Since last July, several units in the Bayview 60 Homes building have been repaired prior to the 50-year re-inspection of the property. Susset Cabrera, Chief Communications Officer for North Miami Beach, told CNN on Monday that the building owner “verbally asked the city to order an immediate evacuation of residents” based on the engineering report. In an April 1 report, Bronislaus P. Taurinski Structural Engineers, the engineering firm hired by the Bayview 60 Homes owner, found that the building had to be evacuated due to a “deflection” in the building’s floor slabs. Deviation is a mechanical term for how much something changes shape when a load is applied to it. “The deformation in the slabs goes beyond the guidelines (American Concrete Institute) for two-way slabs,” the letter said. Cabrera says residents were informed by the property owner to evacuate by 2pm on Monday. It is not clear if the residents received another warning in advance. “They have 24 hours to pick up their personal belongings. The city will schedule an hour for residents to return later this week to pick up heavier furniture and larger items,” Cabrera told CNN in an email. In July, North Miami Beach ordered the evacuation of a 10-story Crestview Towers building after a report found that the building’s structure was unsafe. Residents have not yet returned, Cabrera said. “Crestview residents were not allowed to return to the property because the repairs just started two weeks ago,” Cabrera told CNN. “Electrical repairs have not started yet. Therefore, the building is still precarious until the property completes the repairs required for the re-occupation.”
