I lost family in Surfside; here’s why 8777 Collins will never sell like ‘luxury’ | Opinion
Respect this land
June 24 marked five years since the collapse of Champlain Towers South. My family is one of the 98 families forever tied to the land at 8777 Collins Avenue in Surfside. My niece, Nicole “Nicky” Langesfeld and her husband Luis were among those who lost their lives there.
Recent reports describing slow or nonexistent sales at the planned luxury development on the site have surprised some observers. They do not surprise me.
The challenge facing any developer of this property is not architectural, financial, or marketing-related. It is emotional.
Ultra-high net worth buyers have no shortage of options. They are not simply purchasing residences; they are buying a story, an identity and a feeling. For many, it may be difficult to separate one of the most exclusive residential addresses in America from one of the nation’s most painful tragedies.
No amount of design excellence — even from a world-renowned architectural firm — can fully disconnect that land from the memories carried by the families, survivors, first responders and community members whose lives were forever changed there. I offer this observation not in opposition to development, but in the hope that those shaping the property’s future recognize the unique responsibility they have inherited.
They have the opportunity not only to build on the site, but also to shape how it will be remembered with something more meaningful than another luxury tower. They can create a permanent public space dedicated to the 98 lives lost; a foundation or educational initiative focused on building safety, resilience and community; a place that acknowledges the past while looking toward the future.
What stands on that land will never be just another building. It will always mean something. The question is whether that meaning becomes one of conflict and discomfort — or one of dignity, remembrance and respect.
Andy (Andres) Langesfeld,
Miami
Wealth and the law
All the discussion regarding whether George Pino should be in prison will continue for a while and accomplish nothing. This case is a perfect example of the need for justice reform.
Could someone charged with the same crimes — and unable to hire an elite attorney, pay for investigators, boating experts, consultants, a doctor to review the case and testify in their defense and the ability to fight the charges for years — have been found innocent?
Until our legal system is changed to provide equal justice to all, regardless of the ability to pay exorbitant amounts to raise the odds of walking away from serious charges, verdicts like this will be questioned.
Being wealthy entitles some to have numerous advantages in every aspect of daily life — and that’s fine. However, increasing the odds of acquittal most decidedly should not be one of them.
Peter R. Evans,
Miami
On edge in Cuba
The U.N. Human Rights Office reported this month that Cuba’s infant mortality rate has risen to 9.9 per 1,000 births, childhood cancer survival has fallen to 65%, food production has dropped 60% and medical supplies sit at only 30% of normal availability — all tied directly to the U.S. fuel blockade.
These are not abstract statistics. Infants are dying at higher rates, children have fewer chances of surviving cancer treatment and families are burning charcoal that costs a month’s wages because there is no other way to cook.
The Fourth Geneva Convention prohibits collective punishment of civilians regardless of the political objective behind it. A blockade severe enough to measurably reduce childhood cancer survival rates meets that definition.
To our Cuban-American neighbors who have fought for decades for the island’s freedom: that fight has always been a moral one. Freedom cannot be purchased at the cost of children’s lives. A policy measured in dead infants and untreated cancer patients dishonors the cause it claims to serve, not the regime it targets.
Suzanne Wilkes,
Tucson, AZ
Game winner
“The beautiful game” of soccer, akin to our baseball and football, allows us to forget for brief moments the tribulations of the world in which we live. As opium is to delirium, so sports is the modern-day narcotic of the people.
The hallucination that everything is all right overshadows the grim aspects of war, poverty, human trafficking, woeful world health and political upheavals.
As the June 23 letter, “Hooked on soccer,” so exemplifies, “What a wonderful taste of World Peace.”
Marshall Sober,
Aventura
Protect wildlife
Today’s children may be too young to remember the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, but I do. This disaster in 2010 resulted in 134 million gallons of oil pouring into Gulf waters over three months. Eleven people were killed, 17 people hurt and 1,300 miles of U.S. shoreline damaged. Tens of thousands of marine animals were hurt or killed, including seabirds, dolphins, whales and sea turtles.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association estimates that up to 7,600 large juvenile and adult sea turtles and up to 166,000 small juvenile sea turtles were killed by the spill. That alone is an outrage and a tragedy.
That is why it is so inconceivable that, this spring, a group of federal decision-makers exempted oil and gas drilling activities in the Gulf from key Endangered Species Act requirements. That decision is another tragedy waiting to happen.
After Deepwater Horizon, we know better and must do better. It starts with ensuring full Endangered Species Act protections for our native Gulf wildlife.
Leslie Sardinia,
North Miami Beach
Heat’s trade
When I heard the final announcement about the Miami Heat trade, I had mixed feelings, because I knew we would lose valuable players to gain a great one.
I watched Tyler Herro grow from a draft unknown to an All-Star three-point champion; Jaime Jaquez, Jr., from a UCLA star who shared his rookie training camp experience on social media to a finalist for the 2026 Sixth Man Award; Kel’el Ware, our own seven-footer, into a fearsome defender, three-point shooter and dunker; and our amazing three-point shooter, Kasparas Jakučionis. I thank them for their contributions to the team.
On the other hand, it is wonderful to welcome Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Heat. I am grateful to have them on this side of the basketball court. Let’s go Heat!
Cyd Heyliger-Browne,
Coral Gables
Condo safety
A small, rough piece of concrete sits on my desk. It came from the site of the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South in Surfside. I brought it back after spending time in the community, alongside first responders, families, surviving residents and community association professionals. The tragedy forever changed families, a community and our nation’s understanding of condominium safety.
Over the past five years, policymakers, engineers, reserve specialists, community leaders, board members and homeowners have worked to strengthen inspections, reserve funding, transparency, maintenance planning and building safety. Communities have taken a harder look at aging infrastructure and deferred maintenance.
Progress is not completion, however. Buildings continue to age and infrastructure requires ongoing investment. The lessons of Surfside remind us that maintenance cannot be postponed indefinitely.
The piece of concrete on my desk serves as a daily reminder that behind every inspection, reserve study and maintenance project are real people and real families. Remembering Surfside is important. Acting on its lessons is our responsibility.
Dawn M. Bauman,
Alexandria, VA