Meanwhile, the site of the building at 324 Main Street was busy with crews using a large excavator to dismantle the 116-year-old brick, steel and concrete structure in a process officials said would take several weeks.
It’s a difficult task, because the historic building is in the heart of the city’s downtown and is believed to contain asbestos and other potentially hazardous material.
The city said in a news release Sunday night that officials have been discussing how to tear down the building with structural engineers, regulatory authorities and the company doing the demolition work. As a precaution, the city ordered that residents of nearby apartments vacate their homes during the process.
The partial collapse shocked the community of Davenport and sparked criticism over the city’s handling of the aftermath.
City officials initially said the building would be demolished two days after the collapse — even as families said their loved ones could still be inside. The city later said demolition would wait as more thorough searches were conducted.
The bodies of three residents — Branden Colvin Sr.; 42; Ryan Hitchcock, 51; and Daniel Prien, 60 — were ultimately recovered from the rubble the first weekend in June.
Since then, lawsuits have been filed against the city, the building owner and his company, and past building managers and owners.
