A 48-year-old condo complex just south of Miami International Airport was declared unsafe and ordered evacuated, adding to a growing list of properties that have been flagged as vulnerable in the wake of the deadly Surfside condo collapse.
The 138-unit condo building at 5050 Northwest Seventh Street in Miami had not completed its 40-year recertification, a required process in Miami-Dade and Broward counties that brings older buildings up to code. Built in 1973, it stands eight stories tall.
The Miami Herald reported that residents who had concerns regarding the building’s condition met with city building officials, who concluded that the detached elevator garage had to be closed. Damaged columns also required “emergency shoring.” Days later, an engineer’s letter showed that the building could remain occupied during emergency repairs.
But on Monday, the building department ordered the evacuation after an engineer found that the columns were “structurally insufficient,” the Herald reported.
Neither city nor the building’s condo association immediately responded to requests for comment.
Municipalities throughout South Florida have been inspecting older properties following the June 24 partial collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, which resulted in nearly 100 deaths. In some cases, the recently reviewed buildings have been evacuated due to life-safety concerns.
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In North Miami Beach, the 10-story Crestview Towers was evacuated July 2. On Monday, a fire broke out in the building.
In Miami Beach, an oceanfront condo building that developer Mast Capital is planning to redevelop was also declared unsafe. Remaining residents were also ordered to evacuate.
[Miami Herald] — Katherine Kallergis