Business ANALYSIS

Liquid Gold Lounge Fights $162K Rent-Deposit Demand in South Beach Eviction Case

A Miami-Dade judge ordered the tenant to respond by noon Thursday to a $162,000 emergency rent-deposit demand; the tenant fired back that state law requires the court, not the landlord, to set that figure.

Journal Staff Sep 17, 2026

Litigation

Development NEWS

Historic Preservation Board Approves All Five Applications, Continues Bass Museum to November

Miami Beach's Historic Preservation Board voted September 15 to approve certificates of appropriateness and accompanying variances for five applications spanning a 1924 Mission Revival residence, a Flamingo Park cottage, a Normandy Isles demolition-and-rebuild, a Vivienne Westwood retail storefront, and emergency terrazzo removal at the Raleigh-Richmond-South Seas complex.

Journal Staff Sep 18, 2026

Development NEWS

Planning Board Backs Wolfsonian Code Changes, Advances Transparency Rules

The Miami Beach Planning Board met September 8, 2026, acting on ten items, including four code amendments transmitted to the City Commission, a concession agreement forwarded favorably, and two permit enforcement hearings. The board continued the North Beach residential incentives LDR amendment (PB26-0827) to its November 3 meeting for additional community outreach, and continued the South Pointe Overlay District LDR amendment (PB25-0808) to October 6 at the applicant's request.

Journal Staff Sep 18, 2026

Planning

Development NEWS

Design Review Board Approves Convention Hotel Signs at Full Size, Clears South of Fifth Infill Project

The board granted the Grand Hyatt convention hotel's sign program at the 11-foot monument size staff wanted trimmed to 9, approved the twice-heard 935 2nd Street building over its neighbors' objections, and cleared a Prairie Avenue home's roof-deck and driveway variances — while 7928 Byron Avenue was continued to Oct. 8 with a new architect.

Journal Staff Sep 17, 2026

Planning Housing

Culture & Events NEWS

Weekend Plans: September 18–20, 2026

6 things to do in Miami Beach this weekend — from a free North Shore Heritage Festival to ocean cleanup at South Pointe Park and an after-hours archive night at the Wolfsonian.

Journal Staff Sep 17, 2026

Traffic & Transportation NEWS

Commission Asks County to Close Ocean Drive to Cars Every Winter, Thanksgiving Through March

A 7-0 vote on Sept. 10 urges Miami-Dade County to approve an annual pedestrian-only season on Ocean Drive between 5th and 15th streets, extended on the dais to run through March 31. Hotel, restaurant and shop owners who packed the chamber called the closures a threat to guest access and sales, and the city's transportation chief said the permit would follow the same county process as this summer's World Cup closure.

Journal Staff Sep 16, 2026

Planning Infrastructure Transportation

Government NEWS

Miami Beach City Meetings Scheduled for Week of September 21–25

A reference of the week's public city meetings

Journal Staff Sep 16, 2026

Condos & HOAs ANALYSIS

Miami Beach Condo Association Wins Court Order Forcing Out Tenant Who Allegedly Flashed Gun and Terrorized Residents

A Miami-Dade judge granted a permanent injunction against a West Ave condominium tenant after months of alleged threats, harassment, and a confrontation in which he brandished a firearm at building staff.

Journal Staff Sep 14, 2026

Litigation

Development NEWS

Historic Preservation Board Preview: Four Standout Properties Face Review Sept. 15

The Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board meets Tuesday to consider a $1 million-plus Palm View renovation, a Normandy Isles project that would demolish two historic buildings, a Vivienne Westwood flagship conversion on Collins Avenue, and an emergency terrazzo repair at the Raleigh Hotel complex.

Journal Staff Sep 13, 2026

Planning

Condos & HOAs NEWS

Woman Claims She Owns Miami Beach Condo After Living There 13 Years Without Title

A Miami-Dade lawsuit asks a court to declare a woman the legal owner of a Tatum Waterway Drive condo through adverse possession, stripping title from a deceased woman's estate without a sale.

Journal Staff Sep 12, 2026

Housing Litigation

Government ANALYSIS

Commission Orders Independent Review of 5th Street Bridge, Eyes Over-Water Baywalk Fallback

Miami Beach commissioners unanimously directed city staff to independently evaluate engineering claims that the long-promised 5th Street pedestrian bridge cannot be built, and to begin negotiating an over-water baywalk alternative if the finding holds.

Journal Staff Sep 11, 2026

Government ANALYSIS

Miami Beach Becomes First Local Government in Miami-Dade to Approve a GTA VI Marketing Deal — Barely

The Miami Beach City Commission voted 4-3 to let the City Manager negotiate a beachfront advertising agreement with Amplify Marketing Inc. tied to Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto VI launch, overriding objections about brand image, procedural gaps, and a missing lobbyist disclosure.

Journal Staff Sep 11, 2026