The Bishop of Southeast Florida has told residents of a senior housing facility that some of them may be able to return to their homes soon. The 182-unit facility had to be evacuated in mid-June after a fire damaged the building’s electrical system.
In a letter dated August 26, the Rt. Rev. Peter Eaton, who is president of the board of the 15-story St. Andrew’s Residences in West Palm Beach, told residents “we anticipate we will be able to begin phase one of the re-entry plan in the next one to two weeks.”
The electrical supply system for the entire building was rendered unusable by the June 14 electrical fire, which also caused smoke damage. In addition to needing to replace the “bus duct,” which distributes large amounts of electrical current throughout the building, substantial cleaning has been completed, and air-quality tests are ongoing. “Full results of these tests will ultimately determine what, if any, additional work is needed and if that work can occur while the space is occupied,” Eaton wrote.
The board has been providing hotel lodging and meals to some of the residents, and has now extended that accommodation until September 4.
The Diocese of Southeast Florida is one of dozens of dioceses, churches and organizations that support The Living Church financially.
Kirk Petersen began reporting news for TLC as a freelancer in 2016, and was Associate Editor from 2019 to 2024, focusing especially on matters of governance in the Episcopal Church.
