After being deemed an unsafe construction, the deteriorating hotel at Miami Beach’s famous Deauville Beach Resort, which formerly hosted the Beatles and President John F. Kennedy, will be demolished.
Sunday at 8 a.m., the Deauville hotel tower at 6701 Collins Avenue will be demolished.
Collins Avenue and Harding Avenue between 65th and 70th streets will be blocked at about 7:30 a.m. and are scheduled to reopen by 10:00 a.m.
The historic structure has been closed since 2017 due to damage caused by an electrical fire and Hurricane Irma. It went into such disrepair that an engineering assessment deemed it “unsafe” and irreparable, stating that “structural problems cannot be repaired.”
Historic preservationists undertook a multi-year fight to rescue the building, but after reviewing the structural analysis from the property owners’ hired engineering firm, the Miami Beach building department issued a demolition order.
The structure was erected in 1957, and by the 1960s, Deauville had become the place to be. In 1964, “The Ed Sullivan Show” broadcast a live performance by the Beatles from the hotel’s ballroom, and in 1961, President John F. Kennedy spoke to young Democrats there. At the resort, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Judy Garland, and Tony Bennett all performed.
On the Deauville property, Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross suggested a two-tower building planned by architect Frank Gehry that would include a six-star hotel and luxury homes.
On Election Day, however, Miami Beach voters rejected Ross’ request to surpass existing building size limitations in order to construct the property.
Following the implosion, the future of the site is now undetermined.
The previous owners of the Deauville site established such a high price point that it is very difficult to build there, according to Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber. Therefore, somebody must create something that will generate sufficient revenue to justify a purchase price.
Gelber, a supporter of Ross’s idea, said that he would not abandon the site.
“This requires a return to the drawing board. I believe it would be dreadful if this property remained vacant in 10 or 20 years “Gelber stated.
