Clevelander Hotel owner wants to rebuild Miami Beach staple into affordable housing – NBC 6 South Florida

The iconic Clevelander bar on South Beach could be replaced with affordable housing and a high-rise.

The owners plan to submit plans to the city of Miami Beach soon, saying it’ll help change a plagued Ocean Drive and provide a living for hospitality workers.

The plan entails a 30-story housing development with 40% of units designated as affordable housing, the other 60% will likely be condos for purchase and a high-end restaurant on the first floor.  

“It provides affordable housing in an area that is drastically underserved and it creates a new iconic architecture in a neighborhood that wants to transform, that wants to change use, so we feel most people should be excited by the plan,” said Anthony O’Brien with the Jesta Group.

The Jesta Group, which owns the Clevelander and adjoining Essex House, says a new law presented them with this opportunity: Florida’s Live Local Act, which incentivizes affordable housing.  

“The goal of the act is intended to address the severe affordable housing shortage that exists throughout Florida, and in South Florida, leaders have indicated we’re in a crisis situation with affordable housing,” said attorney Alexander Tachmes.

But not everybody is in favor of the law. Some complain it allows developers to override local zoning codes.  

“This is the worst idea ever. The Jesta Group should be ashamed,” Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber said. “Thirty-story buildings would simply destroy what is known throughout the world as the iconic postcard of our city.”

The owners say this project is also a reaction to years of issues and concern about Ocean Drive’s nightlife and crime.

“We absolutely love the Clevelander. It’s been a very successful collaboration for us,” O’Brien said. “It’s very profitable, however, we’ve been under scrutiny for quite a while in terms of business operation, hours of operation, and what has happened in certain high-impact periods.”