Champlain condo associations try to appease sister towers residents, speed up repairs

SURFSIDE, Fla. – The portion of the building that turned into a compact mountain of pancaked concrete Thursday in Miami-Dade County’s town of Surfside was part of a three-tower development that remained under scrutiny on Tuesday. Some residents decided to evacuate.

More than 150 people remained unaccounted for after the tragedy at Champlain Towers South. For days, Robert Lisman, a resident of Champlain Towers East, has been raising awareness about damaged concrete and rust.

Champlain Towers East was built in 1994. Like the South tower, Champlain Towers North was built in 1981. Residents have asked officials to inspect the safety of their buildings. Residents from the North tower said they are not as afraid because their association has maintained the building.

The condo association boards from both the East and North towers sent memos to residents when panic ensued after the collapse. They informed residents they didn’t have any major structural concerns, and they were bringing in Allyn Kilsheimer, the president of KCE Structural Engineers based out of Washington, D.C. The firm will be tasked with fixing any exposures or cracks.

As the world wondered how this could be possible in Florida, where hurricanes have forced officials to increase structural standards, a troublesome 2018 report surfaced. It shows engineers had reported there was major structural damage at Champlain Towers South.

The deadline for property owners to start paying assessments into $15 million in projects was coming up this year. Officials said the building was in the process of recertification, which is required every 40 years and involves scrutinizing every part of the residential property. Gov. Ron DeSantis said it’s going to take time to find out with certainty what exactly caused the tragedy.

An army of rescuers wearing hard hats has been working day and night and they have been facing sporadic rain and spontaneous fires. The delicate operation included highly-trained dogs, drones, robots, and experts from as far as Israel, Mexico, and Argentina.

Complete coverage

Crews work in the rubble of Champlain Towers South residential condo, Tuesday, June 29, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. Many people were still unaccounted for after Thursday's fatal collapse. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Coverage on Tuesday

Workers search the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. Many people were still unaccounted for after Thursday's fatal collapse. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Coverage on Monday

Crews work in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo, Sunday, June 27, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. Many people were still unaccounted for after Thursday's fatal collapse. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

Coverage on Sunday

Workers search in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo, Saturday, June 26, 2021, in Surfside, Fla. One hundred fifty-nine people were still unaccounted for two days after Thursday's collapse, which killed at least four. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Coverage on Saturday

Search and rescue workers go through rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Fla., section of Miami, Friday, June 25, 2021. The apartment building partially collapsed on Thursday. The teams continue to work at the site hoping to detect any sounds coming from survivors. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky) (Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

Coverage on Friday

This photo taken from video provided by ReliableNewsMedia firefighters rescue a survivor from the rubble of the Champlain Towers South Condo after the multistory building partially collapsed in Surfside, Fla., early Thursday, June 24, 2021. (ReliableNewsMedia via AP).

Coverage on Thursday


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