Less than 24 hours have passed for residents of a South Florida condo complex whose building was declared hazardous due to structural issues.
On Wednesday, the City of Fort Lauderdale posted signs at Springbrook Gardens declaring the condominium to be dangerous.
The city’s construction department was informed by an engineer that one of the building’s sections had damaged foundations.
“The progressive deterioration in the western portion of the structure has made the building no longer safe,” the engineer wrote.
To protect residents, it was requested that the city revoke the Certificate of Occupancy until the required structural repairs could be completed.
Tenants are required to vacate the building by Friday at noon. They claim to have been taken off guard.
“It hasn’t hit me yet, it really hasn’t,” Warren Sackler said. “(We were told) building is unsafe, get the hell out.”
As they packed cars and moving trucks on Thursday afternoon, several folks were still feeling the effects of Hurricane Helene.
Sackler remarked, “They said the wind was more than thirty miles per hour today with the rain. You have to leave the building.”
Sackler has ten years of condo experience. He claims to have found housing across the street, but he is aware that not everyone is as fortunate.
“I got lucked out,” Sackler said.
Tenants Sackler and others claim to be much more worried about the state of their houses.
“My only concern is that someone wants to purchase the land and erect a structure,” Sackler expressed.
Their only option is to wait.
“You got 18 people, some people don’t ever want to leave and some want to stay five months, and I said, what am I going to do, I’m done,” Sackler said.
The Emergency Management team of Fort Lauderdale is prepared to offer citizens the assistance and services they require throughout this period.
The City’s Building Department will inspect after the repairs are complete. Before allowing inhabitants to return, a city building inspector must certify the building is safe for habitation.
