Developer charged over condemned condo project

NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A suburban Philadelphia builder has been charged with risking a catastrophe after a condo project he built was deemed so unsafe a judge ordered it evacuated.

Developer R. Bruce Fazio surrendered to detectives Wednesday on charges that also included reckless endangerment, fraud and deception.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman says Fazio risked the lives of residents by cutting corners at the Rittenhouse Club condos in Norristown. Inspectors say they found hollow walls, wooden fire escapes and inoperable sprinklers after responding to complaints.

In May, a judge ordered 15 renters and eight owners to leave the building and condemned the structure.

Fazio was arraigned and released on $50,000 bail.