Miami Beach's Deauville Hotel, demolished in 2022, is on track for a potential revival through a development proposal by Terra Group. The plan involves constructing a replica of the 1957 hotel alongside two 40-story condo towers, resonating positively with public and city officials, despite some dissent. The preliminary approval by the city commission, with a 6-1 vote, moves the project forward for further hearings. However, concerns were raised about the project's scale and the financial standing of the property's majority owners.
"I want to speak to you from my heart," Richard Zaki, a resident of the neighboring Sterling condominium, told commissioners on Wednesday in remarks that echoed praise from most of the 32 members of the public who lined up to speak in person or by phone. "This project is brilliant."
The 6-1 commission vote advanced the zoning application from Terra Group's David Martin to a second and final hearing on April 23. The plan needs at least six favorable votes under city rules because it entails a significant increase in what can be built on the North Beach property under current zoning rules.
But a majority of the often-fractious commission and preservation-minded residents usually hostile to high-rise redevelopment schemes were sufficiently taken by the proposal from Terra Group's David Martin to accept the twin towers - though hoping the developer will agree to reduce their height before approvals become final.
The lone 'no' vote came from Commissioner David Suarez, who did not speak during the hearing but later issued a statement calling the plan 'a non-starter.' He took aim at the Deauville property's majority owners, the Meruelo family, who he noted accrued $8 million in still-unpaid fines from the city as the...
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