JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — An Action News investigation into the Liberty Street bridge collapse is finding neighbors want the city to pay them back for all their trouble.
Al Emerick is one of the few left living in the downtown townhomes. It has now been eight days without power.
"You enter the house, turn on the light. You leave, turn off the light so you're not left in the dark," said Emerick.
Emerick and his family stayed in a hotel the first few days after Liberty Street collapsed last week but then decided they needed to keep a routine.
"We stayed in the house with a generator and tried to suck it up. It was 36 degrees. My wife was in a parka. It got rough," said Emerick.
The Emericks racked up a bill of nearly $1,000 between meals out and hotel bills just last week. An Action News investigation revealed both Liberty and connecting Coastline Drive bridges were declared structurally deficient by the Florida Department of Transportation back in the 90s. Neighbors tell Action News five families are spending on average of $100 a night staying in hotels with no end in sight.
There's another expense. JEA has to replace the transformer that was damaged, but townhome owners have to pay for meters to be hooked up so they can get power. While that could take six weeks, one neighbor tells us they're looking at generators for temporary power at a cost of $48,000. One owner sent a letter to Mayor Alvin Brown, asking the city to take care of the problem.
Action News directly asked the mayor's office Monday if the city is prepared to get a bill from all these homeowners paying to live somewhere else. A spokesman sent a statement saying, "Risk Management has received information related to the Riverwalk Townhouses at the Plaza. At this time, it is premature to have a definitive answer on the cause, but the City is fully aware of the inconvenience to residents and is working as rapidly as possible to provide answers. As you know, the cause is still under review as the Florida Department of Transportation moves forward with its required assessment prior to any debris removal or repairs being done."
RELATED COVERAGE:
Action News Investigates: City missed FDOT guidelines for Liberty Street and Coastline Drive repairs
Bridge database recommends 'corrective action' for Liberty Street
Action News Investigates: Safety of area bridges and roadways
Collapsed Liberty Street previously deemed 'structurally deficient' by FDOT
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