This month’s Liberty Street collapse in Downtown Jacksonville is raising the question of whether the city knew the street was faulty or badly damaged after another collapse on the same street in 2012. The city is suing the owner of a crane that was on Liberty Street when it caved in three years ago.
During Tuesday’s City Council meeting, at-large Councilman John Crescimbeni expressed frustration after a lack of definite answers from the city’s public works manager.
"I don’t really sense any urgency from anybody, and that’s what really concerns me," Crescimbeni said. "And that kind of leads me to conclude that this is going to turn into a big mess.”
At the same meeting, the manager of a homeowners association representing the Riverwalk Townhomes threatened to sue the city. The community of 20 homes has been without power for 11 days. Association Manager Andrew Beaudoin says the costs for sleeping and eating outside of their homes has already cost residents more than $100,000 altogether.
Jacksonville Public Works Director Jim Robinson said repairs to the road are complicated by the fact that a four-ton transformer might need to be removed, but a crane needed to remove it would be too heavy for the street. JEA is considering using a helicopter to replace it.
Councilors also discussed the possibility of having code enforcement officers declare the homes uninhabitable. That way, the homeowners' insurance policies would begin to cover their relocation costs.
