This archive report was first published on 3 July 2021.
On July 2, 2021, a 10-story condominium complex in North Miami Beach was ordered to close and evacuate its residents after a recertification report documented "unsafe structural and electrical conditions."
The 156-unit building, Crestview Towers, was built in 1972 and is located about a seven-mile drive from the collapse site in Surfside. The report was submitted as part of an audit recommended by the office of Mayor Daniella Levine Cava of Miami-Dade County.
"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," said Arthur H. Sorey, the North Miami Beach city manager. "Nothing is more important than the safety and lives of our residents, and we will not rest until we ensure this building is 100 percent safe."
The recertification report documented cracks and corrosion in the building's structure, and noted that repairs would be required to shore up the building's concrete frame. The city received the report on Friday, prompting the evacuation order.
Residents were allowed to take their belongings with them, and officers were delivering boxes of pizza to them. Chief Richard Rand of the North Miami Beach Police told residents that officers would not ticket cars left overnight.
"As you all know, this building has become unsafe," Chief Rand said. "The last thing I want to do is need to find out that another building collapsed, and multiple people are dead."
The evacuation of Crestview Towers comes as Miami-Dade County is re-evaluating the safety of older buildings. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava announced a 30-day audit of all ocean-front buildings 40 years and older under the county's jurisdiction.
