Residents of a condemned high-rise apartment building in Revere, Massachusetts, will soon need to move out.
Eugene Pavlukhin lives in one of the 40 occupied units inside the Water's Edge apartment building.
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"It's very frustrating, and to be honest with you, very depressing," said Pavlukhin. "At this point, I don't know what I'm going to do."
All of the tenants are facing a deadline of 5 p.m. Friday to move out.
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Attorneys for the tenants, the city and the building's owners were in court Wednesday hammering out next steps.
Judge Irene Bagdoian said the tenants should be given at least until Friday.
"We are grateful for Judge Bagdoain’s ruling, which recognizes the urgency of the conditions at the condemned 364 Ocean Avenue, and prioritizes resident health and safety," Revere Mayor Patrick Keefe Jr. said in a statement. "The City supported the tenants’ legal claim during today’s hearing, and will continue to work collaboratively with them to support a smooth and safe relocation process. I want to send a clear message to all those in the housing industry: Revere will not turn a blind eye when it comes to protecting our residents."
City officials condemned the building last week, saying the fire protection system doesn't work and numerous code violations haven't been fixed for years by the building's owner.
"I don't want these people wandering the streets and showing up at your mayor's house saying 'house me,'" said Bagdoian. "These folks are the unwitting innocents in what's a really spectacular tug of war between the city and Water's Edge."
The building owners are responsible for finding alternatives for the tenants for the duration of their leases -- some could go to the company's apartment building down the street, while others go to a hotel with kitchen facilities.
"They want to remain in the area," said attorney Andrew Burger, who represents the tenants. "They love it here, they do not want to leave, but they can't remain in a building with unsafe conditions."
Many tenants have said they want to stay put, and they can't afford to live elsewhere.
"I have nowhere to go," said Pavlukhin.
All sides will be back in court Friday morning.
The judge wants there to be a plan in place for all of the tenants as to how they'll be housed before they have to move out.
