D.C’s Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs added several enhancements to building safety review on Friday.
This comes after the recent collapse of the condominium building in Surfside, Florida and also, locally, of an apartment building under construction at 916 Kennedy Street NW.
The changes apply to both multifamily and commercial buildings.
Under the new rules, all active projects by 10Square Development — the owner of the structure that collapsed on Kennedy Street — will be reviewed by the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs. Also, all building owners must notify the District of any unsafe conditions and file engineering plans when unsafe conditions are being repaired.
In a statement, Mayor Muriel Bowser said “The tragedy in Florida and the frightening collapse of a building here in DC have created a new sense of urgency to find these problems before they put people in danger.”
So far, the city has not determined the cause of the Kennedy Street building collapse, in which one construction worker was trapped and suffered serious but not life-threatening injuries. In a statement to WUSA9, 10Square Development said “We’re deeply relieved to learn that the injuries to our team members are not life-threatening. We’re currently assessing the situation and the severe storm conditions that have led to this. We will cooperate with the investigative agencies and will get to the bottom of this collapse.”
Residents can report illegal construction or unsafe conditions using online forms, email or live chat at dcra@dc.gov, or at (202) 442-4400. The agency says it will respond within three business days, and that imminent danger should be reported using 911.
Naomi Starobin