According to officials, residents of a five-story apartment building in North Miami Beach have been ordered to evacuate after officials deemed the building “constructively incorrect” during its 50-year re-certification process.
On Monday, city officials ordered the expulsion of Bayview 60 Homes residents. This is the second building evacuated in the city after the collapse of the Champaign Towers in nearby Surfside last June, which killed 98 people.
The building, which was built in 1972 and has 60 units, has been undergoing renovations since July as part of the re-certification process, the city said.
The engineer who worked on the building sent an email to the building owner stating that the building was not safe and residents needed to be evacuated immediately, city manager Arthur Sori told the Associated Press on Tuesday.
The engineer copied the city into an email late Friday, but because it was after business hours, city officials did not see it until Monday morning, Sorey said. He said that as soon as they did so, they contacted the owner of the building and came up with a plan to evacuate everyone.
“We talked to the owner and advised the owner that they should close the building,” Sorey said. “But as soon as we got the information, we went out and did what needed to be done to protect the lives of the people of North Miami Beach.”
He said residents were able to return to their apartments on Tuesday to get small items and they will be able to remove furniture from Friday. However, he added, officials will limit the number of people in the building.
Austin Harper, who has lived on the sixth floor of the building for three years, took out the rest of his belongings on Tuesday morning. He said that the apartment building is home to many elderly people and families, and only one elevator, which is used by all residents.
“For me, I’m more single, so I can easily leave. Some people have lived here for more than 10 years, ”Harper said. “But ultimately it’s about safety for a lot of older people and me.”
Residents have received three-day hotel vouchers to help in the near future, and the Miami Dade Foundation and the American Red Cross will help with housing if they have difficulty finding housing, Mayor Anthony DeFilipa said.
In addition, the building owner returns the April rent and deposit within 72 hours, Sorey said.
“One thing to note is the rent for this building, which has just closed, is between $ 1,500 and $ 1,900 a month. And if you know anything about South Florida, it’s very cheap rent now and affordable, “Sorey said.” It’s going to be a problem now with those people trying to find something similar and at the same price. It’s going to be very difficult. “
The building is located in the part of North Miami Beach known as the Eastern Shores, which features apartment buildings on canals along the Interstate Waterway. The one- and two-bedroom apartments are about 750 square feet (70 square meters).
Shortly after the Surfside condominium crash, North Miami Beach officials ordered the evacuation of the 10-story Crestview Towers condominium. Residents of this building, which is about 5 miles (8 kilometers) from the collapsed Surfside site, were not allowed back.
Following the collapse, Miami-Dade County began surveying high-rise condominiums to make sure they met safety standards. Some smaller units in the county have also been evacuated since June.
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Residents evacuated from apartments in North Miami Beach have been declared dangerous
