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Aug. 10 (UPI) -- Residents of an eight-story condo building in Miami were displaced after city officials determined the structure needed emergency repairs. The evacuation Monday comes after the partial collapse of Champlain Towers condo June 24 in nearby Surfside, Fla., that killed 98 people and prompted a structural review of coastal buildings in South Florida.
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The 138-unit building in Miami was ordered evacuated after city staff found multiple violations, including damaged columns on the first floor that "required emergency shoring," The Miami Herald reported. City staff alerted the property manager of several violations on July 7, including not obtaining a required 40-year recertification.
City officials met with residents concerned about safety and ordered the building's detached elevated garage closed because of structural concerns, The Herald reported.
Earlier this month, the city received a letter from an engineer stating the building was safe while emergency repairs were being made, the paper reported. However, city officials said they didn't receive any plans or permits regarding the fixes. A city inspector issued a stop-work order after seeing unpermitted repairs being made at the building.
On Monday, Miami's Building Department "found the columns to be structurally insufficient" and ordered residents to leave.
The city was still determining the number of residents that needed to be relocated and was helping find temporary housing for those who need it, WPLG Local 10 reported.
Similar buildings in the area have come under increased scrutiny from local governments after the partial collapse of Champlain Towers. North Miami Beach evacuated a condo it had deemed unsafe last month. The Miami-Dade County Courthouse was also closed following a review of the building's safety.
