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City declares balcony rooms unsafe at downtown hotel
Ocala Gazette • • business
Key Points:
- Ocala’s chief building official has declared all balcony rooms at the downtown Hilton Garden Inn unsafe for occupancy due to sagging balconies and water damage, requiring them to remain vacant until safety is confirmed or repairs are approved.
- Inspections revealed sagging balconies between the 3rd and 5th floors, rotting floor joists, and unpermitted ceiling repairs, with measurements showing deflections that violate Florida Building Code standards.
- The hotel owner disputes the city's assessment, claiming all rooms are safe and attributing the closure to visual observations rather than thorough structural evaluations.
- A contractor hired by the owner found the balconies generally in good shape with mostly cosmetic issues, except for deterioration in two rooms, and a shoring plan has been approved for six rooms while further inspections continue.
- The case remains open with ongoing code enforcement, and the owner plans to submit structural engineer certification soon to allow the balcony rooms to reopen.
