Two weeks after a car fire partially collapsed the parking garage at The Hendrix in Brookhaven, residents say daily life has turned into a parking scavenger hunt. Tenants report circling for open spaces at distant lots, waiting on valet for long stretches, and juggling late-night shifts and package deliveries with a lot more hassle than before. With structural engineers still sorting out how bad the damage is, many renters say the short-term fixes the building rolled out have not done much to cool tempers.
How The Blaze Gutted The Deck
The trouble started late on March 20, when a vehicle caught fire inside the multi-level garage and flames spread to several nearby cars, generating enough heat that part of the concrete deck gave way, according to CBS News Atlanta. Roughly a dozen vehicles were left charred and the scene on Barone Avenue remains roped off as investigators and engineers work to determine how safe the remaining structure is, WSB-TV reports. Capt. Jaeson Daniels told FOX 5 Atlanta the damaged portion of the deck is “highly unstable,” which has slowed both the investigation and any effort to remove the burned cars.
Management’s Quick Fixes Draw Heat
While the garage remains off limits, management has told residents to valet at a neighboring complex called The Ren and has offered alternative parking lots plus Uber vouchers for those forced to park farther away. In practice, tenants say, the patchwork system is clunky and far from convenient, as reported by Atlanta News First. Residents were instructed to budget 15 to 20 minutes for valet pickup, and building representatives said they are trying to lock down about 50 more nearby spaces. Management also told renters that packages are being rerouted to the mailroom while access to the package lockers is restored.
Tenants Say Small Gestures Are Not Cutting It
For many on site, those stopgaps feel like too little, too late. “It’s been a complete nightmare,” one resident told Atlanta News First, explaining that she opted to stay elsewhere because she did not feel safe walking from distant lots to her building late at night. Another tenant said that waiting on valet or trekking to a car about a mile away has turned otherwise normal evenings into logistical puzzles.
Residents also told the outlet they were still charged a $5 package locker fee on their accounts even after management said the fee would be waived, adding to the frustration. Several tenants said they asked to break their leases in light of the ongoing disruption. According to the company, those requests are being considered on a case-by-case basis.
Investigators, Engineers And A Murky Timeline
DeKalb County officials say the cause of the vehicle fire is still under investigation, and that structural engineers must first declare the deck safe before crews can fully gauge the damage or retrieve any of the damaged cars, according to local stations. Until that happens, residents are left without a firm schedule for repairs or even a rough estimate of when the garage might reopen…