Parking garage collapses; no one hurt

Deepa Bharath

NEWPORT BEACH -- A parking garage near Lido Village collapsed and was

destroyed Monday evening, causing extensive structural damage to an

attached office building, authorities said.

The front portion of the two-story parking structure snapped off the

main office building in the 2800 block of Lafayette Avenue around 5 p.m.

Monday, dragging both buildings toward the West Lido Channel, said Lt.

John Blauer of the Newport Beach Fire and Marine Department.

No one was in the building when the incident occurred, nor was anyone

hurt, he said. A few cars remaining in the broken garage had been thrown

from their parked positions and rested against bent steel railings. The

structure, its floors cracked and caved in, was left leaning toward the

bay when the dust settled.

Damages had yet to be assessed for the office building, which was put

on the market only six months ago with an asking price of $3.5 million,

Blauer said.

“It is really fortunate nobody got hurt,” he said.

Paul Sumner, the owner of the building, could not be reached for

comment Monday evening.

The area was secured after nearby office and residential buildings

were evacuated, Blauer said. Engineers and building inspectors were on

the scene Monday, surveying the damage and trying to determine the cause

of the collapse.

Curious neighbors who came by to look at the fallen structure said

they were shocked.

“I didn’t hear anything,” said Pat Woodward, who lives nearby. “It’s

very scary for us.”

Mark Jackson, a local real estate agent, said he is concerned that

several buildings along the bayfront may have similar structural

problems.

“Some of these buildings are 35 years old,” he said. “And if they are

not maintained over the years, they’re going to become weak.”

Sandi Brower, who lives in a neighboring complex, said she wasn’t

worried about her building caving in.

“We just moved in here February and we’ve had no problems,” she said.

“This is something rare and unusual.”