In person meeting this week for Rochester Towers Condominium residents; What’s next?

(ABC 6 News) – New updates in the ongoing investigation into the Rochester Towers Condominium after city officials deemed its structure unsafe.

The property management company, FirstService Residential, has started to send daily updates to residents to provide current information on construction and engineering developments.

This week on Thursday, there will be the first in-person meeting with the homeowner’s board at 6:30 p.m. to discuss the Tower’s future.

Location details will follow once that meeting is officially confirmed.

The meeting will be limited to association owners.

Following the meeting, an emailed summary will be sent out to all owners who will not be able to attend in person and to all residents and renters.

FirstService is also issuing a reminder to all residents to stay away from the building and to not contact the building maintenance technician for any emergency unit access or updates. Instead, the management team advises contacting them via the Resident Support Specialists (RSS) at https://mnsupport.fsresidential.com/  or calling the emergency phone at 952-277-2700 (Press 9 for emergency).

As of Friday, First Service says that an engineering team has continued to review the concrete condition, collect data and determine the schedule for future site inspections that will continue next week. It also says the engineering team may need to remove interior drywall from additional units adjacent to areas requiring additional investigation. We will provide a list of units where this will be done when we receive it.  Monday’s update will contain more information regarding next week’s engineering site activities.”

The email also has a number of resources for temporary housing, including the some hotels in the area are providing discounted rates. According to the FirstService Residential Management Team, the resources provided below are only the ones that have reached out stating that they have short-term rentals available:

Longer-term Housing Resources – this is not an exhaustive list and only represents area organizations that have reached out to management.

318 Commons: Rochester Towers resident rates:

2 bedrooms, $275/week

3 bedrooms, $350/ week

They have 1-2 baths depending on the unit. 

Contact information on the website

If someone wants a 6–12-month lease, some 318 Commons apartments are available at www.apartments.com/. Search for “318 Commons.” 

https://www.blackswanliving.com/rds

Some of their locations have month-to-month leases with just a 2-week notice period required.

Homewood Suites by Hilton, 507-218-3320 – Discounted Rates

Complimentary Breakfast

Complimentary Wednesday night social

Rate – $119 for a Large King Deluxe Room (other room types available)

Hotel Indigo: Ask for the Displacement Rate

1 – 6 Days:  $89 + tax $13.46 = $102. 46 per night

7 – 15 Days: $69 + tax $10.44 = $79.44 per night

16 – 29 Days: $59 + tax $8.92 = $67.92 per night

30 Days+:  $59 per night (30 days + is considered rental/lease and taxes do not apply)

Tax Rate 15.125%

If residents exceed their original checkout date, the rate will be adjusted based on the rates above.

Parking in 2nd Street Parking Ramp $10 + tax $1 = $11 per night

NOTE: The email from FirstService Management also listed Rochester’s Red Cross as a resource for residents still looking for housing. The Red Cross has reached out to ABC 6 News to indicate that they should not be listed as a resource as the initial emergency has passed.

The Red Cross told ABC 6 News they have not received a response from FirstService management.