Waterfront Condo Project Declared "Unsafe" In Fort Lauderdale Beach
A red-tag notice posted at the entrance of the Springbrook Gardens condo declared: "THIS BUILDING SHALL BE VACATED."
As Category 4 Hurricane Helene was swirling in the Gulf of Mexico, the 77-year-old Springbrook Gardens condo project on Fort Lauderdale Beach was evacuated due to the building being declared “unsafe” by government officials.
A review of government records shows the 18-unit condo project at 125 N. Birch Road has - or recently completed - applications for “Structural Permits” pertaining to work ranging from “Exterior Common Area Emergency Shoring” to “Eyebrow Concrete Repair / Cracks On West Site Wall,” according to the urban planning and permitting consultancy Miami21zoning.com.
Residents of the Springbrook Gardens condo were notified with a red-tag notice dated Wednesday, Sept. 25, that they would have to evacuate by Noon on Friday, Sept. 27, according to a report from NBCMiami.com.
“An engineer told the city’s building department the foundations in one section of the building are in bad condition,” according to NBCMiami.com.
The engineer, in a report submitted to Fort Lauderdale officials, requested the city “revoke the Certificate of Occupancy until necessary structural repairs can be made to ensure the safety of the residents.”
The NBCMiami.com report adds: “Once the repairs are finished, the city’s Building Department will come by and inspect. A city building inspector has to confirm the building is safe to live in before residents can come back.”
The Springbrook Gardens is an four-story condo on the west side of the barrier island that fronts the Intracoastal Waterway. Built in 1947, the project was converted from a rental building to a condo in April 1978 by a Toronto-based developer, according to the Broward County records.
The Springbrook Gardens name may have originated from the fact the development company that converted the apartment building into condos was located on Springbrook Gardens in Toronto.
Currently, no units are listed for sale in the Springbrook Gardens condo project, according to CVRRealty.com.
The last time a unit traded was in June 2021 when unit 401 - a 1,510-square-foot condo with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and two parking spaces - sold for $485,000 or $321 per square foot.
In that same year of 2021, unit 108 - with two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms - sold in February for $409,000 or $310 per square foot, according to records.
In the last decade, a total of six condos - including units 108 and 401 - sold for an average price of $374,000 per unit or $308 per square foot.
On the rental side, no units are currently listed for lease.
In the last decade, tenants have leased four units at a median price monthly rent of $2,238 or $1.65 per square foot.
The Springbrook Gardens condo tower currently has three active permits applications - one was “Issued,” one is “Awaiting Permit Issuance” and one is “In Process” - with the Fort Lauderdale’s Development Services Department, according to government records.
The “Issued” permit application is a “Structural Permit” for “Exterior Common Area Emergency Shoring,” according to government records.
The “Awaiting Permit Issuance” application is a “Structural Permit” for “Exterior Common Area Concrete Repairs,” according to the records.
The “In Process” application - which was filed on the condo tower’s evacuation date of Friday, Sept. 27, 2024 - is for a “Plan Revision” for a “Change of Engineer,” according to the records.
The name of the engineer of record is Jose Bengoechea of Bengoa Construction on Dixie Highway in Hollywood, Fla., according to the records.
The records do not state whether Bengoa Construction is the original or new engineering firm.
It is worth noting, the records show a “Complete” permit application that was a “Concrete Restoration Permit” for “Eyebrow Concrete Repair / Cracks On West Site Wall.”
In the aftermath of the June 24, 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South in the town of Surfside on the barrier island of Miami-Dade County, everyone from residents to building inspectors, politicians to bankers understand better than ever the importance of ensuring that no Florida condo building ever unintentionally collapses again.
Nearly 100 people died and a $1 billion settlement was reached with the families of the victims.
A federal investigation is currently underway but the preliminary reports suggest a flawed design coupled with a lack of upkeep by the condominium’s association contributed to the disaster.
The Florida Legislature has taken a number of steps - prompted by insurance companies threatening to withdraw coverage in the state - to ensure that nothing like this ever happens again.
Up until now, the state’s measures were being implemented slowly but that all changes in 2025 when many of the measures take effect.
Beginning in January, condo associations in Florida are required to start collecting money from increasingly cash-strapped unit owners to place into reserve accounts that will be used exclusively to fix, maintain and improve the structural integrity of residential buildings that are at least three-stories tall.
People are dubbing this moment as the 2025 Condo Association Financial Cliff as it is expected to result in significantly higher costs for unit owners. News reports are already chronicling condo owners selling their units at deep discounts ahead of 2025.
This information is believed to be accurate and complete but cannot be guaranteed or warranted.
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