It’s time to get the facts straight!
The Deauville Hotel was a historic landmark in the North Beach Resort District of Miami Beach.
The hotel was purposely neglected by its owners and left to rot.
Miami Beach took the owners to court to enforce basic maintenance of the neglected property. But sadly, the property ended up being demolished.
Miami Design Preservation League has a timeline from 2022 showing the history of the property, including the extensive efforts by MDPL and the City of Miami Beach to save the property nearly 20 years after a tower was approved to be constructed at the site.
Reconstructing the Deauville
In 2024, David Martin of Terra Group announced an investment in the property, which is currently a vacant lot. However, Martin owns only a minority interest. The main owners, unfortunately, are still the Meruelos.
Martin’s proposal would create a ‘new Deauville’ which would be a similar look and feel to the landmark hotel, but with significant modifications.
In exchange for reconstructing the Deauville, the project seeks zoning changes to allow two new 380-foot tall towers to be constructed in the south part of the property.
Why I Can’t Support This Proposal
This proposal may have many potential benefits, but I cannot support it in its current form due to the following reasons:
- The Meruelos have not paid the millions in liens owed to the city
- The proposed Floor Area Ratio increase would mean that the historic Deauville would not count towards the total square footage. Discounting a historic site that has been demolished by neglect would set a negative precedent that could incentivize other property owners to neglect their buildings
- The proposed height is excessive – 380′ towers – when the historic district zoning is 200′. We need to protect our beaches and not become Sunny Isles south with tall buildings blocking our most precious asset
- The incompatibility of 380′ tower next to the historic Sherry Frontenac and other mostly low-rise buildings in North Beach
Imagine two 380′ towers looming over the nine story historic Sherry Frontenac Hotel by Henry Hohauser.
