The investigation into the 2021 collapse of Champlain Towers South in Surfside, Florida, continues to face delays and mounting costs. Four years after the tragedy that killed 98 people, families are still waiting for definitive answers.
“It’s been four years, 98 dead. And there’s no answers and no accountability,” Martin Langesfeld, whose sister and brother-in-law died in the collapse, told Surfside commissioners on Tuesday.
Langesfeld spoke shortly after the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) presented its preliminary findings. The agency reported that evidence points to the collapse starting at the pool deck, which began caving in at least seven minutes before the tower fell. Investigators said that the pool deck was not built according to code and lacked proper slab reinforcements. Nearly all construction joints were missing steel reinforcement dowels, and many concrete “keys” were either improperly constructed or absent altogether. According to NIST’s Glenn Bell, these deficiencies may have allowed water intrusion, leading to corrosion and cracking of structural elements.
Investigators also described a series of problems observed before the building failed. Hours prior to the disaster, a water leak escalated dramatically—a moment captured in a widely circulated video showing water pouring into the garage below. In preceding weeks, residents reported a jammed gate between decks and a sliding glass door coming off its tracks. NIST noted that these issues appeared near areas with poorly constructed joints.
NIST had initially planned to release its final report this year but now expects draft reports next year.
“We share the public’s desire to have answers,” said NIST’s Judith Mitrani-Reiser, “and what we can do to make sure that it doesn’t happen again.”
In a statement, NIST emphasized: it “shared from the beginning of this investigation that it would be especially complex, given the lack of any obvious cause, such as a fire or plane crash.”
Family members expressed frustration over continued delays.
Langesfeld acknowledged that thorough investigation is important for condo safety across Florida but called for accountability: “This tragedy requires criminal accountability. Who developed and constructed this building? Who approved this building? There are many potential parties that must be investigated,” he told town commissioners. “This was not a natural disaster, this was not a hurricane. This was a preventable human error.”
Elsewhere in Miami real estate news: Michael Shvo sold one Miami Beach development site close to its loan value while attempting to retain control over other properties including One Soundscape Park.
In residential transactions, former Apple CEO John Sculley and his wife Diane sold their Palm Beach oceanfront estate at 1214 North Ocean Boulevard for $37 million; Chestnut Park Holdings LLC purchased it.
On the commercial side, Michael Stern’s JDS Development Group and David Martin’s Terra acquired Bikini Hostel at 1247 West Avenue for $20 million as part of a larger $120 million deal including Bay Garden Manor at 1250 West Avenue—where they plan new waterfront condos.
A Palm Beach mansion at 1610 North Ocean Boulevard has been listed for $65 million; it last sold in 2019 for $25.5 million.
The community recently mourned two real estate professionals: Douglas Elliman agent Darin Tansey died last week at age 50; Danny Zelonker—a broker specializing in industrial properties—died in August at age 75.
