Billionaire Jeffrey Soffer’s plan for a water park at his Fontainebleau Miami Beach resort is caught in a tidal wave of opposition.
At a Tuesday meeting of the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board, neighboring residents, city activists and board members slammed the proposal to redevelop the 1,504-room oceanfront hotel’s outdoor pool area into a family-oriented attraction that would include a 12-story waterslide structure.
In a statement, Soffer’s Aventura-based Fontainebleau Development said the waterpark is an “opportunity to properly activate its iconic and internationally-known hotel brand to strengthen community opportunities and be part of the solution that fortifies the city’s future.”
“We remain committed to ongoing conversations with area neighbors, stakeholders, and city leaders to ensure the plan aligns with all guidelines while also honoring the character of the historic property,” the statement said.
The board delayed a vote until Jan. 13 on whether to approve 11 variances sought by the affiliate of Fontainebleau Development that owns the 22-acre historic landmark at 4441 Collins Avenue.
The variances would allow the hotelier to build “11 waterslides, a kid’s play pool, refurbished and new bathrooms, cabanas and associated supporting spaces,” according to a Sept. 11 letter of intent filed with the city of Miami Beach. Renderings show the waterslides are connected to the 12-story structure.
During the two-hour preservation board discussion, Fontainebleau Development’s lobbyist and land use attorney Mickey Marrero told board members that the hotel wants to add a water park to keep up with its competition, such as the Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas and Baha Mar resorts in Nassau, Bahamas.
“Our competitors are not small hotels in Miami Beach,” Marrero said. “Our competitors are regional destinations for families and tourists…that are bringing amenities beyond what we have traditionally seen in the past. We need to keep in line with that. It is critical to the future success of the hotel.”
Following Marrero’s presentation, opponents let loose a rip current of criticism about the water park plan being incompatible with the Morris Lapidus-designed hotel and the surrounding Mid-Beach neighborhood, as well as potentially creating more traffic in an already congested area of the city. Nearly three dozen people spoke against the project, compared to one resident who spoke in favor of it.
Some speakers implored board members to vote against the plan.
“You guys are the last line of defense for historic architecture in Miami Beach,” said attorney and Miami Beach resident Mark Weiss. “And Lord, we need some saving here today. The Fontainebleau is a landmark, not a theme park.”
Roger Goldblatt, chairman of the Miami Design Preservation League, and Anamarie Ferreira de Melo, president of the MidBeach Neighborhood Association, also said their organizations oppose the water park.
“The waterslide structure would dramatically alter one of Miami Beach’s most iconic properties and set a concerning precedent,” Goldblatt told board members.
Board members also offered a dim view of the water park. “It is just massive,” said board member Randy Hollingsworth of the waterslide tower. “There is no context for this structure on this site.”
His colleague, Mitch Novick, added: “This is out of context, quite frankly. I don’t find any way to make this compatible with the neighborhood.”
Marrero said Fontainebleau Development would meet with opposing residents and neighborhood associations to address their concerns.
“We put a lot of time, effort and funding into this,” he said. “We would like the opportunity to make adjustments to make it work.”
