Residents of a Southwest D.C. apartment building are alarmed by a series of what they describe as “sinkholes” that have developed on the property, concerns which have picked up after the collapse of a high-rise condo building in Surfside, Florida last week.
Images show where the soil around foundation walls and other areas of a multi-building apartment complex in the 400 block of M Street SW has collapsed.
Some have been filled, but then the earth sank again, residents said.
"It is possible that in another time, we would've shrugged our shoulders and said, 'It'll get taken care of,' but given the Florida situation, that's not true," Dr. Marjorie Lightman, vice president of the Residents Association for The Modern on M, said.
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She and the president, Mark Walsh, said they are very aware of reports that sinkholes had been spotted in the months before the collapse of the high-rise condo in Surfside.
Walsh said he wants answers.
In a statement to News4, Bozzuto Management, the company that manages the Modern On M said:
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“Recently our team discovered areas of landscaping depressions/soil sinking around the 480 K and 465 M Street buildings and we took immediate action to cordon off the area while we investigate to determine the cause, make the necessary repairs, and assess for further prevention… At this time we do not have reason to believe there is any risk to the actual buildings.”
A number of condo and apartment complexes in D.C. have informed residents they’ll be doing structural assessments as a precautionary measure and to allay resident’s concerns.
