The Austintown Township has requested assistance from the Ohio Department of Development (ODD) following the Nov. 22 apartment explosion, according to a letter sent to ODD Director Lidya Mihalik.

During a Tuesday press conference, the letter stated that after assessing the property, the Austintown Township Fire Department has advised that it will take several months, to over a year, to restore the building to a habitable condition.

The Township is requesting assistance from ODD for housing for the displaced Phoenix House and apartment residents and costs related to the emergency response and ongoing recovery.

Also during the conference, Austintown officials announced the conclusion of emergency operations at Phoenix House, sharing that the building’s owner will soon resume control of the property and be responsible for all security and site restoration work going forward. 

According to Lieutenant Daniel Burich, the property owners have contracted the Austintown Police Department for 24/7 site security. 

“The purpose of this is to, first and foremost, keep authorized personnel safe while on the property, and to protect the interest of the property owner as well as the unattended property of the tenants that still remain,” Burich said. 

Access to the property must be arranged in advance with the owner and confirmed with a member of Austintown Police, Burich said, adding that unauthorized access will result in criminal charges.

133 individuals accessed 128 apartment units in the building between Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Assistant Fire Chief Tom O'Hara. 15 units were not safe for residents to access, Fire Chief Dave Schertzer said, and around one-third of those could not be safely entered by firefighters.

It will be up to the property owners to coordinate retrieval of larger properties for residents as they locate other housing, Township Administrator Mark D’Apolito said. Phoenix House has restored a phone number, 330-792-1913, for coordinating with residents. 

D'Apolito told reporters he met with a representative of the management of the property on Tuesday and that the representative said Phoenix House will assist residents in relocating any Housing and Urban Development (HUD) subsidies or vouchers. 

According to D’Apolito, that person also said the property will coordinate the retrieval of large medical devices, such as battery-operated wheelchairs, starting the week of Dec. 1. 

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