Clearwater condo residents unable to return as crews stabilize cracked pillar
CLEARWATER, Fla. (WFLA) – Crews were at work Wednesday stabilizing and repairing a cracked pillar in a Clearwater Beach condo building.
On Tuesday, residents were forced to evacuate from the South Beach III condominium building on Sand Key. Construction crews remained on scene the following day.
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'They shored up the first floor and the second floor, and then they still have to continue to shore up the entire 12-floor building,' said Clearwater Fire Division Chief Jevon Graham. 'There was a support column that was compromised.'
The split prompted a massive response on Gulf Boulevard. Sixty people were forced to evacuate, and some residents were carried out on stretchers.
Residents will not be able to return home until the project is complete.
'They had to do at least 18 struts and 18 shoring mechanisms for the first floor,' Graham said. 'As they go up again, they just make sure that it's stable and it disperses and supports the weight. They use steel struts and steel beams to make sure that the column isn't going to come down and that the floor and roof was under control and supported.'
Officials said the crack was discovered amid the condo renovation project to the garage floor.
It's one of many renovations taking place over recent months.
'Of course it's scary,' said resident Bruno Polunic. 'It's always scary to see something like that; but thank God everything is OK. Nobody got hurt. Everybody is good.'
Last year, an engineering firm conducted a milestone inspection for the Clearwater Key Association, South Beach III Condominium at 1460 Gulf Boulevard.
The City of Clearwater released the following statement about the recent milestone inspection report conducted by Karins Engineering:
'Those documents were provided to their Community Association in August and September of 2024, and the city does not have record of receiving these required building milestone inspection reports by the Dec. 31, 2024, deadline. Per Florida Statute, buildings 30 years old before July 1, 2022, must have their initial inspection by Dec. 31, 2024, and meet all the statutory requirements in order to be in compliance.'
On Wednesday, city officials received the phase 1 milestone inspection reports that were issued on August 8, 2024, and Sept. 26, 2024.
The report states that the engineer did not observe conditions that would compromise the safety of the building for its intended use and occupancy.
The city issued a permit to a general contractor for temporary shoring. Officials say there will be a threshold inspection to verify the work and to allow occupancy of the building. Additional work will be needed to complete more substantial repairs.
According to officials, the Clearwater Building Official will not allow residents to return to the building until a structural engineer delivers a report with confirmation that the structure is stable and safe to occupy.
Meanwhile, Aurora Donnelly is one of dozens who received evacuation orders.
'What goes through your head is Miami, right? So, I'm running down the stairs saying, 'Oh my gosh, I hope the building doesn't fall down,'' Donnelly said.
Support columns in the back of the building were taped off. Leaders with the Clearwater Fire and Rescue Division said construction crews saw a crack in one of the beams, noticed the split was widening and called first responders.
'You have a support column that's displaced, so it's probably a couple feet wide, at least. It's still splitting, and again, it's one of the main supports for the structure,' Graham said.
The 12-story, 140-unit condo building was constructed in 1980. According to the Clearwater permitting website, the structure was inspected last May.
'It's a very inconvenient thing, but they were able to evacuate the building in time, nobody got hurt and nobody will get hurt. I strongly believe the engineers, the fire department and police are doing the right things,' said resident David Zusman said.
The Red Cross is assisting displaced residents. Graham said there isn't a clear timeline for repairs and that residents likely won't be able to return until structural engineers give the 'all clear.'
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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