Director of Code Enforcement & Neighborhood Conservation Howard Asch said no one was injured in the collapse, and people were kept away from the scene when it was evident there were structural issues.

The area that collapsed was about the size of a living room, Asch said.

“Last week, they had placed a big pile of (drywall) in this room to install it elsewhere, and it was more than should have been put there,” Asch said.

“Fortunately, the building was constructed properly so it’s not an issue with the building itself, but the way they were using it.”

Joseph Stevens, a waiter at the neighboring restaurant El Azteco Restaurant, 225 Ann St., said he was working when the collapse occurred, but he did not hear any crashing noises.

“People want to go on the roof to see if they can see anything, but I don’t think it is actually that bad,” Stevens said.

“It’s not like the whole building came down.”

Because the main structure of the building is made of steel, it was not heavily damaged, and Asch said he does not expect to see any other issues arise with the construction of the building.

Asch said the collapse is unrelated to the upcoming vote about whether to grant developer Kris Elliott permission to add a fifth floor to the building.

A public hearing on an additional fifth floor is scheduled to take place July 10.

East Lansing Planning Director Tim Dempsey said it still is too early to tell how this accident will affect the schedule of the project.

Still, the accident has drawn even more concern from East Lansing city officials.

Councilmember Don Power said an investigation already was under way regarding the St. Anne Lofts project, and it will continue on Friday when City Manager George Lahanas returns.

Power voiced concern about the inspections that were conducted on the site, and wants to know why the department did not catch the potential danger of the collapse and stop it before it escalated.

“I’m glad no one got injured or hurt, but those things should not happen, period,” he said.
“I am not happy that someone added something that is not authorized.”

Mayor Pro Tem Nathan Triplett also said he was happy no one was hurt, and he was pleased with how quickly city representatives were on the scene once the collapse occurred.

Although there are issues with why the situation occurred, he said he has confidence in the work the inspectors do and they are not to blame in this case.

“We need to get answers from the city staff on how it was allowed to move forward without authorization,” Triplett said.

Staff writer Jesse O’Brien contributed to this story.