A group of 10 Miami property owners filed a lawsuit against the city to recover about $13 million in lost property value from the Miami 21 zoning code overhaul.
The property owners in the historic Miami Modern District on Biscayne Boulevard claim Miami 21 severely hurt their land values by limiting building heights in the district to 35 feet, Daily Business Review reported. One plaintiff, attorney Barbara Gimenez, wanted to construct a high-rise building with her law office on the ground floor, commercial and residential space throughout the building and her residence on top. Her plans for the 7001 Biscayne Boulevard property could not be implemented after Miami 21 was imposed in 2009.
An attorney for the plaintiffs said the city can undoubtedly enforce the zoning code but also must compensate property owners who acquired the properties under a different code. The 10 plaintiffs had the ability to build as tall as 120 feet on the west side of Biscayne Boulevard and 90 feet on the east side before Miami 21 kicked in. [Daily Business Review] — Eric Kalis