JACKSONVILLE BEACH, Fla. – As the emergency response continues in the Miami area, we’re taking a closer look at local oceanfront buildings and how they’re checked for safety.
One of the tallest and oldest high-rise condos in Jacksonville Beach — Ocean 14 condominiums — has been going through a massive refurbishment project for the last three years.
The issue with buildings like Ocean 14 that are right by the ocean is that they’re so exposed to the elements. It’s almost as if time goes faster.
When news of the deadly collapse of the Champlain Towers south building reached Scott Kelly, Director of Ocean 14 Condo Board, he said his mind went straight to his building and the similarities between the two seaside high-rises.
“My heart stopped. I mean, because again, we’re the same era, I mean, that building was built 1981. The building is of the same material construction that ours is. We’re ’76. So we’re five years older, we face the same environment,” Kelly said.
It’s an environment that’s punishing to buildings, exposed to the wind, climate and other elements not seen further inland. It’s why the building is now in the midst of a massive, years-long refurbishment project
The repairs on the building actually started in 2018, stripping away some of the concrete and replacing the rebar reinforcement. Workers are still stripping away on the north end of the tower.
“What we do is we chip in, we’d have to take out the defective concrete have to take out the defective rebar, replace that rebar repour the concrete,” Kelly said.
And it’s not just any concrete.
Contractors told News4Jax it’s a material that sets about 10-times harder than what was poured in the 1970s.
All the while, Kelly said, the project is being constantly inspected for safety.
Scott kelly, director of ocean 14 condo board - [17:46:25] - “we have a building engineer, a certified engineer who inspects each and every cut. Before we pour any concrete when we placed the rebar to make sure it’s been done to code, make sure it’s been done correctly.”
Broward and miami-dade county adopted a 40 year building safety inspection program -- but I couldn’t find any such rule on the books here.
The city of jacksonville beach said it doesn’t perform routine inspections -- and the state of florida referred me to local governments.
Kelly said there are building inspections required by the insurance company -- but those are far less comprehensive than the 40-year check that happens in miami.