South Carolina could study coastal high-rises following Florida condo collapse
A proposed bill in Columbia could, if passed, see South Carolina study the integrity of its high-rise condominiums, hotels and other buildings along its coast, a precautionary measure taken in the wake of a Surfside, Florida condo collapse.
Charleston Democrat Wendell Gilliard’s legislation, which he pre-filed ahead of lawmakers’ 2022 session, would have South Carolina create the “Coastal Structural Stability Study Committee” which would be charged with studying the structural integrity of buildings six floors or more along the state’s coast and along the Charleston peninsula.
The committee would “examine current measures for inspecting commercial buildings that are six floors or more in height...to evaluate their structural soundness.” The committee would also “develop recommendations” for improving those buildings.
Gilliard’s legislation would appoint members to the committee, have the committee prepare a report, and then dissolve.
In an interview with WPDE News, Gilliard said part of the committee’s role would be collecting inspection documents for buildings along the coast to determine which needed attention or repair, as a way to prevent a collapse like what happened in Florida.
“These are things that we really need to keep an eye on as to prevent any type of disaster from happening such as Miami,” Gilliard told WPDE. “When you see the signs like cracks in our infrastructure like our bridges, highways, et cetera, and our buildings. I always tell people that that’s Mother Earth talking to us and we better take note and take measure.”
In June, a 12-story beachfront condominium unit in Surfside, Florida collapsed, ultimately leaving dozens dead. Investigations have found that the poor structural integrity of the building caused the collapse.
South Carolina currently does not have a state-wide inspection regimen for high-rise buildings, though municipalities like Myrtle Beach and North Myrtle Beach maintain high standards for such buildings. Past attempts in Horry County to make planning and building inspection more universal have been contentious, or have failed.
