MIAMI BEACH, FLA. (WSVN) - A South Florida hotel famous for hosting celebrities back in the day will be met with wrecking balls.
The decision to demolish it is causing controversy.
It’s a Miami Beach landmark etched in history.
In it’s glory days, the Deauville Beach Resort hosted president John F. Kennedy and the likes of Frank Sinatra.
Then, one night, screaming fans filled the hotel’s Napoleon room to welcome the Beatles in 1964.
Now, in 2022, the hotel is worn out, shut down and neglected.
The building’s owners hired an engineer, who looked at the hotel and decided it’s in such bad shape that it’s time to tear it down.
Miami Beach building inspectors agreed.
They issued a demolition order to bring it down sometime this year.
“Demolition by neglect, absolutely,” said Eric Carpenter, Miami Beach Deputy City Manager.
Carpenter said the owners have racked up nearly $2 million in fines for code violations and neglecting repairs and permitting issues.
Much like the one that contributed to an electrical fire in 2017. Since that fire, the hotel hasn’t hosted a guest.
“The city has done everything within our authority including taking them to the unsafe structures board in 2018 and filing lawsuits to compel maintenance on the building,” said Carpenter.
He says the owners won’t budge, but Miami’s Design Preservation League wants the city to do more to save the historic hotel.
Miami Design Preservation League Executive Director Daniel Ciraldo said it sends the message owners can escape the responsibility of costly repairs.
“This would encourage other building owners to neglect their properties so that one day they might be able to have it knocked down and replace with a high-rise or a casino,” said Ciraldo.
Carpenter said that recent changes in the law allows the preservation society more say about what happens with that building and the site once it comes down.
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