St. Lucie County - Tuesday August 13, 2024: Video taken by a private structural engineering company hired to inspect the Villa Del Sol condos shows the level of structural deterioration that prompted St. Lucie County officials to order the evacuation of at least 11 residents last Thursday.
The Villa Del Sol condo complex is located at 11000 South Ocean Drive on Hutchinson Island. The condo's Home Owners Association hired AB Plus Engineering to inspect the buildings. Three of the two-story condo buildings were deemed unsafe. One of them was unoccupied.
In the video, released by the St. Lucie County Office of Communications, AB engineer Gustavo Alvarez is seen using a hammer, tapping on the concrete foundation of unit 3. Chunks of concrete are seen falling off. Rebar is exposed in a number of areas and Alvarez can be heard commenting on previous repair work saying - "Bad! You can tell the quality of repair. They did nothing for this reinforcing bar which has 95% of section loss."
The deficiencies were brought to the attention of St. Lucie County building inspectors who confirmed the deterioration found by AB Plus Engineering, concluded that the three structures were unsafe for occupancy and ordered the evacuation.