Miami Beach condo building collapses mid-demolition, injuring one

An empty 13-story condo building at 5775 Collins Avenue collapsed during routine demolition work around 10 a.m. Monday morning in Miami Beach, shutting down traffic and leaving one person injured.

46-year-old Samuel Landis, a project manager with Fort Lauderdale-based AlliedBean Demolition, was struck by falling debris and transferred to Jackson Memorial Hospital. Landis remains in critical condition as of late Monday afternoon, reports the Miami Herald.

Emergency crews arrived on the scene shortly after the collapse to secure the area, search the site for any additional victims, and ensure the safety of adjacent buildings. All workers were accounted for and no other injuries were reported.

The collapse filled the immediate area with dust and scattered debris across Collins Avenue, shutting down all traffic between 41st and 63rd streets for nearly three hours. The roadway reopened from 41st to 55th streets around 1:30 p.m., and traffic on Collins Avenue was fully restored at 5 p.m.

Although the 1960s-era Marlborough House structure was issued a standard demolition permit, a developer’s earlier request to bring down the building via rapid implosion was denied, said Miami Beach Police via Twitter.

“We are working closely with City officials and industry agencies to understand what happened during Allied’s demolition of the structure,” said Luis Leon, president of Winmar Construction, in a statement sent to Curbed Miami. Leon’s company was serving as general contractor on the project and asked that any questions about the collapse be directed to management at AlliedBean.

The Miami Beach Police Department is conducting a criminal investigation into the incident. The Occupational Health and Safety Association is also looking into what happened Monday morning.

Marlborough House was coming down to make way for a new 17-story, 89-unit condo tower from Brazilian developer Jose Isaac Peres.

This post has been updated to include the newest information.

• New Miami Beach condo planned to supplant Marlborough House [Curbed Miami]