Construction on Ocean Tower condominiums on SPI halted

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND - There may be structural problems at the Ocean Tower condominium building that is under construction north of Andy Bowie Park.

Construction on the 25-story building has been temporarily halted, Cameron County Building Inspector Noe Benavidez said.

"The building has a settling problem. Engineers are trying to figure out what to do about it, how to correct it," he said.

The building is outside the town's city limit, and is not come under the jurisdiction of the town's codes, which conform to the International Code Council's requirements.

Jay Mitchum, the Island's building inspector, said that the depth and diameter of pilings depend on engineering studies, but that in most cases the pilings are sunk at least as deep as the building is tall.

A company or individual constructing a high-rise building within city limits, he said, would spend $15,000 or more on the engineering studies, which would then be approved by the ICC.

"When I get a letter from the ICC approving and recommending the engineering study, that's when I issue a building permit," he said.

In the case of the new Sapphire Towers, he said, the owners changed the design after the initial study, and went through a second engineering study before construction began.

He doubts that Cameron County goes by the same strict codes as the Town of South Padre Island, he added.

Domit Development, of McAllen, which owns the property, did not return phone calls Tuesday.