Miami grand jury agrees to explore building safety issues after deadly Surfside collapse

Miami-Dade’s grand jury has agreed to investigate the broader issue of building safety after the deadly collapse of the Surfside condo, the State Attorney’s Office said Wednesday.

The grand jury will issue “recommendations to prevent such a disaster from occurring again, not just in Surfside, and not just in condominiums, but in all buildings and structures in the coastal, intercoastal and surrounding areas of our county, state and nation,” State Attorney Katherine Fernández Rundle said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Champlain Towers South condo collapsed on June 24, sparking a massive search and rescue effort that included Sunday’s dramatic demolition of the standing portion of the building. On Wednesday, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials announced it was no longer a “rescue” effort,” and now crews would be searching for remains. The bodies of 46 people have so far been recovered, with dozens more still missing.

Fernández Rundle told the Herald last week that she would be asking the grand jury to explore the issues.

In Miami-Dade, the grand jury generally has two functions: to issue indictments for first-degree murder cases, and to explore broader issues of public health and safety. Over the years, Miami-Dade grand juries have issued reports on the financial health of Miami’s public hospital system, the environmental state of Biscayne Bay and the treatment of mentally ill people in county jails, among many other topics.

After Hurricane Andrew devastated South Miami-Dade in 1992, a grand jury’s findings led to the adoption of stricter building codes.

The grand jury, which started its six-month term in May, also has the power to issue criminal indictments. But Fernández Rundle, in her statement on Wednesday, signaled that wouldn’t be the thrust of the current probe. She said she asked the grand jury to look at the broader issues “pending the conclusion of the long-term investigation that will yield the cause of the collapse.”

A decision on criminal charges would likely have to wait until after federal authorities determine the reason for the unprecedented collapse. The National Institute of Standards and Technology — which investigated the collapse of the Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001 — is leading the investigation into what caused the Surfside collapse. The formal inquiry might take years to finish, although updates to the public might come within months.

The grand jury’s term ends in early November, although the members can ask that it be extended by up to 90 days to be able to finish any reports on a broader issue.

The State Attorney’s Office is also investigating the Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse that happened in March 2018. The bridge, which was under construction, collapsed onto Southwest Eighth Street, killing five people in cars, as well as a construction worker.

Three years after the collapse, the office has yet to make a decision on criminal charges. A spokesman declined to comment on the open investigation.

This story was originally published July 7, 2021 at 6:53 PM.