Condo association alleges construction defects at 321 Ocean: lawsuit

Suit accuses Aria Development Group, Coastal Construction, Revuelta Architecture International and 16 other firms of construction negligence

David Arditi of Aria Development Group and 321 Ocean
David Arditi of Aria Development Group and 321 Ocean

Five years after completing 321 Ocean, developer Aria Development Group and its contractors are being accused of widespread faulty construction at the South Beach luxury boutique condominium.

The 321 Ocean Condominium Association sued Aria’s development entity 321 Ocean Drive LLC, project architect Revuelta Architecture International, general contractor Coastal Construction and 16 companies involved in building the 24-unit beachfront complex in Miami Beach’s South-of-Fifth neighborhood.

Filed last month, it’s the latest lawsuit involving allegations of massive construction defects at a condo building completed during Miami’s most recent development boom, as such suits have become increasingly common.

David Arditi, an Aria principal, and Nicholas Siegfried, the attorney for the condo association, declined comment. Spokespersons for Revuelta and Coastal did not respond to requests for comment.

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The association is seeking damages for the improper design and construction of 321 Ocean, the lawsuit states. After taking control of the building, 321 Ocean condo association discovered construction defects in the common areas, individual units, the roofs of the complex’s two buildings, the garage and the structural elements, the complaint alleges.

Attached to the lawsuit is an 11-page itemized list of all the defects, which run the gamut. For instance, there are cracks in the floor slabs of the service areas of the east tower, as well as cracks to the concrete slab in some stairwells. Stucco was improperly applied on the balconies of all the units. There are also cracks in the stucco of the garage entrance and the roof of the east tower, according to the list. And in more than a dozen units, sliding glass doors are not aligned with the jambs, the suit alleges.

Aria Development Group broke ground on 321 Ocean in 2013. The project is composed of two low-rise buildings, one at five stories and the other at nine stories. Mexican starchitect Enrique Norten designed the property but Revuelta Architecture was the project’s architect working with the general contractor, Coastal.

Among the project’s early buyers were Russian financier Boris Jordan and his philanthropist wife Elizabeth Jordan. In 2015, the couple paid $20 million for one of the penthouses that featured five bedrooms, staff quarters and a private roof deck with an outdoor kitchen. The unit also had a fire pit and an infinity pool. The same year, the Jordans put the penthouse on the market for $53 million. The condo was relisted in 2018 for $31 million, and sold for $26 million that year.