A North Miami beach building recertification audit has resulted in the immediate closure of the North Miami’s Crestview Towers Condominium and the evacuation of its residents. The five-story high rise was deemed “structurally and electrically unsafe.”
According to reports, the North Miami’s Crestview Towers Condominium is nearly 7 miles away from Champlain Towers South, which tragically collapsed on June 24.
The City launched a review of all high-rise buildings over five stories after the tragic collapse of Champlain Towers South. This is to check if they were in compliance with health and safety guidelines, and North Miami’s Crestview Towers have not met those guidelines.
The probe led to the immediate evacuation of North Miami’s Crestview Towers on Friday, after officials obtained an engineer’s report dated back to Jan. 11 that showed that the 156-unit building, built in 1973, had failed the county and city’s 40-year recertification process.
“In an abundance of caution, the City ordered the building closed immediately and the residents evacuated for their protection, while a full structural assessment is conducted and next steps are determined,” North Miami Beach City Manager Arthur H. Sorey, III said in a statement on Friday. “Nothing is more important than the safety and lives of our residents, and we will not rest until we ensure this building is 100% safe.”
Police Chief Richard Rand told residents during evacuation on Friday, “The last thing I want to do is need to find out that another building collapsed, and multiple people are dead,” according to the New York Times.
“It’s just the right thing to do during these times,” City Manager Sorey told reporters. “A lot of residents are upset. But everyone does understand why we have to do this.”
Residents, who were photographed moving out on Friday, expressed concerns about evacuation amid approaching Hurricane Elsa. Per the press release, the city is “working with the American Red Cross to find temporary shelter for displaced residents who do not have somewhere else to stay.”