Residents of Downtown Austin apartment have been without power for almost two weeks

People living in a luxury apartment in Downtown Austin are frustrated due to their complex being without power since late April.

"It's kind of been a nightmare," said Patrick McCarthy, a resident of the Northshore Apartments.

On April 28, the electrical lines in the garage loading area were damaged leaving residential units without power. Residents were asked to temporarily evacuate the building.

Though they have been allowed back, many said they are opting to live in hotels or Airbnbs.

On Tuesday, an email sent to residents stated they could pick up reimbursement checks later this week. Initially, residents were told they would receive a credit to their account.

Along with the initial out-of-pocket costs, residents are frustrated with the inconvenience and the communication. 

"The communication has definitely been a big factor of it," said McCarthy, who mentioned the date for repairs has been pushed back multiple times. "I started this week thinking, 'I'm going to have my place back on Wednesday' and then Monday comes and they're like, 'We don't have a date.'"

McCarthy also mentioned it’s not the first time there have been issues at the complex.

Liz Meyers flew into town to visit her daughter the day of the power outage and was excited to stay in the heart of Austin. She and her daughter and daughter’s partner are now in an Airbnb.

"Now we're on our second because the communication's been so poor," she said. "Once your time is up in the Airbnb, they've already booked it for another group after that."

However, one resident said she was impressed with how the apartment is handling the situation. 

"As a local business owner who has experienced the same tribulations and difficulties with construction in regard to the City of Austin, I empathize and stand with the office workers," said resident Christin Rowan. "It is clear they are doing all they can to aid us during this time, including finding us rent abatement, access to food, and now even monetary reimbursement for inconveniences during displacement." 

A spokesperson for the Northshore Apartments provided the following statement to FOX 7 on Tuesday:

"Northshore Apartments, located at 110 San Antonio St., confirms electrical crews continue to work to restore electricity to the residential areas of the building, which suffered a power outage on the evening of Thursday, April 28.  No injuries have been reported. Austin Fire Department and emergency response crews were immediately deployed to assess the situation.  

Due to the high temperatures, lack of hot water and electricity, the property management company recommended residents to temporarily relocate. Residents were immediately offered a daily hotel and food per diem to cover costs incurred during the duration of time they are temporarily displaced. In addition, residents will receive rent abatement for the month of May.  

Most residents have relocated to alternate housing until power is restored to their apartment homes. Electricity connection remains to common areas of the property, retail tenants, and emergency systems. Staff are working closely with residents to assist them during this unplanned event and communicating updates daily."  

The complex has sent daily updates to residents via email. In a Tuesday email, residents were told power could be restored by the end of the week, but there were no guarantees.