Update on 7918 West Drive Construction Site

In North Bay Village, ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents is our top priority.

On Tuesday afternoon, North Bay Village Staff met with representatives from Pacific & Orient Properties, the development team behind 7918 West Drive, Thornton Construction Company, and officials from CAP Government to ensure the site is safe and secure. Our Village leaders requested this meeting to clarify the site’s status and guarantee the safety of our residents and the community while this project is paused.

Severe weather with extremely high winds carried heavy, bolted down construction pieces that weighed more than 10,000 pounds, off the top floor of the building, with some of it landing in Vogel Park – bringing down nearby power lines. Our Village Public Works Department had decided to preemptively close the park earlier Sunday morning when a Tornado Watch was announced for the area.

Village leaders are taking necessary precautions to maintain and enhance safety on this construction site on private property, which has active permits. Before Sunday’s intense storm, NBV inspectors visited the 7918 site weekly, and the site passed all Building Code inspections. Staff and Thornton Construction officials confirmed that there were no loose construction materials on site or on the ground. Their team assured us that crews must follow an extensive list of additional protocols when securing a site ahead of a hurricane.

At this time, crews have cleaned up the site and removed all potential hazards. Moving forward, their team will secure this site as if more severe weather were coming. They also plan to remove the construction crane, which has met all required Building Code inspections– as the construction site will remain inactive until further notice.

Officials from CAP will inspect the site multiple times throughout the month to ensure that the Contractor properly implements all the additional measures described above. The Village Code Enforcement Department will continue to monitor the property for construction site maintenance.

Prioritizing the safety of our residents is an unwavering commitment that we hold in the highest regard.

We recognize that a paused construction site in our beautiful community is not desirable for the Village and its residents. The Village Commission and Staff are determined to explore all preventative measures that can be taken so this never happens again. Please know, the Village Commission and staff will explore implementing a future policy that will protect our island paradise.