MIAMI BEACH, Fla. – Community members are making a desperate plea to keep the Deauville Beach Resort alive.
Wednesday marked 59 years since The Beatles put the Miami Beach cultural and architectural landmark on the map.
“Great architecture creates great communities, special communities,” said Carlos Betancourt, a visual artist. “When we get rid of buildings like this, we erase the past.”
Preservationists say the owners of the Collins Avenue property built in 1957 want to erase it.
However, an engineering report provided by the historic hotel’s owners claims the structure is in such bad condition that it should be demolished, and city building officials agree.
A city spokeswoman said city officials visited the site to corroborate the inspection report and that they believe the building should be demolished to comply with Florida building code. They found that the column reinforcing in parts of the building is 100% weakened.
Critics say the hotel’s owners are to blame for its condition and must fix it.
“There may be a case here of demolition by neglect,” Daniel Ciraldo of the Miami Design Preservation League told Local 10 News last month.
In light of growing skepticism, city commissioners recently ordered another report from a separate engineering firm seeking an independent opinion.
The Miami Design Preservation League is also taking legal action to intervene.
They claim the city failed to follow its own laws, requiring approval from its preservation board before requesting a demolition.
“This is a highly significant building to many architects worldwide,” Betancourt said.