Shuckers reopens one year after deck collapse

The collapsed deck at Shuckers Bar and Grill
The collapsed deck at Shuckers Bar and Grill

The popular Shuckers Bar & Grill in North Bay Village reopened one year after receiving national attention when its 120-foot deck collapsed, causing numerous patrons to plunge into Biscayne Bay.

Shuckers hosted a group of local business owners and village leaders on Wednesday and reopened to the public the next day. The restaurant completely rebuilt the deck and settled some of the dozens of lawsuits filed by patrons impacted by the accident. Shuckers representatives plan to meet with the remaining plaintiffs next month to discuss potential settlements.

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“I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” Shuckers general manager Joe Portela told the Miami Herald before Wednesday’s event.

About 100 patrons were tossed into the bay after the deck collapsed in June 2013, when the Miami Heat battled the San Antonio Spurs in the first of two consecutive NBA Finals match-ups. North Bay Village’s building inspector later determined that old rusted rebar caused tons of concrete connected to the deck to break away from the wall. [Miami Herald]Eric Kalis