BRADENTON — A roof collapse July 25 at Aviata at Bradenton Villas forced the evacuation of 157 assisted living and nursing home residents, some of them to sister facilities out of town.
No one was hurt in the collapse at the complex at 105 15th St. E., and the cause remains under investigation. The building is closed indefinitely.
The ceiling caved in above the dining room on the nursing home side of the complex that Saturday, sending water pouring through, resident Michelle Rush said. Lunch had ended and no one was in the room at the time, she said.
“They were afraid our ceiling was going to cave too,” said Rush, who had lived in assisted living at Aviata since January. “We had to evacuate. I’m still traumatized.”
Rush was transferred to a facility a couple of miles away, closer than many of her neighbors.
“I was fortunate to get so close,” she said. “I loved it there. You get to know everybody.”
Told to grab a few essentials, Rush said she was assured she would be back within seven to 10 days. That timeline was later withdrawn.
“Almost everything I own is there,” she said.
Rush said she is grateful for donated clothing and toiletries and has been told she may be able to arrange for someone to retrieve the rest of her belongings. Aviata’s staff has stayed in touch, she said, but no one has told her when she can return.
The company declined to discuss what caused the collapse.
“Because this remains an active response and investigation, we will not speculate on the cause of the incident,” it said in a news release.
In a post on its Facebook page, the company said the building will stay closed while authorities assess the structure and that it is cooperating fully with the investigation. The post directed families to email compliance@aviatahg.com and said no donations are being sought.
Aviata’s engineer must certify that the building is safe before the city will allow it to reopen, Bradenton Mayor Gene Brown said.
“While the City does not routinely perform comprehensive structural inspections of existing occupied private facilities under the Florida Building Code, the collapse has triggered additional code requirements, including an engineering evaluation and City review, before the building may be considered for re-occupancy,” the city said in a news release.
In a July 29 letter to Aviata, the city said the partial collapse is classified as dangerous under the Florida Building Code and requires an evaluation covering, at a minimum:
• All concealed floor trusses, roof trusses and roof rafter locations.
• All supporting members for roof-mounted equipment.
• All wood-framed bearing walls.
• All masonry bearing walls supporting truss members.
• All roof sheathing and roof covering.
Aviata has drawn state scrutiny before, though not over its roof.
In an April 30 report titled “Statement of Deficiencies,” investigators with the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration found that a fire exit sign and fire doors did not meet state requirements that facilities provide a safe living environment, stay free of hazards and keep architectural, mechanical, electrical and structural systems in good working order.
The violation was later corrected. The report made no mention of roof deficiencies.