Eleven residents were ordered to evacuate their homes immediately on Aug. 8 after an inspection showed dangerous structural damage in three of the six Villa Del Sol condominium buildings on A1A in St. Lucie County.
In case you missed that ongoing story, here are the highlights and latest updates:
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The condos are at 11000 S. Ocean Drive on Hutchinson Island, south of Waveland Beach.
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A private engineering firm conducted a detailed inspection of the six buildings’ structural integrity.
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Florida began requiring such milestone inspections after the Champlain Towers condominium in Surfside collapsed in June 2021, killing nearly 100 people. Inspections are required for 30-year-old oceanfront buildings that are three or more stories high and 25-year-old buildings that are within three miles of the coast. Both have to be reinspected every 10 years.
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Inspectors found numerous large cracks in the concrete as well as disintegrating rebar and large pieces of concrete that could be removed by hand or by tapping it with a hammer. Here are videos of Building 3, Building 4 and Building 5.
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Residents who had to scramble to pack essentials said they didn’t know when they will be able to return.
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St. Lucie County officials said they will work with the engineer and homeowners association to ensure the issues are remedied before the buildings are occupied again.
TCPalm investigation: Nearly 70 Treasure Coast condos face Surfside-like issues
Gianna Montesano is TCPalm’s trending reporter. You can contact her at [email protected], 772-409-1429, or follow her on X @gonthescene.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Surfside inspection: Villa Del Sol condos in Jensen Beach evacuated
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