HALLANDALE BEACH — Some residents of a Hallandale Beach condominium remain worried despite structural repairs over the weekend that averted the evacuation of their building.

Repairs were made at the Olympus Condominiums after city officials threatened to evacuate 370 units of Building B over exposed rebar, cracked stucco walls, and corroded steel beams and pipe support for the cooling tower.

After the weekend work, the city said it was satisfied — for now — that the building was shored up and made safe.

But outside the building Monday, several residents were still concerned. “I don’t know what ‘safe’ means,” said one woman, declining to give her name on the advice or her attorney.

Several said they were not familiar with the work that was done. One said she would investigate and consider moving if she thought the building wasn’t safe.

Condo owners across South Florida have been on edge since the Champlain Towers South building collapsed June 24 in Surfside. Cities have scrambled to catch up on inspections that have been neglected for years.

Structural repairs at the Olympus Condominums in Hallandale Beach made it safe for now, according to the city.


Brian Belmonti, president of the Olympus board of directors, declined to comment Monday but blasted what he referred to as “a few concerned unit owners” in an email to owners and residents Saturday. He said the work cost the condominium $100,000, which he says would cost each unit owner $92. “STOP AND REFLECT ON THAT,” he said.

Hallandale Beach officials said they received and reviewed an engineer’s report for the Olympus Towers Building B that was dated June 23, 2021, one day before the condo collapse in Surfside. They said they’ve had “numerous concerns from the building’s residents regarding the report and condition of the building.”

Cathie Schanz, the head of Hallandale Beach’s parks and recreation department, said in an email Saturday that the city received pictures from the condo association of the repairs and that the engineer completed the inspection and submitted a certification report.

Officials said the biggest concerns were exposed rebar in the parking garage and corroded steel beams and pipe support for the cooling tower.

The city said Sunday that “mandatory evacuation is no longer necessary” at the Olympus Towers Condominium and Marina but that it must continue to make repairs.

Some unspecified repairs are still required by the building owner, “without delay,” according to the city, but no hard deadline was provided in Sunday’s letter.