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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — A Charlotte-based developer is trying to figure out what went wrong with floor construction at one of its properties after a decision to move all residents out of an apartment complex near the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Developer Crescent said problems at Circle University, a 187-unit student housing complex that opened last year across from UNC Charlotte's main entrance, appear to stem from a defect in floor trusses used at the complex.
"We've discovered what we think is a manufacturer's defect," Ben Collins, Crescent's senior vice president for the mid-Atlantic, said. He declined to identify the manufacturer of the floor trusses, and the company name is not listed in county inspection records.
Collins said the company has hired a forensic structural engineer to review the structure. Crescent notified residents they had to be out by June 2, according to The Charlotte Observer (http://bit.ly/1AuMhHg).
Collins said Crescent is trying to determine whether there are problems at other sites with floor trusses similar to those at Circle University.
"This is an issue that is high on our radar screens," Collins said. "We're undertaking these measures out of an abundance of caution. We've been advised no safety issues exist in the buildings today."
Charlotte is currently in the midst of an apartment-building boom, with more than 10,400 units under construction and another 10,000 planned to follow.
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Information from: The Charlotte Observer, http://www.charlotteobserver.com
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