Surfside commission OKs plan for site of deadly condo collapse

Surfside commissioners approve plan for Chaplain Tower South development
Developers must move the 88^th Street dock to the corner near 87^th Terrace
Victims’ families oppose the plan, fear dock construction will delay memorial

Updated: Sep 28, 2023 / 11:11 AM CDT

FILE – Coast Guard boats patrol in front of the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Fla on July 1, 2021. Residents of the Miami Beach building on the same street where a condominium collapse killed nearly 100 people were forced to evacuate on Thursday evening, Oct. 27, 2022, after officials determined the structure was unsafe and gave orders to leave. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

SURFSIDE, Fla. (NewsNation) — Commissioners in Florida have approved the development plan for the site of the 2021 Surfside building collapse, though it came in the face of objections from some of the victims’ families.

Family members have opposed the plan to place a loading dock on 88th Street, where a memorial will be built for the 98 victims who died when their condo building suddenly came down in September 2021. They argue the dock would impact and possibly delay construction.

According to the approved plan, developers must attempt to move the loading dock off 88th Street to the southwest corner near 87th Terrace, WPLG reports. However, if the developer fails to obtain permits, the developer can continue with its current plan.

Representatives for developer DAMAC presented a revised plan, strictly limiting the use of the loading dock and moving trash collection to the basement, the outlet reports.

The oceanfront condo building Champlain Towers South partially fell to the ground on June 24, 2021, sparking the largest non-hurricane emergency response in Florida history.

An investigation led by the National Institute of Standards & Technology is looking into two dozen scenarios that could explain why the 12-story building.