First apartment building to be redeveloped in Saitama
Residents of a 34-year old condominium apartment building in Saitama City have decided to rebuild after an earthquake-resistant diagnosis showed the building was at risk of collapse in a major earthquake.
This will be the very first case of a resident-led condominium redevelopment in Saitama Prefecture. To date, Saitama only has two cases of apartment redevelopments - both were carried out for urban development and road widening, rather than building age.
The 7-storey building in Omiya-ku was built in 1980. The average age of a resident is over 60, yet the building was lacking in barrier-free facilities. Equipment was ageing and the elevator needed replacing. In 2009, a building inspection found that the structure was not earthquake-proof and posed a danger of collapse in a major earthquake.