NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - An inspection report of the North Miami Beach apartment complex that was evacuated late last week due to unsafe conditions is expected to be turned in on Tuesday, as residents spend their fourth night sleeping elsewhere.
Residents of the Crestview Towers were forced to leave their homes on Friday after an inspection report from January was handed over to the city. The report deemed the building unsafe, citing structural and electrical concerns.
7News cameras captured the structure, located at 2025 NE 164th St., roped off on Monday.
Pointing out the apartment, where Miguel Jiminez lived for the past seven years at Crestview Towers, he says he’ll never live there again.
“Uh no, for sure no, I don’t feel safe,” he said.
He and the rest of the residents have been away from home since the building was evacuated on Friday.
“I don’t live in my house,” Jiminez said. “I don’t have the same life right now.”
Crestview was shut down and cleared after an inspection surfaced, showing an engineer found the building to be electrically and structurally unsafe back in January.
“This was just a lapse in communication between the engineer and the tower. We got the documentation on the Second of July, and we shut down the building on the Second of July,” said North Miami Beach city manager Arthur Sorey.
Since then, residents sais they’ve been trying to get answers about how long they will be without a home.
“I just came here because we haven’t received any news about what is going to happen with the apartment,” said Didi.
Didi said she and her kids have been forced to live with friends.
“In one small room. Two families living in a one-bedroom apartment,” she said.
Her building got another look over the weekend. A second inspection of Crestview Towers took place on Saturday.
A report is due in the city’s hands Tuesday.
A spokesperson for North Miami Beach told 7News the city will have to review that report and the plans for repairs before making any decisions.
But even if it’s determined the building is safe for residents to return, Jiminez said he won’t be back.
“They say it’s unsafe and now they say it’s safe. That’s crazy,” Jiminez said. “I don’t want to live here anymore.”
The city has set up a hotline for Crestview Towers residents who heed help. They can call 786-589-4056 between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m.
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