Miami apartment complex being demolished after blaze swept through it

Milena Malaver
·3 min read
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The city of Miami began demolishing a Miami apartment complex Tuesday morning after it was engulfed in flames last week — leaving more than 40 senior residents without a home.

The Temple Court Apartments, 431 NW Third St., was on the the verge of “imminent” collapse, city officials said. The demolition will take four to six weeks, according to Miami spokeswoman Kenia Fallat.

“This is just day one,” she said Tuesday morning from the scene.

An excavator begins to demolish Temple Court Apartments, 431 NW Third St., Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Miami, Fla. The city of Miami is demolishing the building after a fire swept through it last week, leaving the building unsafe.
An excavator begins to demolish Temple Court Apartments, 431 NW Third St., Tuesday, June 18, 2024, in Miami, Fla. The city of Miami is demolishing the building after a fire swept through it last week, leaving the building unsafe.

The demolition came a week after Juan Francisco Figueroa, 73, was accused of setting ablaze the 4-story complex, after shooting a worker on site, Miami police said. It took 126 fire rescue workers to extinguish the flames and 43 people — many of them low-income elderly residents — were displaced. Figueroa is facing charges of attempted murder, arson and use of a firearm while committing a crime.

The June 10 fire was one of the worst in the city’s history, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said.

Fallat says demolition needed to start as soon as possible because the building was unsafe. The fire, plus last week’s heavy rains, exacerbated the building’s damage.

A city of Miami building department worker lifts a caution tape to allow department cars to pass through before the demolition of Temple Court Apartments, 431 NW Third St., Tuesday, June 18, 2024 in Miami, Fla.
A city of Miami building department worker lifts a caution tape to allow department cars to pass through before the demolition of Temple Court Apartments, 431 NW Third St., Tuesday, June 18, 2024 in Miami, Fla.

Lazaro Lopez stood outside his former home Tuesday morning frustrated that he was unable to enter before the demolition. He lived on the first floor with Mercedes Gouthman.

“I came here to see if I could pick up documents and they won’t let me in,” said Lopez, 71. “It’s such a shame. The only thing I want is to get my IDs and birth certificates. I don’t even care about clothes, those come and go but documents are harder to get back.”

Former resident of Temple Court Apartments, Lazaro Lopez, 71, shows his partner Mercedes Gouthman the demolition of the building through a video call from Lummus Park on 404 NW Third St. on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 in Miami, Fla. They lived on the first floor and hoped to grab documents before the demolition. The city of Miami is demolishing the building because it says it’s unsafe after the fire and last week’s heavy rains.

Lopez and Gouthman are staying in a Motel 6 in Doral along with other residents who were displaced.

Fallat said the city is trying to help the residents retrieve their documents.

“We’ve had the DMV, Social Security and passport offices go over to the Motel 6 to help them out,” said Fallat.

“It’s too dangerous for anyone to go in,” she added.

That did not comfort residents who were displaced.

“There’s just nothing left,” said Zoraya Marquez as she watched the building’s demolition. “This is just so sad.”

Marquez lived in unit 304 and is staying in Motel 6 in Doral.

The Herald reported last week that she lost her breast cancer medication in the fire but as of Tuesday, she had been able to get her medication again.

Marquez says the residents have been provided with many resources at Motel 6, but noted that many of the older people in the complex used dentures they lost in the fire.

“There’s so many people that have no teeth to eat with so they are in desperate need of a dentist,” she said.

“It’s hard for me to eat knowing that there’s people right next to me that can’t,” said Marquez.

Miami-Dade County Public Housing and Community Development is working with the residents to secure more permanent housing. The apartment complex is a federally assisted senior development that is owned and managed by Atlantic Housing Foundation, said Natalie Leon, a spokeswoman for the county’s housing agency.

The housing authority is working with Atlantic to find housing for the residents, who can stay at the Motel 6 until Aug. 24, Leon said in an email to the Herald Tuesday.

Miami-Dade Animal Services was also on the scene in case any pets can be recovered.

Former residents of Temple Court Apartments view the demolition of the building from Lummus Park on 404 NW Third St. on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 in Miami, Fla. The city of Miami began to demolish the complex Tuesday after a fire swept through it last week.
Former residents of Temple Court Apartments view the demolition of the building from Lummus Park on 404 NW Third St. on Tuesday, June 18, 2024 in Miami, Fla. The city of Miami began to demolish the complex Tuesday after a fire swept through it last week.