North Bay Village condo residents ordered to evacuate, building ruled 'not safe'
MIAMI -- Residents of the Majestic Isle condominium building in North Bay Village have been ordered to evacuate the premises by next Tuesday after an inspection last week raised questions about the property's structural integrity.
Inspectors apparently discovered a leak from a roof drain that caused a partial ceiling collapse last week, prompting an immediate evacuation of five units.
"Part of the roof did collapse with the recent rainfall and that's what triggered the report which led to the conclusion that the building can't be inhabited at this time," said North Bay Village Mayor Brent Latham.
In a written statement released by the municipality, officials said the condo building, which was built in 1960, has 36 units and about 55 residents, has been ruled "not safe for occupancy."
"The building engineer shared a report raising serious concerns with the current conditions of the building, citing sagging floors and termite damage," the statement said. "North Bay Village officials went door to door, notifying residents that the building has been deemed structurally unsafe."
According to the letter, residents have to have evacuated the premises before 10 a.m. on April 25.
Some residents aren't happy about having to leave.
"Living so close to Surfside I guess I'm relieved that we found out this way," Kevin Garcia a resident said.
"I think they jumped the gun, they could've checked more thoroughly. But don't shut the whole building down and kick everybody out," said unit owner Lenny Fagundo.
Mayor Brent Latham is working to help displaced residents.
"So that's something I'm willing to address head-on, we want to help these people rebuild the building and move back in, the building hasn't been condemned, it can be fixed."
He went on to explain that the city has resources that can help, however, it's the owner's responsibility to keep everything up to date.
"North Bay Village has a lot of buildings but not enough to think they're going to start to disoccupy quickly. I wouldn't be worried overnight," he added.
Residents have until Tuesday to vacate.
The Village officials said they had 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. They are also working with the Best Western on the Bay & Marina to make temporary living accommodations for those who have nowhere to go.
The building was inspected on April 14 as part of its required 60-year building certification, officials said.
Those who are interested in checking out how they can help residents at Majestic Isle Condominium can check out the Miami Foundation, the group is partnering with the City of North Bay Village to provide support.