WINSTON-SALEM -- After some 17 months, another part of Winston-Salem's downtown redevelopment is nearing completion.

Workers are putting the final touches on the $18-million One Park Vista project.

But last week, a lab tech found something suspicious in one of the 135 otherwise-clean air quality samples.

"[He] thought it was a rare fungus that had never been detected or reported in the United States. In fact it had never been found outside the Middle East," according to project developer Kerry Avant.

Avant says three of the condos were already occupied, so he advised the residents that they should probably leave temporarily until further tests were done.

"Two of them did, and one of them decided it was probably bogus, and decided to stay," he said.

Experts say fungus is everywhere. But a specialist with Forsyth Environmental Affairs says it's not likely that the rare fungus would show up around here, especially in a new building.

"It grows on rocks, likes hot, arid temperatures and environments -- which is not ours," Avant said. "It can't survive in water."

Samples were sent to an expert at the University of Texas.

"She was virtually certain it was not the problematic fungus," Avant said.

Avant said he expects to hear about final test results by the end of the week.