POUGHKEEPSIE — A multi-family house at 11 North Hamilton Street in the City of Poughkeepsie was demolished Thursday night after a partial collapse prompted emergency crews to evacuate residents and call in demolition teams. Firefighters responded after a neighbor reported structural damage around 11 a.m. Thursday, authorities said.

Firefighters found significant structural damage on the building’s north side and searched for tenants, evacuating all 11 residents without injury, according to Poughkeepsie Fire Chief Vincent Parise. Two tenants thanked firefighters for rescuing their cat from inside the building.

Fearing a possible further collapse, firefighters also evacuated residents of the neighboring multi-family house at 13 North Hamilton Street. The property management company, 360 Property Management, arranged hotel accommodations for those tenants. By 1 p.m., some displaced residents from 11 North Hamilton were seeking assistance from Dutchess Outreach.

The three-story brick house, built in 1900, is owned by Lester Runza, who owns several rental properties in Poughkeepsie, according to property records.  Despite evidence of brickwork being done to the house in recent years, city records indicate that no building permits have been issued for the address in the past several years.

Officials said a visual inspection indicated the collapse likely occurred before it was reported, and someone may have unsuccessfully attempted to shore up the damaged side.

The city’s building department deemed the house unsafe and flagged it for demolition. Central Hudson disconnected gas and electric service Thursday afternoon, and the area was cleared for demolition work.  Demolition crews from Dutchess Landworks arrived Thursday night with heavy equipment, including an excavator and dump trucks. Work began around 8 p.m. and was expected to continue late into the night. North Hamilton Street was closed between Main and Mill streets for safety.


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