Glass condo owners in South Beach sue Terra, architect and contractors, alleging construction defects

Residents at the ultra-luxury condo development Glass in South Beach say that the building’s plans were not as translucent as they had hoped.

The condo association filed suit, alleging the development group failed to build the 10-unit, 18-story condo development at 120 Ocean Drive in accordance with building codes, manufacturers recommendations and permitted plans.

The condo association is suing the developer, Terra; the contractor, John Moriarty & Associates; and the architect, Rene Gonzalez Architect. The association is also suing Steven Feller P.E., Bermello Ajamil & Partners, GM&P Consulting and Glazing Contractors, and Miami Curtain Wall Consultants Corp. over the alleged construction defects. The suit was filed earlier this month in Miami-Dade Circuit Court.

Terra declined comment, citing the pending litigation. John Moriarty & Associates, Rene Gonzalez Architect, Steven Feller, Bermello Ajamil & Partners, GM&P Consulting and Glazing Contractors, and Miami Curtain Wall Consultants Corp. did not immediately return requests for comment.

The unit owners took over control of the condo association in June 2016 and became aware of the development’s defects, according to the lawsuit. The defects were not discovered until after inspections were made by outside experts, the complaint alleges.

Among the alleged defects: balcony cracks, water intrusion at multiple locations within the sliding glass door assemblies, debonded stucco, stucco cracks, exposed post-tension grout, and cracks in the ground floor. The suit also alleges Glass is missing a drain at the ground-floor loading dock area, has corroding mounts, no fitness center design, and is missing lobby area furniture, among other issues.

The complaint alleges breach of contract, negligence and breach of Florida condominium law. The suit alleges the association and its members have suffered damages to their property, and claims “extensive rehabilitation and remediation is needed” to repair the damages.

The boutique project was built in 2015 and is one of the last high-rises built in South-of-Fifth. True to the building’s name, the units all have floor-to-ceiling glass windows that boast 360-degree views of the ocean and Miami Beach. A penthouse sold for $20 million in 2015.

But units have not done well on the resale market over the last year. A few weeks ago, Majestic Steel Properties, led by Todd Leebow, sold unit 1200 at Glass to Samuel Susi of Boca Raton for $6.75 million. The sale was 48 percent below the asking price and 14 percent below its previous sale price in 2015.

In October, Dena Grunt of Marshall, California sold unit 1500 at Glass to James R. Craigie for $7.5 million, a 15 percent discount from its last sale price in 2015.