After a quick evacuation in which over 300 residents left many personal belongings inside a building deemed unsafe, there are still more questions than answers for the people who call the Crestview Towers Condominium in North Miami Beach their home.
"I don't know how long it is going to take, or where it is going to take us," resident Yanosh Seredryanik said on Saturday of the evacuation.
Many residents are still looking for a place to stay. The City of North Miami Beach is working with the American Red Cross to find temporary shelters for displaced residents.
The city of North Miami Beach on Friday ordered the 156-unit Crestview Towers Condominium, located at 2025 NE 164th St., to be closed immediately and the evacuation of all residents.
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After the tragic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condominium in Surfside, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava ordered an audit of buildings that were 40 years old and older.
A recertification report dated Jan. 11 showed that an engineer working for the Crestview Tower condominium deemed the property unsafe. The engineer's report outlined unsafe electrical and structural conditions, including cracked columns and beams, at the building completed in 1972.
Gladys Maldonado, a member of the Crestview Tower condo board, told NBC 6 that the board has actively been working on the recertification process. She said that the COVID-19 pandemic complicated repair efforts.
Maldonado said another inspection was occurring Saturday. That engineer's report will then be delivered to the city. However, there is no timeline on when repairs will begin or when residents can access the building even to get their belongings.
The city has set up a hotline for residents to call with more information at 786-589-4056. The hotline will operate from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily until further notice.
