<\/p>\n
A rendering of a past proposal by the Fontainebleau Miami Beach hotel to build water slides and renovate the pool area.<\/p>\n
City of Miami Beach<\/p>\n
When the Fontainebleau Hotel faced a skeptical city board and a wave of community opposition to a plan to add water slides to its pool deck, the hotel\u2019s billionaire owner pushed successfully<\/a> for a change to state law to move the project forward.<\/p>\n But while the bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis<\/a> in late March removed some red tape, the city of Miami Beach is maintaining that the Fontainebleau still needs approval from the local Historic Preservation Board \u2014 the exact type of roadblock the hotel was trying to circumvent.<\/p>\n In response to a building permit application filed by the hotel\u2019s development team, city planning staff said earlier this month that the Fontainebleau must first get a \u201ccertificate of appropriateness\u201d from the Historic Preservation Board.<\/p>\n The Fontainebleau disagrees, according to multiple people who participated in an April 21 meeting that included Fontainebleau owner Jeffrey Soffer, leaders from the Mid Beach Neighborhood Association and Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner.<\/p>\n Still, the hotel is trying to stay above the fray. A spokesperson for Fontainebleau Development would not directly address the dispute with the city in response to questions from the Miami Herald, instead saying in a statement that the meeting was \u201cproductive\u201d and that \u201cwe appreciate the Mayor and the community\u2019s continued collaboration and support.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe share a commitment to keeping the community at the center of our planning as we reimagine our outdoor amenity spaces. We look forward to continuing the conversation, including our next scheduled meeting with MBNA, as the project moves ahead,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n \u201cFontainebleau remains committed to working closely with the city to ensure the project and its approvals are fully aligned with state law, and we look forward to continued collaboration as the process moves ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n The new state law<\/a>, which the Fontainebleau lobbied for<\/a>, says local governments can\u2019t require board approval for a \u201cspecial exception\u201d or \u201cvariance\u201d related to the partial redevelopment of a \u201clarge destination resort.\u201d Instead, the legislation says, only administrative approval by city staff can be required.<\/p>\n The Fontainebleau had requested several variances from the city code for its water slide project. Those no longer need approval from the Historic Preservation Board.<\/p>\n But the city says the Historic Preservation Board should still weigh in on the project\u2019s overall design and decide whether to grant the hotel a certificate of appropriateness, based on compatibility with the surrounding area and other criteria.<\/p>\n Regardless, the hotel is hoping to soften residents\u2019 opposition.<\/p>\n At the meeting last week, Soffer acknowledged his role in seeking help from Tallahassee but also expressed a willingness to listen to community concerns.<\/p>\n Mid Beach Neighborhood Association President Anamarie Ferreira de Melo told the Herald that Soffer said that he had fought for the changes in Tallahassee because he felt compelled to do \u201ceverything he can to protect his asset and protect his project.\u201d At the same time, Soffer said he wants to be \u201ca good neighbor\u201d and \u201ca partner in helping us secure additional resources for the community,\u201d Ferreira de Melo said.<\/p>\n While the hotel has no obligation to heed the neighbors\u2019 demands, residents are hopeful that the Fontainebleau will limit the height of its new water slides. The hotel had originally proposed a structure reaching 131 feet, then revised its designs to top out at 99 feet, according to a February presentation.<\/p>\n The Fontainebleau submitted a new building permit application more recently, though the details have not been made public. The city has denied public records requests for the application, citing a state exemption related to hotel development plans.<\/p>\n The Fontainebleau\u2019s plan to install numerous water slides and overhaul its pool deck area has sparked massive backlash from residents, who have cited concerns about the height of the proposed slides, changes to the Fontainebleau\u2019s historic character and added traffic from visitors.<\/p>\n In February, opponents packed the City Hall chambers<\/a> ahead of a planned Historic Preservation Board meeting, which was ultimately deferred at the Fontainebleau\u2019s request after one of the board members didn\u2019t show up.<\/p>\n Last month, after the state legislation was passed, the Miami Beach City Commission voted to consider<\/a> challenging the law in court, though no lawsuit has been filed.<\/p>\n At the same commission meeting, officials urged the Fontainebleau to meet with the neighborhood association and voted to have Meiner, the mayor, act as the city\u2019s representative in the discussions.<\/p>\n \u201cI am disappointed that our zoning laws were preempted,\u201d Meiner said at the time. \u201cWe should be making the decisions, and it\u2019s increasingly being taken out of our hands.\u201d<\/p>\n Representatives of the Mid Beach Neighborhood Association and the Fontainebleau plan to meet again May 5 to discuss the association\u2019s recommendations for the project, Ferreira de Melo said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re hopeful that, through these conversations, we can come to a reasonable design,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/1777522032_437_IMG_MIA_304MiamiBeach00N_4_1_V7OIB7OR_L812007174.JPG\" "\\"IMG_MIA_304MiamiBeach00N_4_1_V7OIB7OR_L812007174.JPG\\"")
The Fontainebleau Hotel is pictured in 2022. Pedro Portal pportal@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n![\"Fontainebleau](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-1854493280.jpg\" "\\"GettyImages-1854493280.jpg\\"")
Fontainebleau Development Chairman and CEO Jeffrey Soffer speaks onstage during the Fontainebleau Las Vegas Star-Studded Grand Opening Celebration on Dec. 13, 2023, in Las Vegas. Vivien Killilea Getty Images for Fontainebleau Las Vegas <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_937_fitted.jpeg\" "\\"IMG_937_fitted.jpeg\\"")
The chambers were packed at Miami Beach City Hall for a meeting of the Historic Preservation Board on Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026. A proposal to add water slides to the Fontainebleau pool deck was deferred. Courtesy of Mark Weiss <\/p>\n![\"Miami](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/IMG_9612.jpeg\" "\\"IMG_9612.jpeg\\"")
Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez (center) acknowledges Mayor Steven Meiner during a press conference to oppose state legislation alongside other city officials and residents in front of the Fontainebleau Hotel on Tuesday, March 10, 2026. Aaron Leibowitz aleibowitz@miamiherald.com <\/p>\n