Springfield residents spend the night without heat - WFXG FOX54 Augusta - Your News One Hour Earlier

Springfield residents spend the night without heat

Home City Housing is working on renovations to the apartments at Tapley Court.

In the process, the planned improvements accidentally cost the building's residents their heat.

"Last night, I heard a bunch of people talking," said resident Janet Santiago. "I opened the door and said, 'I knew I was not the only one.'"

Building managers from Home City Housing began addressing the issue Thursday night, when they started getting phone calls.

"I was not one who called," said Santiago. "I like to wait and see, but today I would have definitely complained, because I have two little girls and it was too cold."

Home City Housing told CBS 3 they were not aware of how widespread the issue was until they returned to the property Friday morning.

The building is in the middle of $2 million renovation and crews apparently allowed air to get into the closed heating loop.

That stopped heat from flowing freely.

"On the thermostat, you can read it," Santiago stated. "So when I first walked into my apartment [Thursday] after doing errands, it was 60 degrees in the actual apartment. The heater was up to 90, so it did not add up."

Code mandates the building's heat be kept at a minimum of 68 degrees.

Santiago said heating issues have improved in the building since management replaced all of the windows.

"The air would just go right out of there," said Santiago. "So they did replace the windows and they are working really hard to get the building up to par."

Home City Housing said there are 30 families that live in the building.

The management company did not want to go on camera, but said the lack of heat was a hiccup in the renovation process and everyone should have had their heat back on by noon on Friday.

Copyright 2013 WSHM (Meredith Corporation). All rights reserved.