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Homeowners drop lawsuit over Ugo Colombo Grove Isle project approvals

CMC Group is developing Vita at Grove Isle, a waterfront six-story luxury condominium

CMC Group’s Ugo Colombo with rendering of Vita at Grove Isle (Vita at Grove Isle, Getty)
CMC Group’s Ugo Colombo with rendering of Vita at Grove Isle (Vita at Grove Isle, Getty)

A neighborhood association and a group of Coconut Grove homeowners are backing off their lawsuit alleging city of Miami officials improperly approved construction of a proposed waterfront condominium in Grove Isle — at least for now.

Last week, Tigertail Association, led by more than a half-dozen individuals, voluntarily dismissed their complaint. The plaintiffs, who sued the city in April, alleged Miami building officials began issuing permits and subdivided the property before the development site at 4 Grove Isle was platted.

That is, they argued that officials didn’t provide information on how the new development will impact infrastructure, such as roads and utilities.

Around the same time the lawsuit was filed, Ugo Colombo’s CMC Group acquired the nearly six-acre site adjacent to three existing 18-story condo towers completed between 1979 and 1981.

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CMC bought the entity that owns the land from the previous developer Eduardo Avila, and is moving forward with the same previously approved project. In August, CMC launched sales for Vita at Grove Isle, which will feature three low-rise buildings with 65 luxury condo units.

The complaint was dropped now because the city has not finalized all of Vita at Grove Isle’s permits, but they intend to refile their lawsuit in the near future, plaintiffs’ attorney David Winker said. The Real Deal confirmed with the city of Miami’s online permitting database that the project is still waiting for city building inspectors to approve some permits.

“There is nothing happening so I don’t have anything for the court to rule on,” Winker said. “I didn’t want to get into a situation where there is nothing for a judge to decide on. We will refile once there is an active permit at the site. My clients are chomping at the bit to move forward.”

Miami City Attorney Victoria Mendez did not respond to requests for comment. A CMC spokesperson said the company declined comment because it is not a party named in the lawsuit.

Previously, development of 4 Grove Isle was delayed for more than a decade as residents in the three existing condominiums filed several lawsuits seeking to stop the project. The fight ended last year when an appellate panel upheld a lower court’s approval of a settlement between the developer and the condo association for the existing condos.

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Coconut GroveGrove IsleReal Estate LawsuitsUgo Colombo