Proposed 200-foot tower between Ritz Plaza and Sagamore draws sustained opposition; Historic Preservation Board deadlocks, leaves applicant able to refile

A proposal to add a roughly 200-foot residential tower between the historic Ritz Plaza (Ritz Carlton) and the Sagamore Hotel on Collins Avenue drew sustained opposition from preservation experts, nearby hotel owners and neighborhood groups at the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board’s December meeting.

The project would renovate two existing contributing buildings on a combined parcel, restore the Sagamore’s 1948 Collins Avenue façade and build a new tower set behind the hotels. City staff told the board it supported the project overall and recommended approval subject to conditions in the staff report. Opponents — led by consultants and attorneys for the National Hotel and the Delano Hotel — argued the massing, scale and glazed modern design would irreparably harm the district’s “postcard” skyline, block pedestrian sightlines from the boardwalk and overshadow adjacent contributing properties.

Expert witnesses submitted visual simulations and solar studies showing midday shade impacts on nearby pools and terraces; attorneys for the Delano and National urged the board to deny the certificate of appropriateness. City staff and the applicant’s design team countered that the tower is set back, that the applicant had pared back elements and that an updated plan restores historic fabric on the Sagamore. The planning director and staff noted pending administrative determinations — including questions about floor-area-ratio calculations and an amenity-FAR bonus — that are separate from the board’s certificate-of-appropriateness review.

Board action: two formal motions were put before the board. A motion to deny the project produced a 3–3 tie and thus failed. A later attempt to continue to a future meeting also failed to receive the required majority. The board then clarified procedurally that the last failure was “without prejudice,” allowing the applicant to submit revised materials and refile. The meeting record shows extensive public comment and substantial dissent from preservation professionals and neighbors; the board did not issue final approval for the proposal.

What happens next: the applicant may rework the project in response to board concerns about massing, materials and sightlines and resubmit. Staff acknowledged outstanding technical issues — including FAR transfer and rooftop addition rules — that would need resolution through the planning director or other permitting steps before any building permit could be issued.