The Miami-Dade County Courthouse, built in 1928, will be closed for repairs. In a report, U.S. Structures Inc., an engineering firm found several structural issues with the building. Officials said that all officials who work in the courthouse will go back to work-from-home model while repairs will be carried out.

The engineering firm had recommended that the building needed urgent structural repair and that the floors 16 and above be closed. It reported that there were problems in structural members including support beams and joists. It mentioned that the steel beams were not in good condition and there were many cracks in the concrete columns.

On Saturday, in a news conference, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said that the workers had recently returned to work at the courthouse after the pandemic had subsidized so they had everything they needed to continue to work remotely and also at other locations. She said that the closure of the court would not be substantially disrupted.

The authorities did not share details about the repairs that have to be carried out in the historic building.   They mentioned that there was a plan to inspect the basement of the building so that additional repairs could be made, if necessary.

A review of the building was undertaken after the collapse of the Champlain Towers in Surfside. Efforts are ongoing at the site to recover bodies of missing persons who are now presumed dead, despite inclement weather. The current death toll is at 86. Other buildings have also had safety reviews and another condominium a few miles away was recently evacuated.

In 1989, the courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is mainly used to hear civil cases. It contains a few administrative offices as well. Courthouses that are used to near cases involving children, family and criminal issues have not been affected by the closure of the Miami-Dade County courthouse.

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