Miami Beach commissioners approved land use changes that will allow the Meruelo family and David Martin’s Terra to build a larger project on the oceanfront property that was previously home to the Deauville Beach Resort.
The commission on Wednesday evening voted six to 1, with commissioner David Suarez casting the sole ‘no’ vote, on first reading to approve two amendments that would apply to the 3.8-acre oceanfront property at 6701 Collins Avenue in North Beach. Mayor Steven Meiner and commissioners Tanya Bhatt, Laura Dominguez, Alex Fernandez, Joseph Magazine and Kristen Rosen Gonzalez voted in favor.
Martin, CEO of Terra, has been leading the charge on behalf of the Meruelos, who have a 75 percent stake in the property. Martin was brought on in part due to his reputation as a developer who negotiates successfully with local governments, helping with damage control.
The Meruelo family and Terra now plan a 120-unit condo and 150-room hotel project on the site, designed by Foster + Partners, Shulman + Associates and ODP as the project architect.
The Deauville property currently has a floor area ratio, or overall project size, of 3.0 to 3.15. The developer is seeking legislative changes that would allow for an FAR of 5.5, for a project that could span nearly 916,000 square feet. The project would include a partial reconstruction of the Deauville and a proposed height of 400 feet tall.
The changes will require a referral to the planning board and a second reading vote from the commission, likely next month.
The Meruelos were heavily criticized for letting the iconic Deauville fall into disrepair to the point where it required demolition. The family has also been tied up in litigation with the city.
Those sentiments weren’t on display for the majority of the discussion at Wednesday’s commission meeting. Residents and city officials spoke overwhelmingly in favor of the redevelopment.
“I want to speak to you from my heart when I tell you that this project is brilliant, and Mr. Martin, the time he has spent listening, public hearings, answering questions, I think the humanity of it is also brilliant for such a big project,” said Richard Zaki, a resident at the nearby Sterling condo building.
Elizabeth Latone, who is on the city’s planning board, spoke as a member of the public, begging the commission to approve the project.
“How much longer can we wait? At what point is something going to be good enough for this spot? Yes, we have terrible owners. Everybody knows that they are toxic, but we can’t wait anymore,” Latone said.
Commissioner Bhatt agreed.
“I hate the fact that they’re going to make money off of this,” she said, referring to the Meruelos. Bhatt said the city was nearing a deal to have the owners pay off millions of dollars in fines they owe the city.
Daniel Ciraldo, executive director of the Miami Design Preservation League, supported the project and praised its design, but urged the city to remember that the Meruelos own the majority interest and asked that they negotiate a lower height.
“We need to make sure that we’re clear that the owners are also the Meruelos, and they owe millions of dollars to the city of Miami Beach, and David Martin is a very good developer, but there’s another owner that a lot of us know cannot always be trusted,” he said.
“It is a double height of what was there,” he added. “Between first and second [reading], I hope you guys can really negotiate the height, make it even better.”
The Deauville, built in 1957, was about 185 feet tall and 17 stories.
This latest proposal follows billionaire developer Steve Ross’ plan to secure an FAR of 4.5, which voters rejected via a referendum in 2022. Ross entered into a contract with the Meruelos to pay $500 million for the site, but the deal was contingent on voters approving the referendum.
In a statement, Martin said the development team is “taking the time to get it right.” The project, he wrote, “will pay tribute to the legacy of the historic Deauville.” He joined the project about a year ago when Terra paid $12.5 million for a 25 percent stake in the property.
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Development
South Florida
Deauville redevelopment secures Miami Beach planning board’s blessing
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