The Temple Court Apartments complex stood in the afternoon shadow of an adjacent 1920s landmark on the east bank of the Miami River, the Masonic Scottish Rite Temple.
Property records show its oldest structure is four years older than its more conspicuous neighbor with the imposing Doric columns that face Northwest 3rd Street at Northwest North River Drive.
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WATCH HEREBut on Monday morning, a fire allegedly started by a resident of the 61-unit complex left it in ruins, along with many of the belongings and all the shelter for its elderly, financially needy residents.
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Miami city officials have yet to release requested records on both the building permit and fire code history of the two parcels that make up the apartment complex.
But some information gleaned from public records available online point to a building that was aging, but also well-tended – at least as it appeared from the outside.
It underwent a major renovation back in 2006, including the installation of sprinklers, according to county property records.
It was in the west wing of the U-shaped structure with 57 units – all studios or one-bedroom with one bathroom each - where the fire started, before quickly spreading to the north and east sections.
A separate, small four-unit building nestled between the temple and the main building does not appear too badly damaged.
Both parcels and buildings were purchased in 2019 for $6.8 million by an affiliate of the Atlantic Housing Foundation, a Dallas non-profit that managed the property along with other multifamily projects, some catered to low-income seniors.
And while the exterior looked up to date, the wooden bones of the building going back to 1920 were no match for the flames that would quickly consume it Monday.
It was tailored to seniors who qualify for rent subsidies through the Miami-Dade County Housing Authority and are fit for independent living, rather than the more intensive assisted-living or skilled-nursing care some seniors require.
If indeed the sprinklers did go off when they sensed the heat from the fire, that may have helped give those residents enough time to escape themselves, or at least get to their balconies, where Miami Fire personnel were able to rescue them.
But when it comes to a fire this powerful, in a building this old, sprinklers can buy time, but could not save a building that dates back over a century.
