Engineers warn of ‘grave risk’ after luxury condos in St. Louis spring leaks

ST. LOUIS — One day this summer, an engineering firm visited a Central West End condominium building to investigate a series of water leaks.

What engineers found was worse. Behind the drywall, the five-story building appeared to be missing key structural elements that anchored walls to the foundation, meant to keep the building from collapsing in storms and earthquakes.

"These missing components present a potentially grave risk to anyone residing in or occupying the building," Maryland Heights-based G&W Engineering Corp. said in its report to the condo association.

The condo building at 4101 Laclede Avenue, a few blocks west of St. Louis University, is just six years old. Residents began to notice water problems almost immediately after moving in — during storms, rainwater streamed in through bathroom vents and lights; poured out electrical boxes in the garage; and built up in walls, ceilings and balcony floors, bubbling drywall and rotting wood.

Residents have already spent tens of thousands of dollars on engineers, contractors and repairs.

Now some fear they can no longer live in their homes. A few have already moved out.

"It's just sickening," said condo owner and association board president Madison Dobrovolskis.

In July, the condo association, representing all 54 owners, sued developers Austin Barzantny and Michael Gingrich, general contractor Raineri Construction and architect Trivers, all based in St. Louis, as well as some subcontractors and others connected to the project.

Barzantny and Gingrich said through their attorney that they relied on the expertise of their contractors to get the job done right.

"To the extent there are any defects at 4101 Laclede, the experts who designed and constructed it are responsible for them. We will continue to work with the condominium association to investigate and determine what, if any, issues remain with the building," they said in a statement.

Raineri and Trivers have vehemently denied all allegations and say they will contest the allegations in court.

The suit asks for $10 million in damages.

As part of it, residents hired G&W to further investigate. In August, the engineers arrived at 4101 Laclede.

Now costs are expected to balloon even further, as residents hope to make newly recommended repairs and save their investments.

"The expenses are spiraling out of control," Dobrovolskis said. "People are trapped in this building, physically and financially."

Rusted beams, crumbling joists

The corner of Sarah and Laclede had been vacant for 60 years when Barzantny and Gingrich proposed a condo project in 2015.

Barzantny, through his Grove Properties company, was among the first developers in the Forest Park Southeast neighborhood rehabbing old buildings and homes in the early 2000s. Gingrich's background was in commercial real estate finance, working in New York and London before landing in St. Louis.

The developers' proposal won city approvals in 2016, including 10 years of tax abatement. They said the project would cost $16 million to complete.

The city signed off on building permits in January 2017. The first residents were to move in by 2018.

Marketing materials for the 4101 Laclede building touted luxury living in the heart of the Central West End, with a pool, spa and garage built under the condos. The lounge had a couch from modern furniture firm Knoll worth as much as $10,000. Paintings from sought-after local artist Ted Collier were hung throughout common areas.

"NOW is the time to live the life you've imagined," the building's website said.

Units sold from $270,000 to over $1 million apiece.

Dobrovolskis loved it. The location was just a short distance from her job as a medical resident at St. Louis University. She became friends with her neighbors, where they host family-style dinners. She and her boyfriend, who attends school in another state, envisioned starting their lives together there once he graduated.

But she noticed problems just a month after she moved in last year. And then she learned how widespread they were.

Rain poured in through a neighbor's bathroom, including through the light fixtures and vents. Part of a ceiling collapsed in one woman's bedroom. Stormwater seeped through the seams of the garage, sometimes pouring through electrical boxes. Rust bloomed along metal beams in the garage and piping.

Balconies began to sag with all the water that had seeped in, and mold was visible from the street. When contractors began replacing them, they found wooden support beams black with rot and crumbling.

The issues inspired Dobrovolskis to run for president of the board. Eventually the board contacted a law firm for help investigating what was going on.

"We needed to know," she said.

The board's attorney, Burke Robinson of Kansas City-based firm Long & Robinson, said in a statement that the building's condition is among the worst he's seen in his career.

"With each rainstorm, new and escalating concerns from unit owners come to light. Our team is fully committed to supporting the association through these challenges and pursuing a resolution that prioritizes safety and accountability," he said in a statement.

Engineers discover problems

Even before opening, the project already was plagued with delays and unexpected costs.

In 2019, Raineri Construction sued a window manufacturer in federal court, alleging that the manufacturer delivered windows months later than expected that also were defective. Raineri said that those defects allowed rain water to leak into the units. It cost an extra $200,000 and at least four weeks of additional work to fix them, according to court documents.

In 2020, Raineri countersued a masonry contractor and alleged that contractor installed the brick veneer and stone caps incorrectly that allowed water to run into the building.

That same year, a couple sued the developers, alleging they were misled about when they could move in and that they experienced water leaks and damage in their kitchen. The unit below theirs also faced similar issues, they said in the lawsuit.

Then, in July 2024, the condo board filed suit over the water damage.

The board claimed that the developers promised to address the leaks, but that they and Raineri "abandoned" them. The lawsuit alleges that the building's former management firm wrote in an internal email, "in case of possible litigation: Protect the developer!!"

A month later, the board hired G&W Engineering.

G&W opened some of the walls of the building to find where water was entering.

Instead, the engineers discovered that "holdowns" — steel hardware that connects walls to foundations and helps buildings resist high winds or earthquakes — were either missing or installed incorrectly. G&W said in its report to the board that it estimates more than 300 were likely missing.

Holdowns are required by building code. In worst-case scenarios, walls can suddenly collapse without them, the engineers said.

"This can result in significant structural damage, such as cracked walls, broken connections, or even total collapse in extreme conditions," the report said.

After the board got the report, it filed new claims in its lawsuit: At some point during construction, the new claims allege, Raineri or a subcontractor realized that the holdowns weren't actually installed. They then sought approval from the architect and Chesterfield-based SSC, the firm that specifically designed the holdowns in the blueprints, to use a different mechanism, called strap ties, as an alternative, court documents show.

But the new claims say the board has not yet received any documentation indicating the strap ties were properly installed. SSC did not respond to multiple requests for comment. G&W said it couldn't comment on the specifics of the case.

Raineri's attorney said the company is an industry leader in construction and that it "strongly disputes the allegations made by this condominium association and will continue to aggressively defend itself against these claims." In court documents, the company has said that the statute of limitations had expired and that the condo board doesn't have the right to sue.

Trivers referred to its previous statement in which it denied all allegations and said "it will aggressively contest the alleged claims levied against us in this suit."

No inspection the city conducted indicated problems, apart from missing smoke and carbon monoxide detectors in two units that were later addressed, according to city records.

But the role of inspectors in the U.S. changes from city to city, experts said. St. Louis inspectors may not be required to specifically inspect for the proper installation of holdowns.

And the St. Louis municipal code does not explicitly address holdowns or which entity is required to conduct inspections involving them.

The Building Division did not reply to multiple requests for comment.

Moving out

Residents' anxiety is building.

Dobrovolskis sent her dog to live with her parents because she was too afraid to leave it alone during the workday. She constantly fields calls and texts from residents about the problems. It often feels like another full-time job, she said.

"I don't know how long we can stay here," Dobrovolskis said.

Condo resident Steven Alan Ramsey hopes the repairs will be enough.

He and his wife love living at 4101 Laclede: They get along with their neighbors. They enjoy the community lounge where they can host parties. The neighborhood is diverse and close to nearly everything.

But the two are expecting their first child soon, and no longer feel safe in the building. Earlier this year, they moved out.

Now they're paying for rent and a mortgage, and can't save for the future as they had hoped to.

Still, they have peace of mind at their rental. But in the back of his head, Ramsey said, there's a nagging thought: How safe is this place? How safe is any building?

"What surprises me is that issues were allowed to happen at all. It's disheartening," Ramsey said. "If the only recourse is a lawsuit, is that the extent of the guard rails?"

Steph Kukuljan and other business reporters bring you insights into St. Louis-area real estate and development.

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