Bugle Miami

Demolish the Deauville in Miami Beach, inspectors say

A historic building in Miami Beach may be history.

The city says it has done its own inspection of the Deauville Beach Resort and that its experts agree with the report put out by the structural engineer hired by the building’s owner.

That report says the Collins Avenue building is unsafe and cannot be saved due to structural defects.

The Deauville was built in 1957 and was once an attraction to the famous.

It was in the Napoleon Ballroom in the hotel where The Beatles went live on “The Ed Sullivan Show.”

The property has a unique architectural style and became a South Florida cultural landmark.

Preservationists don’t believe this is a done deal and they remain hopeful the building can still be saved.

“There may be a case here od demolition by neglect,” said Daniel Ciraldo of the Miami Design Preservation League. “Meaning that these owners may be purposely letting this building decline so they can demolish it and potentially replace it with a high-rise. That is not what Miami Beach is about. We’re about preserving our history, and so we want to make sure that all the right steps are taken to protect this landmark building.”

Miami Beach’s city commission is meeting Thursday.

In a letter to the commission and Mayor Dan Gelber, City Manager Alina Hudak makes it seem like they’re out of options, saying there have been years of enforcement action and litigation with the property, including $1.7 million in fines.

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