Residents Might Be Able To Return Soon To Evacuated Brickell Condominium

By Susan Stabley
Residents of a Brickell-area condominium that was evacuated nearly six months ago amid fears the tower could collapse may be able to return to their homes in August.

More than $1 million in repairs to 17-story Brickell Harbour Condominium at 200 SE 15th Road will correct about 150 cables that serve as reinforcement to concrete floors, said attorney Paul Breitner of The Barthet Firm, which represents the condo association.

"We are in the middle of a contract for restoration of the structural elements that needed repair," Mr. Breitner said. "From the beginning, we knew it could be repaired successfully."

Structural Preservation Systems of Pompano, which has worked on Miami’s Freedom Tower, will repair the high-rise, he said. The job should take about 90 days.

The City of Miami ordered the residents to vacate the 161-unit condo March 3 after restoration of some balconies uncovered structural damage to the cables. Cedric Mar, head of the city’s Unsafe Structures Office, said the building was vacated after three engineers deemed the high-rise to be in "imminent danger."

"Quite a few of the post-tensioning cables in some of the bays were completely deteriorated and non-functional," said Mr. Mar.

The city will have to re-certify the building before residents can return. Most have been unable to retrieve belongings and none could get furniture.

The building also housed a store and a hair salon, both of which have been shuttered, said Mr. Breitner.

Brickell Harbour Condominium was built as a rental property in the mid-1970s and converted to condos in the early 1980s, Mr. Breitner said.

"It will end up being the safest building in Brickell when we are done," said Vicki Feeley of Guarantee Management Services, the building’s management company. "This is definitely a very good ending."