'They Were Bullies': Inside the Turbulent Origins of the Collapsed Florida Condo

[Zorro]

The team that developed Champlain Towers managed to build the condos despite checkered pasts, internal strife and a last-minute change that infuriated leaders in Surfside, Fla.

It was in the middle of summer in 1980 when developers raising a pair of luxury condominium towers in Surfside, Fla., went to town officials with an unusual request: They wanted to add an extra floor to each building.

The application to go higher was almost unheard-of for an ambitious development whose construction was already well underway. The builders had not mentioned the added stories in their original plans. It was not clear how much consideration they had given to how the extra floors would affect the structures overall. And, most galling for town officials, the added penthouses would violate height limits designed to prevent laid-back Surfside from becoming another Miami Beach.

At one point, the town building department issued a terse stop-work order. But records show that in the face of an intense campaign that saw lawyers for the developers threaten lawsuits and argue with officials deep into the night, the opposition folded — and the developers got their way.

Frank Filiberto, who was on the Town Commission at the time, recalled feeling as if the developers regarded him and the other officials as “local yokels.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/08/25/us/miami-building-collapse-surfside.html

[msongs]

1. login required to read article nt

[Zorro]

2. Please let me know what newspapers aren't behind paywalls these days

Thanks.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

3. I wonder how many people know that their local public library subscribes to a lot of

Last edited Wed Aug 25, 2021, 05:16 PM - Edit history (1)

the newspapers that are linked to on DU daily?

The libraries don't get paper copies. Instead, the newspapers show up on electronic databases.

With their library cards, interested people can read these articles online.

HTH

[Zorro]

4. That's good information

Thanks. I doubt if many people know about that option.

[Skittles]

6. when will they do that pay-per-article thing

you put some money in an account, then spend pennies when you click on an article - I cannot understand why they haven't done that yet, there are plenty of newshounds like me who would love to read so many articles that are behind paywalls!

[Jim__]

5. I'm betting they walked away with their profits before catastrophe struck.

Take the money and run!