A construction consultant group said it found extensive damage to the Surfside building in 2020 and that the full restoration work could not be conducted at the time in part because of worries it could affect the stability of the surrounding areas.
Morabito Consultants produced a summary report in October 2020 in which the group wrote that the repair work “could not be performed” because the Champlain Towers South wanted to keep the pool “in service for the duration of the work.”
The nine-page report also said the excavation of the concrete by the pool area “could affect the stability of the remaining adjacent concrete constructions.”
Two years earlier, in October 2018, the consultant firm produced a report regarding the integrity of the building, which collapsed June 24, killing 20 people and leaving 128 people unaccounted for, and it noted that there was “major structural damage” in the concrete slabs below the pool deck.
There was “abundant” cracking in the columns, beams, and walls of the parking garage, which is under the 13-story building, Morabito’s report found.
“Though some of this damage is minor, most of the concrete deterioration needs to be repaired in a timely fashion,” the report read, noting that structural repairs would be needed so they could continue “maintaining the structural integrity” of the building.
About six months after that report, the president of the condominium association, Jean Wodnicki, reportedly wrote to residents about the construction, detailing the importance of the $15 million renovations the residents were expected to fund.
She noted that Morabito’s 2018 report indicated “that the concrete damage observed would begin to multiply exponentially over the years,” saying, “Indeed the observable damage such as in the garage has gotten significantly worse since the initial inspection.”
“When you can visually see the concrete spalling (cracking), that means that the rebar holding it together is rusting and deteriorating beneath the surface. The concrete deterioration is accelerating. The roof situation got much worse, so extensive roof repairs had to be incorporated,” the letter read, noting that the “original scope of the work in the 2018 report has expanded.”
Florida buildings are required to be recertified every 40 years. This year marks the 40th year for the Champlain Towers South.
Police identified the victims as Stacie Dawn Fang, 54, Antonio Lozano, 83, Gladys Lozano, 79, and Manuel LaFont, 54, who were recovered Thursday and Friday. They also identified Leon Oliwkowicz, 80, Luis Bermudez, 26, Ana Ortiz, 46, and Christina Beatriz Elvira, 76, who were found Saturday and Sunday.
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Three more victims were identified Monday night: Marcus Joseph Guara, 52, who was recovered Saturday, and Frank Kleiman, 55, and Michael David Altman, 50, who were recovered Monday. The body of Hilda Noriega, 92, was recovered Tuesday, police announced Wednesday.
Four more victims were identified Wednesday afternoon as Lucia Guara, 10, Emma Guara, 4, Anaely Rodriguez, 42, and Andreas Giannitsopoulos, 21. Two others, who have yet to be identified, were found Wednesday night, officials said in a briefing. Two more bodies were found Thursday night.
