FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Although a structural engineer found a building in Broward County was not on the verge of collapse, officials decided there was enough deterioration to evacuate about a dozen units on Thursday.
Fort Lauderdale officials had initially required the residents of the Springbrook Gardens Condominiums, at 125 North Birch Road, to evacuate by noon, on Friday. Severe weather related to Hurricane Helene changed that.
“They made us want to leave immediately, which was unheard of, inhumane, and very unfair to the residents,” said Thomas Murphy, a resident and president of the homeowner’s association.
Someone dug under the 1940s building — converted to a condominium in 1978 — to see the beams. There were cracks. Some feared the decision to rush the evacuation was related to a neighboring highrise that was under construction.
The building was undergoing concrete restoration and officials said it will have to pass inspections before the city certifies it as safe to occupy again.
Local 10 News Assignment Desk Planner Frine Gomez and Assignment Desk Editor Mercedes Cevallos contributed to this report.