What about asbestos? Resident notice? Some answers about the demolition of the Deauville
Miami Beach residents and preservationists were shocked over the weekend when demolition work began on the historic Deauville Beach Resort, just days after the city issued a demolition permit for the large hotel complex.
They asked whether the city had permitted the work, if the county had checked for asbestos and why residents and nearby business owners weren’t given a heads-up before a bulldozer started kicking plumes of dust into the wind.
As of Monday morning, the demolition team from Delray Beach-based BG Group had torn down much of the porte-cochere, or covered entrance, along the hotel’s driveway off Collins Avenue. The plan is to eventually demolish the rest of the hotel, which is located in a historic district and famously once hosted The Beatles in 1964.
Here are some answers to questions the community has been asking:
Why is the Deauville being demolished?
The Deauville Beach Resort, which was built in 1957, has fallen into disrepair after closing in 2017 due to an electric fire. Both the city’s building official and an engineer hired by the owners of the hotel have recommended that it be demolished.
The city sued the owners of the hotel, the Meruelo family, in 2019 for failing to maintain the historic property. The owners publicly advocated demolishing the building. Last year, the judge overseeing the case ordered that the owners apply for a demolition permit, which the building official issued March 9.
Preservationists and fans of The Beatles have advocated for saving the building.
Is the demolition work permitted?
Yes. The owners of the Deauville received a permit last Wednesday to demolish the 538-room hotel and retail complex. The demolition work that began Saturday and continued Monday morning is being done under the active building permit, city spokesperson Melissa Berthier said.
Why weren’t residents notified?
The city says no notice was needed because the porte-cochere is not three stories tall. Residents won’t get any notice until the tower portion of the hotel is set to be imploded, Berthier said.
An attorney for the historic preservation group Miami Design Preservation League, which is appealing the city’s demolition order, argued that the demolition was illegal because it did not comply with a 10-day notice requirement for the demolition of buildings three stories and taller.
Some residents asked why they were not notified of the work, and dust from the work site has led to complaints about air quality.
What about asbestos?
Before the Deauville can be demolished, any asbestos found in the building must be addressed to prevent the release of airborne toxins.
Asbestos surveys conducted in July and December of 2021 found asbestos throughout the hotel, from the lower lobby to the penthouse. Among many other places, it was found under the floors, in the insulation and in the ceiling of the Napoleon Ballroom where The Beatles played.
But no asbestos was found in the outdoor porte-cochere, according to Tere Florin, a spokesperson for Miami-Dade County’s Division of Environmental Resources Management. While the current demolition work takes place, asbestos remediation will be required in the other areas of the hotel before work crews can proceed, Florin said.
Florin did not give a timeline for when the asbestos removal would be completed. The work is scheduled to begin Monday, according to a notice filed to the county.
When will the rest of the Deauville come down?
The contractor handling the demolition is tackling it in two stages. The 17-story tower will be imploded and the shorter, southern end of the complex will be bulldozed. According to the notice of demolition filed with the county, the bulldozing of the porte-cochere, the two-story south wing and the pool was scheduled to begin March 8.
The implosion of the tower is scheduled for June 1, according to a separate demolition notice. Heather Anesta, the engineer hired by the hotel owners, has recommended demolishing the structure before hurricane season begins in June. Her report warned that strong winds could lead to the partial collapse of the building.
Is someone appealing the demolition order?
Yes. The Miami Design Preservation League appealed the Jan. 19 demolition order, issued by Building Official Ana Salgueiro. The appeal could rescind the order, and thus the permit, according to a memo from City Manager Alina Hudak.
Miami-Dade’s Board of Rules and Appeals will hear the appeal April 21.
The preservation group has also filed a legal motion to intervene in the lawsuit the city filed against the owners of the Deauville. The hotel has racked up over $2 million in city fines since its closure.
This story was originally published March 14, 2022 at 5:27 PM.
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