BERKELEY (KRON/BCN) — Words of condolences are being offered by the company that manages the downtown Berkeley apartment complex where a balcony collapsed Tuesday, killing six people and injuring seven others.
In a statement, property management company Greystar said “Our hearts go out to the families and friends of the deceased and those injured in this tragic accident.”
The company has offices in San Francisco but is headquartered in Charleston, South Carolina.
The early morning collapse on Tuesday occurred on a fourth-floor balcony at the Library Gardens apartment complex at 2020 Kittredge St.
Five of the six people who were killed were in the U.S. on a J-1 visa, which allows visitors to participate in work and study-based exchange programs. The other victim killed was 22-year-old Ashley Donohoe of Rohnert Park.
Greystar said, “As the property management company, we have taken precautionary steps to limit access to other balconies at the apartment complex as law enforcement completes its investigation.”
The company also added, “The safety of our residents is our highest priority and we will be working with an independent structural engineer and local authorities to determine the cause of the accident. We will share more details as we have them.”
Also expressing condolences is private equity group BlackRock of New York City, which serves as the investment manager for a real estate fund that owns the building.
BlackRock said, “We are terribly saddened by the tragic accident at Library Gardens and our hearts go out to the victims and their families. The loss of young life is truly heartbreaking and our sincerest condolences go out to all the families and communities affected by (Tuesday’s) terrible accident.”
The firm said, “We are in close contact with the building’s management company and an independent structural engineer is being dispatched to conduct a thorough review of the situation.”
BlackRock said the real estate fund it serves, bought the property from its original developer after construction was completed in 2007. BlackRock didn’t disclose the name of the real estate fund.
Berkeley city spokesman Matthai Chakko on Wednesday said that an investigation by city building inspectors determined that the balcony below the collapsed balcony, on the third-floor, was also structurally unsafe and presented a collapse hazard.
The city’s building and safety division has ordered the property owner to remove that third-floor balcony within 24 hours, Chakko said.
In addition, balconies at two other units at Library Gardens have been red-tagged, which means that access to them is prohibited, Chakko said.