After the fall, residents demanded window stops to help prevent future incidents. Anna Heetman, an organizer with the Independence Towers Tenant Union, says window stops were eventually installed, including in a window she raised concerns about with the building’s new owner, Vijay Ponnezhan of Dynasty Properties. She and other organizers also emailed the owner on May 4 prepared to notify the city about missing window stops.
Despite the upgrades, Heetman and fellow tenant organizer Chris Carlton received lease non-renewal notices toward the end of last month for apartments they have lived in for years. Heetman alleges the non-renewals are retaliation for organizing efforts and wants the owner to honor an agreement she says included commitments to improve living conditions and a guaranteed second-year lease.
KMBC 9 News attempted multiple times to contact the Independence Towers owner but had not received a response at the time of publication.