Tenants allowed to stay at Russell Industrial Center while safety upgrades are done

DETROIT (WJBK) - Tenants, who had been forced out of the Russell Industrial Center last month, may now be allowed to stay.

On Friday the city of Detroit reached a consent agreement with the city and the board of appeals agreed to let them back in, while work is done to upgrade the safety violations according to city of Detroit spokesperson John Roach.

"They can stay there as long as they adhere to the requirements of the agreement," he said in a statement.

More than 150 tenants were forced out on short notice after officials said the building was too dangerous. Many of the tenants are small business owners who said they were blindsided after finding out the building was condemned.

City inspectors say they were tipped off to dozens of safety violations at the 2 million square foot center back in November. However, they couldn't get inside until early February.

The landlord was not compliant in allowing the inspections," said David Bell, Detroit building safety director to FOX 2 last month.

When they did, they found safety concerns -- fire hazards, non-permitted plumping and heating in spots, among many others.