It could take $151 million to repair the Dockside condominium tower in Charleston, which was evacuated in February after an engineering assessment found major structural problems.
The Post and Courier newspaper reported that the 19-story building – Charleston’s tallest – would need extensive work, including temporary supports, asbestos removal and structural reinforcement, according to the engineering firm Wiss, Janney and Elstner. The firm was employed after the 2021 Champlain Towers South collapse near Miami Beach, which killed 98 people.
The Charleston condo building is in danger of similar failures, including support columns punching through concrete slabs, the news site reported.
Some 200 residents of the Dockside building and surrounding townhomes were ordered to evacuate in February this year after the structural issues were reported. Dozens of residents of nearby buildings this month filed a lawsuit challenging the evacuation order.
The cost of repairing the Dockside condo structure could be spread among the unit owners and the surrounding residents. Residents may soon have to decide if they want to pay for that, which could top $1 million for some units, or to sell or abandon the property.
Photo: The Dockside condo building can be seen in the background, upper left. (Adobe Stock images)
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