Now that they got the poor folks out, these will be condo's in 5 4 3 2....

Residents of a downtown Jersey City building have been displaced from their homes because their building is in danger of collapse, possibly as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
"It's unfortunate, especially this time of year, that the residents have to move out, but better safe than sorry," Fire Director Armando Roman said today of the residents at 198 Wayne St. in Downtown, a three-unit building. "We have a responsibility to take action."


In late November, firefighters noticed the three-story building was tilting and they notified the department's Fire Prevention Bureau, Roman said.

Since then, both a city engineer and a private engineer hired by the owner, Jaime Porras, have concluded that the structure is not safe, Roman said. Yesterday, residents were told they had to be out by today.

Residents in two apartments were able to find shelter with friends or family but residents in the remaining apartment were place in a hotel by the Hudson County Welfare Department. Residents will be allowed to return to collect belongings, Roman said.

"We only found out about this problem now, after Hurricane Sandy flooded out the basement," Porras said yesterday. "There was eight feet of water in the house between the basement and the first floor."

But a spokesman for the condo association at 200 Wayne St., the building next door, told The Jersey Journal tonight that the 198 Wayne Street property has been "like that for six years or more." "I plan to call the fire department and make them aware of this," he added.

Porras said his engineer is preparing a report on the condition of the building and determining if repairs are possible. He said the building was built in the 1940s and the basement flooded occasionally but there had been no major problems since he became owner in 2005.

Roman believes the building will have to be razed.
JJ