Miami-Dade courthouse closes for repairs amid safety concerns

Miami-Dade County Courthouse employees were told to work from home Friday after safety concerns were identified with the building, CBS Miami reports. 

“Out of an abundance of caution in response to the tragedy in Surfside, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Miami-Dade Courts administrators asked engineers to conduct an assessment of all County buildings at the recertification point including the Dade County Courthouse,” county officials said.

“The engineer’s report of the Courthouse identified safety concerns with various floors and recommended floors 16 and above to be closed to staff.”

The courthouse building, which has 28 floors, was completed in 1928. Most civil cases are heard at the building, which also contains some administrative offices. 

“We know there have been problems in this building, so this one was elevated and some structural concerns were identified, some columns that needed to be- some support work that needed to be done,” Levine Cava said at a Saturday press conference. “This was known and the activities had continued, but given the circumstances, we’ve already authorized that repair work to begin.”

Levine Cava said employees had only been back in the building for about a week after working remotely due to the coronavirus pandemic.

CBS Miami reports that people who had a court proceeding and were scheduled to appear in person will receive new notices with instructions for remote access.

The death toll in the condo building collapse in Surfside has continued to climb.  Officials said there were 86 confirmed deaths as of Saturday morning.

Another 43 people are potentially unaccounted for.

“Please pray for all of those who have lost loved ones and whose hearts are broken from this unspeakable tragedy, and for those who are still waiting,” said Levine Cava. 

Contributing: The Associated Press