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Evacuations ordered at Clearwater high-rise after structural crack discovered

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Published  May 6, 2025 7:40pm MST
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Condos evacuated for cracked support beam

Condos evacuated for cracked support beam

Genevieve Curtis reports.

The Brief

    • A high-rise condo in Clearwater is being evacuated due to a support beam splitting, according to Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala.
    • Clearwater first responders went to the South Beach III Condos to evacuate the 12-story structure.
    • Officials said it was 40% occupied during the incident, and crews went through all the floors and evacuated about 60 people who were inside.

CLEARWATER, Fla. - Dozens of residents were urgently evacuated from a 12-story condominium building on Tuesday after construction workers discovered a growing crack in a support column in the building’s parking garage.

What we know:

The incident unfolded quickly as Clearwater Fire & Rescue and Clearwater police officers went door to door, evacuating about 60 people from the South Beach III Condos, located at 1460 Gulf Boulevard. No injuries were reported, and the building has not collapsed, but officials say no one will be allowed back inside until engineers deem it safe.

"This is a very well-managed building," said resident David Zuzman, who was forced to leave with his two children. "I’m shocked."

What they're saying:

Chief Jevon Graham of Clearwater Fire said the evacuation was urgent because of the unknown extent of the structural damage. 

"Because it was still unknown the level of damage, we told residents to take intermediate belongings and leave immediately," he said.

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The backstory:

Construction crews working on the building reportedly spotted a column in the first-level parking garage that appeared to be splitting. Concerned by the widening crack, they called for an evacuation out of an abundance of caution. 

George Vargas, whose family owns a unit in the building, said management had been proactive about maintenance, particularly after recent hurricanes. 

"They were replacing some rebar in the concrete that was starting to fail," he noted.

Dig deeper:

Building records show the condo was built in 1975. Renovations have been ongoing, with work done in November, January, and as recently as March, including electrical updates and roof repairs.

A high-rise evacuation for structural concerns is extremely rare, officials said — something neither the fire department nor police department had in recent memory. But, the tragedy of the 2021 Surfside condo collapse loomed large in responders' minds.

"Of course, it's going to elevate [the response]. Anytime you have something that says ‘structural collapse’ or ‘columns,’ you want to make sure you think about that," said Graham. "You make sure everyone is brought in to assess that possibility."

Firefighters began stabilizing the building immediately when they arrived. It was turned over to private contractors around 9 p.m. on Tuesday, and the work was expected to continue through at least Wednesday. 

What we don't know:

It remains unclear how long residents will be displaced. It was also unclear whether recent construction played a role in the structural crack. That determination will come after engineers complete a thorough evaluation.

What's next:

In the meantime, the Red Cross is assisting displaced residents, and police remain on-site through the night.

"The worst thing would have been if someone got hurt or if the building collapsed," said Zuzman. "That didn’t happen. So this is just a small inconvenience in the grand scheme of things."

More:

Multiple crews from the Clearwater Police Department, Clearwater Fire and Rescue, and neighboring fire departments, including the Pinellas County Technical Rescue Team, responded. Clearwater firefighters and the Pinellas County Technical Rescue team helped unload materials that private construction workers will use to stabilize the building. That work is expected to continue through Wednesday, according to officials. 

The Source: Information for this story came from a post on X by Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Latvala. The City of Clearwater also provided information in this report. 

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