After two years of negotiations between preservationists, the City of Miami Beach and the owners of the International Inn, the settlement agreement to allow an eight-story addition was put on hold in the fall of 2019 due to concerns about criminal activity. However, in a recent report to City Commissioners last week, Miami partner Alexander Tachmes said the International Inn has made significant progress, both reducing criminal activity and making other improvements to the operations. Given the substantial progress made, the hope is for the settlement agreement to be reconsidered sometime in March of this year.
“We are very pleased to report that the International Inn has made great strides forward in reducing the criminal activity at the property and in moving forward with physical and operational improvements to the hotel,” stated Tachmes, who has been representing the owner of the hotel, Tsay International.
Tsay hired a hotel consultant to evaluate the security situation and recommend improvements. These improvements resulted in various changes to the hotel’s policies, including hiring and training of security guards at the premises. Additionally, Tsay will be installing a fence or hedge around the perimeter of the property, replacing the existing door locks with electronic keycard holders and installing new security cameras.
“Our expectation is to convert the finished master plan into plans suitable for an application to the HPB after the Settlement Agreement is approved and the applicable zoning code and comprehensive plan changes are adopted,” Alex wrote.
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About Alexander I. Tachmes
Alexander I. Tachmes is a partner in the Miami office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, where he is Chair of the Land Use and Government Relations Practice Group and a member of the Real Estate Practice Group. A Martindale-Hubbell AV® rated attorney, Alex concentrates his practice on governmental matters, including land use and zoning, public-private transactions, competitive bidding and lobbying, and commercial real estate transactions, including hospitality matters.