Clearwater Inspector Warned Owner Of Danger Of Garage Collapse 6 Months Earlier

CLEARWATER, FL — Months before the parking garage stairwell collapsed, killing a 23-year-old Brandon man, inspectors for the city of Clearwater declared it an unsafe structure and recommended that it either undergo extensive repairs or be demolished.

On Monday, Clearwater police, fire and building department officials forwarded their reports on the Dec. 20 parking garage collapse to the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office for further action.

The four-story parking garage has remained closed since the collapse that buried Mitchel Klock beneath tons of concrete. It took two days for workers to recover his body.

In a report dated July 19, city inspector Jason Cantrell said he determined the Plymouth Plaza parking garage at 26760 U.S. 19 N. to be an unsafe structure that was "dangerous to the life, health, property or safety of the public."

In a conclusion that proved eerily accurate, Cantrell found the garage to be "so damaged, decayed, dilapidated, structurally unsafe or of such faulty construction or unstable foundation that a partial or complete collapse is possible."

The Clearwater Planning and Development Department notified the owner of the garage, Plymouth Plaza LLC of Boca Raton, that the garage "is creating a nuisance and is, therefore, subject to abatement, repair or demolition."

If the owner chose to repair the garage, Cantrell said the owner would need to hire a structural engineer to submit a report outlining all repairs. He included a list of structural concerns that needed to be addressed, including building, plumbing, electrical and mechanical repairs.

Cantrell ordered the owner to obtain the necessary permits and begin the repairs within seven days after receiving the July 19 notice of an unsafe building from the city.

Cantrell's report included 50 photos showing areas in which concrete had crumbled, metal struts had deteriorated and pipes and wiring had been compromised.

That same day, Cantrell said he'd contacted the owner's representative, Elliot Katz, who said the owner had already hired a structural engineer to inspect the property. Katz said he was just waiting for the engineer to schedule a day for the inspection.

On Aug. 30, Cantrell said he had not heard back from Katz and emailed him asking him the status of the engineer's report.

On Oct. 12, Cantrell reported that he was still awaiting the structural engineer's report.

Then, on Nov. 24, Cantrell said Katz told him he had found a contractor to do the repair work, although he had not yet submitted the required report from the structural engineer.

Cantrell said that was the last communication he had with Katz before the staircase collapse on Dec. 20.

Klock, an independent contractor who recently started his own welding business and proudly posted the acquisition of his first company truck on his Facebook page, began making repairs to the staircase on the morning of Monday, Dec. 20. He hired Demorris Matthews to help him with the work.

At 12:26 p.m., the Clearwater Fire & Rescue Department arrived at the scene to find that the concrete stairwell had collapsed. Matthews met the firefighters in the parking lot and told them a co-worker was trapped between the landings that collapsed.

Matthews was hit by falling debris, but declined to be treated by paramedics at the scene.

In an interview with Clearwater police on Jan. 3, Matthews admitted that neither man was wearing a safety harness or shoring while working on the staircase. They were in the process of cutting the rusted metal brackets on the staircase, but had not yet installed the new brackets, when the collapse occurred.

Klock and his wife, Alexis, had been married for less than a year, but had dated since they met in middle school in 2012. They both graduated from Riverview High School in 2017.

Alexis Klock has retained an attorney and said she has received a copy of the reports filed by the city Monday.

Patch left a message with Zev Freidus, who is listed as the agent and sole proprietor for Plymouth Plaza LLC, asking for a comment on the reports. He has not yet called back.

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• 23-Year-Old Worker Feared Dead In Collapsed Stairwell Of Garage