City officials in North Miami Beach called for an emergency meeting Saturday after ordering the evacuation of a condominium tower just five miles from last week’s building collapse that left 22 dead and more than 120 missing.
Authorities said Friday that the closing of the 156-unit Crestview Towers stems from an audit prompted by the Champlain Towers disaster in nearby Surfside.
“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,” North Miami Beach City Manager Arthur H. Sorey, III said. “Nothing is more important than the safety and lives of our residents, and we will not rest until we ensure this building is 100% safe.”
North Miami Beach officials said they ordered “a thorough review” of all condo high-rise buildings above five stories high to see if they are in compliance with city and county safety codes.
On Friday, Crestview Towers, built in 1972, submitted a recertification report, dated January 11, 2021, in which an engineer retained by the condo association board concluded that the 156-unit building was structurally and electrically unsafe, the city of North Miami Beach said in a news release.
The building had reported millions of dollars in damage from 2017′s Hurricane Irma, although it is unclear if any of the latest issues are related.
It is the first building to be evacuated since municipal officials…
