Demolition begins on burned-out W. Phila. apartments

A demolition crew Monday began the process of tearing down the Windermere Court apartment building, a fire-damaged structure that remains filled with former tenants' furniture, clothing, mementos, photographs, and countless other belongings.

In recent weeks, salvagers hired by the building's owners have helped many of the 100-plus former residents of the West Philadelphia building recover some of their possessions, such as bikes, jewelry, important documents, and even cash. But since the building at 48th and Walnut Streets has been deemed unsafe for anyone to enter, its owners have said there was limited time for salvagers to bring out items.

More than 50 people got items recovered from their apartments last month, said Christine Reimert, a spokeswoman for the owners of the property, New York-based David and Sam Ginsberg. The demolition is expected to take several weeks, Reimert said.

The Jan. 10 fire burned through the roof of the four-story building and blazed for hours before firefighters got it under control. The cause is unknown.

In the days that followed, the city declared the building "imminently dangerous," and rumors circulated that the owners planned to destroy the building without trying to recover any items.

Pet cats also remained inside the building for weeks after the fire. Animal rescue organizations have since taken several cats out of the building.

Protests from tenants eventually led to a postponement of the demolition. Last month, former residents were asked to provide lists of the items they most wanted to save, with the understanding that the salvagers would take what they could.

Tenant Casey Gleason got back some of her jewelry - but not the yearbooks and photographs she'd asked for.

"It was strange what they ended up bringing out," she said. "I asked for some clothes that I didn't get, but they brought out some art studio tools I didn't ask for."

Lara Figueroa, who lived on the third floor, agreed that the process seemed haphazard. Among the items she got back were boxes of macaroni and cheese from the kitchen, which she hadn't requested, and her bicycle, which she had.

"I know people risked their lives to go in there," she said. "I'm not blaming the salvagers."

Figueroa, like other residents, still feels angry about how the building's owners handled the situation.

"I feel like I'm complaining about something I should be incredibly grateful for, which I am," she said. "But, it's bittersweet. Part of me feels like it's just too little, too late."