents allowed back in! @WPTV pic.twitter.com/UaK0MfZqPb
— Alyssa Hyman (@AlyssaHymanWPTV) March 9, 2016
