Residents of an historic Oelwein apartment building had to be evacuated on Sunday after a large section of bricks fell to the sidewalk below, according to KWWL. Oelwein Police and Fire Department responded to the Hotel Mealey around 7:00 a.m. After seeing how many bricks had fallen they determined the residents, many of whom are elderly or disabled, needed to be evacuated and the building needed to be inspected. 34 residents were put up in a hotel or went to a relative’s home. The inspection found large cracks and other structural issues inside the building. The roads and alleyways around the building have been closed. The businesses on the bottom floor have been closed for the time being. Residents of the partially collapsed building in Davenport reported bricks falling prior to the collapse. The Hotel Mealey has been on the National Registry of Historic Places since 1983.
