Horizon West Condo owners in Waukesha remember building scare one year later
WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) — Apartment owners reunited today, exactly one year after police forced them to evacuate their Waukesha home over fears the building would collapse.
There are 48 units in Horizon West Condos. Residents recall the sense of uncertainty that cold night. Some old, some teenagers, home alone – now, there’s one thing in common – the heartbreak they can’t shake.
“We’re still here. It’s not lost on them,” said Diane McGinn, the apartment owner’s daughter.
Diane McGeen’s 87-year-old mother has had a tough year after she was forced to leave her fourth-floor home at Horizon West Condos in a panic.
“It’s almost like when the Titanic sank. In 15 minutes, get out, you can’t live here anymore,” McGinn said.
This is the Horizon West Condos, located on today’s West Avenue in Waukesha. A year ago it was declared structurally unsound.
“There was panic everywhere, people in the hallways saying is this real? Is this real? Is this really happening?” McGinn said.
Scars cause both physical and emotional scars.
“While moving, she suffered a stress fracture in her back, which made her angry. Then she started having more heart problems,” McGinn said.
Now, Aine Kohler is back in the hospital, her sixth discharge in the past year.
“Before that, she was energetic, active, and very healthy,” McGinn said.
Of the 48 families affected, we learned that some are still homeless – living with family members and sleeping on couches. Some people who chose to rent have found their credit has taken a hit because they can no longer afford their mortgage payments.
“Last year was very busy. The first two or three months I was in a deep depression,” said apartment owner Laurel Peterson.
Laurel Peterson showed us a photo of her daughter in her second-floor apartment before scurrying away.
“We grabbed everything we could. We had no idea where we were going or what was going on,” Peterson said.
The condo owners did their best to band together and filed a lawsuit against Travelers Insurance Company for failing to pay the claim, but a judge ruled against them. Owners are calling. Meanwhile, the city is trying to force apartment owners to pay for the demolition of their buildings.
“Of course, we were all in financial straits, so raising that much cash on our own was almost impossible,” Peterson said.
A hearing will be held in January where a Waukesha County judge is expected to consider demolishing the building.
