International Towers residents watch demolition and wait to go home

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (WKBN) – It’s not uncommon to see curious people gathering downtown to watch the ongoing demolition of the Realty Building after the May 28 explosion , including residents of the neighboring International Towers apartment complex.

Over 170 International Towers residents are still out of their homes after being evacuated last month.

Stephanie Spangler and her partner Brandie moved into International Towers seven years ago but after being evacuated because of the explosion next door, they’re now staying at a homeless shelter on Youngstown’s South Side.

“It’s harder on someone that’s not used to it. After hearing an explosion and having stuff drop, it’s harder to deal with it,” Stephanie Spangler said.

Neighbor Joseph Gill is one of over 50 residents staying at the Baymont Hotel in Boardman for the last month.

“Some of us are in just one room, you know, one bedroom. So it’s like whenever we get up, you know, we do what we gotta do and we go outside,” he said.

The residents admit getting updated information about moving back home is sporadic and not always accurate.

“It’s almost like a caterpillar effect. Somebody says something and they say it to somebody else, and the more it gets spread around, the more that information changes,” Gill said.

The Spanglers say they get even less.

“They have not said anything. They just said, ‘Read an article on WKBN,'” Brandie Spangler said.

While owners of the Realty Building say those working on the demolition still believe the area can be reopened by the end of next week, residents say they haven’t been given any firm dates when they can move back home.

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