Residents of a waterfront condominium in North Bay Village have been ordered to evacuate after the building was deemed structurally unsafe, officials said.
All residents of the Majestic Isle Condominium at 7946 East Drive will have to evacuate before 10 a.m. on April 25, village officials said Thursday.
Village officials said they received a letter late Wednesday night from a building engineer, who was hired by the condo to perform a recertification, that raised serious concerns about the condition of the building.
The Majestic Isle Condominium was built in 1960 and has 36 units total and around 55 residents.
The Hurricane season is on. Our meteorologists are ready. Sign up for the NBC 6 Weather newsletter to get the latest forecast in your inbox.
The report cited sagging floors and termite damage found during the inspection, which was undertaken in anticipation of the building's required 60-year certification, officials said.
In addition, a recent leak from a roof drain caused a partial ceiling collapse at the condo last week, in which residents from five units were evacuated, officials said.
Only 31 units have been occupied since the collapse. Village officials went door-to-door to inform the remaining residents about the evacuation.
Local
North Bay Village Police will be monitoring the move out and
will conduct it in a staggered fashion, allowing only a few units per day, with light loads, officials said.
Residents will be allowed back inside at a later date for a complete move out.
Officials said the village has reached out to multiple agencies for assistance and will have representatives from the Miami-Dade County Office of Housing Advocacy and the Homeless Trust present to assist displaced families.
"North Bay Village and the community are stepping up to help displaced residents until they can come back home," North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham said in a statement. "We are here for the affected residents for as long as they need us, to help see them through this difficult time."
A number of South Florida buildings have been evacuated in similar fashion, following an audit of high-rise buildings 40 years or older after the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside that killed 98 people.
