Nightclub king Grutman wants to tear down a historic Miami Beach house. The city says OK.
Suffragettes, move over. Bali is coming to Miami Beach.
Nightlife guru David Grutman has received the OK from the Miami Beach Design and Review Board to replace a 1933 waterfront built for Jessie Adler, a 19th century activist for the women’s vote, with a new house.
Despite the connection with Adler, the house is not designated as historic and sits outside the historically designated Art Deco Historic District. Four of six DRB members approved the design plan on Tuesday. Grutman can move forward with demolition after receiving approval from the Miami Beach Planning and Zoning Board and paying for all the permits.
“As a matter of law this applicant has a right to tear down this house, to demolish this house and build another one. I understand the code provides for the Design Review Board to explore alternatives and we have done that,” said DRB board member Sam Sheldon in Tuesday’s meeting. “We cannot condition design approval upon preserving some portion of the existing structure.”
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Grutman hired the Coral Gables-based architecture firm CMA Design Studio and Miami-based landscape firm Raymond Jungles to design a 2-story 7,980-square-foot Bali-inspired house. The house would have six bedrooms, six bathrooms and one half bathroom. Amenities include a gym, kids room, gazebo and pool.
The Miami Design Preservation League and Grutman agreed in December that he will give the house for free if the organization can find an owner to relocate the house, said Daniel Ciraldo, executive director of the Miami Design Preservation League. Grutman will place a plaque outside of his new house in commemoration of the site’s history.
“We have been reaching out to people in our network,” Ciraldo said. “We are hopeful but also realistic that this important part of our history may land in a landfill, which would be a tragedy for the city’s history.”
The Miami Design Preservation League has six to 10 months to find an owner to relocate the house due to the permitting process, said Cesar Molina, principal owner of CMA Design Studio, during Tuesday’s meeting. Grutman said he is proactively seeking a taker.
“I am a firm and proud believer in preservation,” said Grutman via email, “as my newest projects will be done in historically preserved buildings and locations.” Current projects include the Goodtime Hotel, being created behind the historic facade of retail shops at 601 Washington, and refashioning a former Art Deco Firestone tire shop to house three different restaurants.
Grutman bought the house from Grammy Award-winning Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz for $10.25 million in February. The existing 7,565-square-foot house has six bedrooms and five bathrooms.
This story was originally published January 8, 2021 at 7:00 AM.
