Miami Dade College To Reopen Sept. 18

Miami Dade College will reopen its doors on Monday, Sept. 18—more than a week after Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on the school’s campuses causing water and landscaping damage.

Power has been restored at all eight of the College’s campuses and its outreach centers.

“Never is the resilience of our beautiful South Florida community more evident than during times of great adversity. This week’s passage of Hurricane Irma—with all its challenges and inconveniences—has brought out the best in each of us, uniting families, neighborhoods and workplaces as we find a renewed sense of normalcy,” MDC’s President Eduardo J. Padrón said in a press release. “I thank all the employees at MDC who helped restore our operations.”

Despite the reopening of the College, several buildings at the school’s downtown campus will remain affected due to damage caused by the storm. Building 8 will remain closed because of a crane that bent and collapsed during Hurricane Irma. The crane is still dangling from a skyscraper, under construction, that sits on the complex directly in front of the campus.

A separate crane, which will be used to remove the damaged crane, has already arrived on campus. The removal process will begin on Sept. 17, College officials said. Once the crane is removed, building 8 will be inspected for damage. It is unclear at this time how long building 8 will remain closed.

The College’s Miami Culinary Institute, located in building 9 at the Wolfson Campus, will relocate classes that require cooking because of ventilation damage at the facility. Classes will most likely be relocated to building 1, according to Juan Mendieta, the director of communications at MDC.

Building 3, which is also located at Wolfson Campus, sustained damage to its façade on the northeast 4th street side during the storm. Several red bricks from the structure were chipped away during the hurricane. That building has not been closed, but students, faculty and staff will have to enter the complex through the northeast 5th street side.

All of the College’s other campuses sustained landscaping damage and water intrusion. Uprooted trees were the main culprit. Most of the debris has been removed and fans have been used to dry wet areas.

A press release announcing the reopening of the College said: “We ask our College’s community to be patient during this transitional recovery period, as some classrooms and office locations have been moved. Students should login to check their schedules regarding changes in classrooms.”