After Deadly Florida Building Collapse, Engineers Investigated This CA High Rise

MARINA DEL REY, CA — The Marina City Club condominium complex in Marina del Rey, which became the focus of concern following a deadly building collapse in Florida, is in need of various repairs but is generally structurally sound, according to an engineering report released Tuesday.

According to the report, the complex of high-rise towers has flaws including cracked walls and cement, water leakage in parking garages, some crumbling concrete and water damage, but "no significant structural damage was observed."

"It is our opinion that the majority of damages observed were a result of normal wear and tear of the structure and/or moisture/water intrusion in the building envelope," the report by Pasadena-based Saiful Bouquet Structural Engineers stated.

The company was contracted last year following the collapse of a condominium building in Surfside, Florida, that killed nearly 100 people.

The tragedy sparked fears across the country that other aging residential structures could be in danger of a similar collapse.

Los Angeles County building inspectors were dispatched to the Marina City Club in the days following the Florida collapse to get a closer look at the nearly 50-year-old complex. The inspection was requested by Supervisor Janice Hahn, who said she was contacted by some Marina City Club residents expressing concerns.

An initial inspection by county Building and Safety personnel found no immediate threats last year, although they did note some repair and maintenance issues.

But the county asked for a more detailed inspection, hiring Saiful last year. While the company found no immediate structure integrity issues, it recommended more engineering studies be performed to assess additional repair needs and efforts to prevent future deterioration and corrosion.

Steven Frasher, a spokesman for L.A. County Public Works, issued a statement to City News Service on Tuesday night saying, "The Structural Condition Assessment report, prepared by Saiful Bouquet Structural Engineers for the Marina City Club, has been reviewed and accepted by Building and Safety. No significant structural damage was observed by the design professional in the initial assessment."

The statement went on to say, "Certain areas were identified in the report as requiring further evaluation and/or repair. Essex Property Trust, Inc., is engaging Saiful and other consultants to prepare repair documents or to perform further assessment as noted in the report.

"Public Works has approved the building plans for the laundry room repairs, an area that was previously red tagged, and will continue to work with the Marina City Club representatives to issue the building permits. In addition, Essex has retained Saiful to complete the overall seismic analysis to be provided in a separate report by August of this year."

A report prepared in April 2021 by a construction consulting firm concluded that the Marina City Club "is in need of significant repairs as many of the building elements, systems and amenities are in poor condition. A substantial investment in the property is required to bring the major building systems and components back to satisfactory levels."

The report estimated the needed repairs could range from $80 million to $140 million, including structural issues throughout the property, roofing issues, safety and electrical systems.

That estimate was well above the one included in a 2018 report by a different consulting company, which concluded the complex needed repairs costing as much as $45.4 million. The repairs cited in that report included structural repairs to the parking structure, piping replacement and roofing repairs.

Copyright 2022, City News Service, Inc.