Miami Beach condo building evacuated in abundance of caution after building damage found
Firefighters ordered residents to evacuate a low-rise condominium complex in Miami Beach Saturday night after a building inspector flagged a flooring system failure in a vacant unit and damage to exterior walls.
Miami Beach firefighters responded to a call about a vacant unit in the 1600 block of Lenox Avenue at about 7:30 p.m. when they summoned a building inspector to examine the building.
“In an abundance of caution, the Building Official has required the vacating of this building until further information can be obtained,” Melissa Berthier, a Miami Beach spokeswoman, said in an email.
The condominium complex is three-stories-high and holds 24 units, though only 11 units were occupied, Berthier said. One person needed help finding lodging.
Ana and Owen Moore were leaving the building Saturday night and said firefighters told her the building was “unsafe.”
The Moores were in Miami Beach on vacation from their native Argentina. Ana Moore said firefighters let residents go into their units one group at a time to pack their belongings before they were ordered to leave. But the Moores were already packing and preparing to leave because of Tropical Storm Elsa.
The Miami Beach condo evacuation follows a similar but larger evacuation of the 10-story Crestview Towers Condominium in North Miami Beach on Friday after the building was deemed unsafe.
A January inspection report found the building structurally and electrically unsafe as beams, columns, walls and other areas were “showing distress.”
It is still unclear how many were affected, but dozens were forced out of their homes.
There is no timeline yet on when they will be allowed back inside the condominium. The City of North Miami Beach has put the onus on the condo association to complete needed repairs.
This story was originally published July 3, 2021 at 11:03 PM.
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