Hundreds of people were instructed to vacate a Miami condominium building after city officials deemed it unsafe on Monday.
A notice was placed on the entrance to the eight-story, 137 unit structure at 5050 NW 7th Street, giving all of its residents mere hours to leave the property, according to NBC Miami. Building authorities said several columns within the complex are in need of repairs after officials discovered work was done on the structure without first receiving proper permits from the city.
Residents expressed concerns about the narrow timeline to leave.
MIAMI CONDOMINIUM MILES FROM COLLAPSED BUILDING EVACUATED AFTER BEING DEEMED ‘UNSAFE’
“We have a lot of elderly owners here that have no place to go,” Dmidry Asanov told the local outlet. “Some have COVID. Some can’t walk.”
In late July, the building was included alongside others in an unsafe structure list following citywide audits that followed the collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Miami-Dade County — an incident that claimed the lives of 98 people after a frantic weekslong rescue operation. A Miami spokesperson said the 5050 NW 7th Street structure failed to comply with the “40/50 year recertification process.”
At the time, a notice was issued that the property owners must comply with needed repairs or the building would be demolished.
The complex is due before a judge on Aug. 20 for a hearing on the matter.
In early July, the North Miami Beach Building and Zoning Department also ordered the closure of the Crestview Towers Condominium, a complex that stood 7 miles north of the collapsed Surfside property. More than 300 residents were ordered to evacuate due to an engineer’s report that concluded it was unsafe.
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“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 Sorey said in a news release.
“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,” he added.
