TAMPA (WFLA/AP) – The City of North Miami Beach has ordered the evacuation of a condo building due to unsafe conditions.
The city said Friday that an audit prompted by the deadly collapse in nearby Surfside found the 156-unit Crestview Towers had been deemed structurally and electrically unsafe months ago.
“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.”
Evacuating residents hauling suitcases packed items into cars Friday evening outside the Crestview, which was built in 1972. The mayor of Miami-Dade County had suggested an audit of buildings 40 and older to make sure they are in compliance with the local recertification process after last week’s collapse.
The City of North Miami Beach is working with the American Red Cross to find temporary shelter for displaced residents who do not have somewhere else to stay.
Crestview Towers is about 5 miles northwest of the Surfside disaster site.