SURFSIDE, FL (VINnews) – Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger said residents were so frightened by vibrations from overnight construction near the Marbella Condominium that some refused to return to their homes, prompting the town to suspend all vibration-generating work until engineers determine the building is safe.

The incident occurred Wednesday night at the Marbella Condominium, 9341 Collins Ave., where residents reported feeling repeated vibrations from construction on nearby Collins Avenue. Danzinger said he arrived at the scene around 11:25 p.m. and found residents gathered outside, with some packing belongings to spend the night elsewhere.

“I felt the vibrations myself,” Danzinger said in a community update, adding that the residents’ concerns were justified given Surfside’s history.

Because the project is being conducted under a permit from the Florida Department of Transportation on a state road, Danzinger said he immediately contacted Fabian Basabe, who worked directly with transportation officials.

The mayor said he ordered contractors to change the method used to install the remaining shoring walls to eliminate additional vibrations and confirmed that no further shoring work continued that night.

On Thursday, town officials reviewed the project’s approved plans, suspended all vibration-producing work and required the developer to hire an independent structural engineer to inspect the Marbella before construction can resume. The town also directed the condominium’s own engineer to inspect the building and certify in writing that it remains structurally safe.

Construction will remain on hold until both engineering reports are completed and reviewed by the town. Officials allowed workers only to backfill the trench with dirt and asphalt so steel plates could be removed from the roadway.

Danzinger said the town will independently verify that no additional vibration-generating work is necessary and ensure any remaining construction follows standard safety practices without disrupting neighboring buildings. FDOT has agreed to support the town’s safety requirements, he said.

The incident heightened anxiety because the Marbella is located just blocks from the site of the Champlain Towers South collapse, where 98 people were killed in June 2021. Memories of that disaster have left many Surfside residents especially sensitive to any unusual building movement.

Danzinger thanked Basabe, Acting Town Manager Mario Diaz, Building Official Manuel Salazar, Public Works and Capital Improvement Director Andre Eugent and other town staff for their response, adding that “your safety is not negotiable.”