Judge slams Miami Beach for trying to ‘delay’ demolition of Deauville hotel
Although he came short of ordering the demolition of the historic Deauville Beach Resort, MiamiDade Circuit Court Judge Michael Hanzman on Friday slammed Miami Beach city officials for second-guessing their own building official, who has recommended that it be demolished.
Hanzman, who expressed concerns over the building’s safety, said the city seemed to be delaying issuing a permit to tear down the historic building at 6701 Collins Ave., which hosted a Beatles performance in 1964.
The building has been vacant since an electrical fire in 2017, and the city later sued the owners for failing to bring the property back up to code.
An engineer hired by the building owners issued a report recommending demolition due to its potential for collapse and the costly efforts that would be needed to save it.
Miami Beach Building Official Ana Salgueiro, along with a team of experts, inspected the building in January and issued a demolition order after verifying the report.
Hanzman, who is also presiding over the classaction lawsuit stemming from the fatal collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, said he did not want to see another mass-casualty building failure in the community.
“I’m really not interested in having another Surfside case because the Beatles played the Deauville in 1964,” he said.
Late last year, Hanzman ordered the owners of the Deauville to apply for a demolition permit and that the city review the application.
Attorneys for the city said they are still reviewing the application. But they said the city code requires that owners must first submit a separate application for a certificate of appropriateness because it is in a historic district. They also requested access to the property for an independent inspection by an engi
neer with experience in historic preservation.
Attorneys for the Deauville told Hanzman that they had submitted all required paperwork for the demolition permit, other than the certificate of appropriateness, which they said is not necessary until after the building is demolished.
Attorney Gonzalo Dorta said city officials are advancing a “mysterious, historic Beatlemania” but the issue at hand is about building safety.
“This building has been deemed to be unsafe by the city of Miami Beach,” he told reporters. “We need to bring it down and make it safe.”
Hanzman denied both motions and said he would not require the owners of the Deauville to submit anything more than they have already.
“If the city elects to not issue a building permit, it will do so at its own risk and peril,” he said. “But I am not ordering any further inspection of the hotel.”
Meanwhile, the Miami Design Preservation League has appealed Salgueiro’s demolition order to the Miami-Dade Board of Rules and Appeals.
Attorney David Winker, who is representing the historic preservation group, said despite Hanzman’s skepticism, his client will continue to fight to save the building if it is possible to do so safely.
“The battle’s going to continue,” he said.
In a statement, city spokeswoman Melissa Berthier said the city was “surprised and saddened” by Hanzman’s decision.
“Our ordinances provide for an independent inspection by a professional engineer with experience in historic preservation...” she said. “We will continue to vigorously defend the city’s historic preservation ordinance as we move forward in this case.”