Building Portico Failure Hallandale

I have not yet received the complete report about the cause of the collapse. The building successfully passed its 40- and 50-year inspections, but factors like age, maintenance, heavy rain, roof drain issues, and nearby construction may have contributed.

An engineering firm has been hired, and the building department inspected the site on Monday. Following the incident, I want to clarify the city's role in the Building Safety Inspection Program. The BSIP is not new, it has been law for years. Since the Surfside collapse there have been changes made.

Inspection now begins at 25-year with milestone re-inspections every ten years have been introduced. BSIP covers both commercial and residential buildings based on their size. Champlain Towers needed repairs, but the condominium board and residents chose not to fund them in a timely manner due to cost. This prompted the change in law that requires reserve study and the funding of reserves.

City building departments oversee the BSIP but do not conduct inspections. Each property must hire a licensed engineer or architect to inspect and report on structural and operational components. Required repairs are identified in these reports, which are then submitted to the city for review.

If the report identifies a deficiency at risk of imminent failure, our staff will contact the building to confirm that repairs are underway. They will also inspect the condition to determine if it’s necessary to red tag the building. Not all cases of imminent failure require evacuation.

If the affected component is not part of the main building footprint—such as a parking structure—the garage may be red-tagged until a certified engineer addresses the issue by stabilizing the components at risk. Balconies are another good example.

If remedial work is recommended in the report, the condominium should initiate corrective action. Our staff will monitor compliance with the report, and if the building fails to address the deficiencies, the case will be escalated to code enforcement.

This situation presents significant challenges. While many buildings comply with the BSIP, others do not. Some attempt to delay repairs by changing board members or canceling contracts to secure better pricing. Contract regulation does not fall within our purview. Provided that permits have been issued and work is progressing, we refrain from referring to the magistrate hearing. However, lack of progress will result in referral to the magistrate, where additional time may be granted or fines imposed until repairs are completed.

In some cases these items can take years. Olympus Condominium finally completed their work after being the first and only building that was red tagged for their garage. I encourage very unit owners to understand that these projects do take time and plenty of money. The worst thing to do is delay the work. I have seen many voting boards disrupt progress in hope of stopping the costs. In case after case overall, it ends up being more costly and buildings are put at risk.

As always, I am available anytime for your questions, concerns, and ideas to make our city a better place on my Phone/Text at: (954) 632-5700. Or you can email me at: jcooper@cohb.org. Please visit me on my Facebook page at: Mayor Joy Cooper. Like! Follow! And share!