Residents of the Majestic Isle condominium building in North Bay Village, South Florida, have been ordered to evacuate by Tuesday. The building was deemed unsafe during its 60-year building recertification inspection.
During the inspection on April 14, a building engineer discovered that parts of the building had sagging floors and termite damage. The building was deemed structurally unsafe and an evacuation order was given.
Following a roof leak that led to a partial ceiling collapse last week, residents from five units had already been evacuated, according to a release from the city.
“Part of the roof did collapse with the recent rainfall and that’s what triggered the report which led to the conclusion that the building can’t be inhabited at this time,” North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham said in a release.
According to the release, the condo building, which was built in 1960 and has 36 units and about 55 residents, has been ruled “not safe for occupancy.”
“The building engineer shared a report raising serious concerns with the current conditions of the building, citing sagging floors and termite damage,” the statement said. “North Bay Village officials went door to door, notifying residents that the building has been deemed structurally unsafe.”
Residents will be allowed back inside the building at a later date for a full move-out.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever had a situation like this in North Bay Village,” said Latham. “Everyone is working very, very hard to respond and lend a helping hand in this crisis situation for some of our neighbors.”
Latham said he is working with Miami-Dade County officials and local hotels to provide temporary accommodation for the residents.
Officials are collecting donations through The Miami Foundation to help the displaced residents.
“We’re just doing everything we can for our residents. We do have a lot of families that are in difficult situations,” said Latham.
