Rip Van Winkle Apartments
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.
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,” Rolison 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.
