David Edelstein’s Miami Beach church lease draws ire

Opponents of David Edelstein’s lease at a historic church property are miffed about allegations that the developer donated $500,000 to the church one day before its congregation voted on the $100 million agreement.

Neal Deputy, a former board member of the Miami Beach Community Church, is leading the call for the city to nullify the property lease. Edelstein’s Tristar Capital wants to construct a mixed-use building on the church’s courtyard facing the Lincoln Road Mall. The church approved the 50-year lease in December 2013.

“The whole thing just stinks,” Deputy told the Miami New Times. “The new leadership has taken the church constitution and thrown it in the garbage.”

Representatives of the Miami Design Preservation League are expected to ask the city’s Historic Preservation Board for a rehearing on the church property lease on Tuesday. [Miami New Times] — Eric Kalis