Miami-Dade’s civil courthouse reopening after its post-Surfside closure in July

Miami-Dade County’s shuttered civil courthouse is slated to reopen Dec. 6 after a five-month shutdown sparked by safety concerns in the wake of the June 24 condominium collapse in Surfside.

Senior judges who administer the county building closed it in July after engineers hired by Miami-Dade identified “structural deficiencies” in the 1928 building, which is in the process of being replaced with a new tower next door on Flagler Street.

The engineering inspection was ordered as part of a broader look at the safety of older buildings in Miami-Dade in the weeks that followed the collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo tower in Surfside.

Read: Miami-Dade let repairs slip at courthouse, and decades go by without recertification

While Miami-Dade officials were ready to reopen the courthouse shortly after inspectors said there were no safety issues inside the 27-story building, court administrators wanted more extensive inspections and detailed plans to address repairs.

In a statement Wednesday, Chief Judge Nushin Sayfie said the building is reopening “based on the assurances we have received from the County that the building is safe.”

“Our first priority was and continues to be the safety of all who work at and visit the Dade County Courthouse,” said Chief Judge Sayfie. “Based upon the assurances we have received from the County that the building is safe, we are happy to be able to reopen the Dade County Courthouse and resume normal operations there beginning December 6th.”

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The release did not include details on repairs. In July, one engineering firm hired by Miami-Dade urged the county to clear out the upper floors of the building based on questionable floor joists and the need for more extensive testing. A second engineering firm produced a less alarming report, and said the building was fine for occupancy in all stories.

In an interview, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said a mix of work and further inspections allowed the courthouse to resume operations.

Read: Timeline: Important milestones for the Miami Dade County Courthouse

“We did do some securing of the areas,” she said. “There were adequate assurances that what remained to be done was not a life safety issue. So it was safe to go back into the building.”

This story was originally published November 17, 2021 at 7:03 PM.