Rip Van Winkle Apartments vacated
POUGHKEEPSIE – Following a Monday night electrical fire in the
basement of the Rip Van Winkle Apartments on Rinaldi Boulevard in Poughkeepsie,
city officials ordered the building evacuated on Tuesday.
The city building inspector determined the 17-story building, operated
by PK Management, is unsafe at this time. Electricity was ordered shut
off Monday night.
All residents in the 170-plus occupied apartments were ordered to vacate
by 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Temporary shelter was set up at the Mid-Hudson Civic
Center by the American Red Cross.
Apartment residents are allowed to park their cars across the street in
the city parking garage at no charge, Mayor Robert Rolison said.
“It is obviously a very difficult and stressful situation for the
people that live in the Rip Van Winkle, but we are trying to do everything
that we can with the Red Cross to make it easy,” he said.
Accommodations to bus school children have been arranged between Dutchess
County Transit and the Poughkeepsie City School District. If a family
has temporary contact information, it should be shared with the student’s
primary school location. Forms and phone numbers for school locations
can be obtained from PK Management offices.
Dinner was provided by the school district for students upon dismissal
at Morse Elementary School, Poughkeepsie Middle School and Poughkeepsie
High School on Tuesday.
Rolison said it situation could last a day or more until the city building
inspector gives the okay for residents to return to their homes.
