SURFSIDE, Fla. – Other residents of Miami-Dade County’s town of Surfside fear tragedy could hit again. Champlain Towers is a three-building oceanfront development.
After the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South, at 8777 Collins Ave., on Thursday several residents of the Champlain Towers North, at 8877 Collins Ave., and Champlain Towers East, at 8855 Collins Ave., decided to evacuate.
Surfside Mayor Charles Burkett said he has received several complaints and requests for inspections and mandatory evacuations. Champlain Towers South and Champlain Towers North were both built in 1981. Champlain Towers East was built in 1994.
Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said there will be an effort to inspect oceanside buildigns on Collins Avenue that are 40 years old or older.
“My concern stems from people asking me, ‘Is my building safe?’” Burkett said. “Generally, I would say of course your building is safe. We all assume buildings are safe. Buildings in America don’t fall down, that’s a third-world phenomenon, not a first-world phenomenon.”
Surfside commissioners discussed the issue on Thursday night during an emergency meeting.
“Given that the sister building is called Champlain Towers, given that the building was apparently built by the same developer, given that the building was probably built with the same plans and the same materials, I can’t tell people that it’s a safe building,” Burkett said.
Mayor talks about concerns