The Miami Beach City Commission held a binding vote today to stop selling alcohol after 2 a.m. in the South Beach entertainment district. The item was reported in yesterday’s Miami Herald.
By a 4-3 vote, the Commission passed an ordinance moving up by three hours the current 5 a.m. cutoff of alcohol sales on Collins Avenue and Ocean Drive from 16th Street to Fifth Street. The new hours take effect May 22, 2021, and expire or “sunset” on December 8, 2021, unless extended or made permanent.
Alexander Tachmes, a partner in the Miami office of Shutts & Bowen LLP, argues that for the business community, even a temporary rollback of alcohol sales would threaten the jobs of thousands of employees and possibly lead to closures.
Alex, who represents the Clevelander, the proposed restrictions have become more “draconian” over time, noting that Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber initially proposed granting late-night nightclub licenses for certain businesses to sell alcohol past 2 a.m.
“We were really hoping that the city wouldn’t go down this road, but they aren’t really looking at this thing in a surgical way,” he said.
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. Alex also is firm-wide Chair of Shutts & Bowen’s Covid-19 Response Team, which is comprised of lawyers from each major practice area affected by the pandemic, including real estate, tax, labor and employment, financial services and creditor’s rights. 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.
Related News
- "Clevelander to Miami Beach: 'You've Declared War' on South Beach," Miami New Times (June 10, 2021)
- "Clevelander Sues the City of Miami Beach," WLRN (May 20, 2021)
- "Alcohol rollback on Ocean Drive pits developers against business owners," The Real Deal (May 13, 2021)