Florida apartment building near Surfside collapse evacuated over safety conditions

Residents of a Florida apartment building were ordered to be evacuated after engineers found the building was unsafe and at risk.

The building, in North Miami Beach, is about 3 miles north of the Champlain Towers South, the Surfside condo building which collapsed June 24, 2021, and killed nearly 100 people.

Moving vans and trucks are shown parked outside the Bayview 60 Homes apartment building, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in North Miami Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee/)

After a months-long investigation into the 50-year-old building, Bronislaus P. Taurinski Structural Engineers, told the city of North Miami Beach and the property owner of the five-story, 60 unit building it was “structurally unsound.”

City officials said Monday that 55 of the units at Bayview 60 Homes were occupied.

A woman takes belongings from an apartment at the Bayview 60 Homes apartment building, Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in North Miami Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee/)

“We are in direct communication with the property owner of Bayview 60 Homes to ensure that all residents are immediately notified and evacuated from the unsafe apartment building,” Arthur H. Sorey III, North Miami Beach city manager, said in a statement.

The engineers found that the building’s concrete floor slabs were deflecting too much, meaning they were changing shape and warping depending on the weight placed on them.

Residents who already paid April rent will receive refunds and their security deposits. The city is also arranging for them to safely return and collect large items and furniture.