‘The city grew up with her.’ Doral honors Surfside victim’s memory by renaming a street
A year ago, Martin Langesfeld thought that he would see his sister expanding her family. Instead, he often finds himself surrounded by people asking him questions.
“In 12 short seconds, our lives changed as we knew it,” he said.
Martin gathered Wednesday with other loved ones to honor his sister, Nicky, as the city of Doral named a street for her. The ceremony took place at Trails and Tails Park on what is now known as Nicky Langesfeld Place.
Nicky’s street now runs along Northwest 114th Avenue between 41st and 50th streets.
Nicky was 26 when she died a year ago in the Surfside collapse with her husband, Luis Sadovnic. They were recently married. The couple met while studying at the University of Florida.
Nicky Langesfeld grew up, attended school and played soccer in Doral. Some of those who came to pay tribute on Wednesday wore her high school jersey.
“She grew up with the city, and the city grew up with her,” Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez said.
Everything Nicky came to be is in this street, said her brother Martin. She used to train for marathons and walk near the avenue with her father, Pablo Langesfeld. She brought her dogs to the park to decompress after her hectic workdays as an attorney.
“It’s very difficult to accept that we are naming the street where we were born, where we grew up,” Martin said in Spanish. “All of our memories were in this street.”
The street is not only a symbol of Nicky’s memory. It is also a symbol of life, her father said.
And that’s what Chaplain Mendy Coën wants the park to become: a place with flowers, gardens and benches where people can sit and reflect.
Coën met the Langesfelds after he landed in Miami days after the June 24 tragedy. His relationship with the family grew to the point that he inspired Pablo and Martin to become chaplains themselves.
Even with the pain of losing his sister, Martin has focused on getting answers. He said those answers need to come now — not in two or three years — to prevent another building collapse.
“Innocent, hardworking people who live in their dream homes are in potential danger,” he said. “These answers will save lives.”
Pablo Langesfeld is also demanding change. He wants new regulations and stricter codes because it’s better to pay for a special assessment than for a funeral, he said.
“What happened to us was terrible,” Pablo said in Spanish. “Nobody should have to be talking in front of a bunch of cameras. No one deserves this.”
Martin hopes that Nicky’s memory will remind the community that one never knows when time will run out. And Nicky Langesfeld Place will always be there.
This story was originally published June 22, 2022 at 4:54 PM.
