Venice Lofts Residents Allowed Home, Cleanup Continues

According to a Dranoff Properties representative, displaced residents were allowed back into their units on Aug. 30 at approximately 5 p.m.—72 hours after the rising waters of the Schuylkill forced an evacuation.

The property withstood, compared to grim pre-Hurricane Irene forecasts, relatively minor damage. A Dranoff Properties representative reported to Patch that only the complex's first floor dwellings were water-damaged—several of the townhouses and the lobby and common area of the apartment complex—and that repairs are ongoing.

"We're unsure of how long the cleanup effort will last," said the representative.

A Venice Lofts maintenance worker who asked not to be identified confirmed this assessment.

The manager of Venice Lofts was unavailable for comment and three employees told Patch they were disallowed from speaking to the media about the flood or subsequent cleanup effort.