– A Channel 6 Action News Investigative report aired (last night) on September 5th on their 11PM Newscast tells of statements made by an apartment a sales rep, who told undercover reporters, that they could use elevated spaces within certain loft spaces and one room apartments in the building as bedrooms, guest rooms and/or office spaces.

The only problem is that, in order to access these elevated areas within these particular apartments, one has to use drop down stairs which block the only door in and out of the apartment which would make it difficult for tenants to exit the apartment in case of fire or emergency thus creating a dangerous/hazardous situation, according to Fire Fighter’s Union President, Joe Schulle

The segment also features, building developer, Michael Pestrunk, shown making a conflicting statement (from the Sales rep) that the elevated areas are only for storage. As per the report, this is in spite of the photos on their website, brochures showing furniture in the elevated spaces, the phone and cable jacks in the elevated space and the statements by the sales rep to the contrary.

In spite of the potential hazardous situation, somehow L&I has provided the building with approval of it’s plans and a Temporary Certificate of Occupancy (TCO) for the building’s 8th floor.

PhillyLabor Editorial: When is the madness going to stop! Haven’t the lives of those lost at 22nd and Market opened the eyes of those at L&I that they need to take warnings of potential hazards from both concerned citizens and experts seriously!!!

What is it going to take to wake these people up? Hopefully not more lives lost!

To view the Channel 6 segment, go to: http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=news%2Flocal&id=9238163