A 1931 Star Island mansion owned by Stuart Miller that was originally planned to be knocked down has been moved and will be preserved.
22 Star Island
Photos from the Miami Design Preservation League show the 7,000-square-foot home was lifted on dollies and moved elsewhere on the property so that Miller can build a new mansion. In April of last year, the Miami Beach Design Review Board approved Miller’s application to build a modern, two-story mansion at 22 Star Island Drive and relocate the Mediterranean-style home.
Miller, CEO of the Miami-based homebuilder Lennar Corp., previously sought to knock down the house. Those plans caused an uproar among preservationists that include the design preservation league. A petition to “Save 22 Star Island from Demolition” even garnered 527 signatures online.
The home was designed by architecture firm Kiehnel and Elliott, which designed properties that include the Coconut Grove Playhouse, El Jardin and Coral Gables Congregational Church, according to the Miami Herald. The newspaper first reported the news of the home being relocated.
Twenty Two Star Island LLC, controlled by Miller, paid $7.5 million for the 1.4-acre plot in 2012, property records show. It’s the second time in two years that homes have been moved on Star Island to make way for new mansions. The “mini-Vizacaya” at 27 Star Island was rotated and attached to a separate garage in 2014. Architect Walter DeGarmo designed the house, which has been at 27 Star Island since 1925.
Meanwhile, in December, the owner of 44 Star Island received design approval for the demolition of a 1935 home that will be replaced by a two-story, trapezoid structure with floor-to-ceiling glass panels that run the length of the new home. Owner Shay Kostiner bought the property, which was developed by a marine engineer who worked with Miami Beach founder Carl Fisher, in 2010 for $7.2 million. [Miami Herald] – Katherine Kallergis