Surfside leaders continue to disrespect those who died in Champlain Towers tragedy | Opinion
Two years have passed since the devastating events of June 24, 2021, when Champlain Towers South partially collapsed, claiming 98 lives, including my beautiful sister Nicky, 26, and her husband Luis, 28.
Those 12 seconds changed my life, our family, the Surfside community and the entire nation. It was a chilling reminder that even our safest places can become a nightmare. Since that horrific day, we’ve been on a relentless quest for justice, answers and the respect our loved ones deserve.
I have stood at the forefront of this battle, not as a politician or a developer, but as a grieving brother, thrown into a world of relentless advocacy to ensure that the memory of those we lost is honored with the dignity it deserves. We embarked on this journey with hope and the belief that our leaders would stand with us.
However, after 27 grueling months, our path has been nothing but closed doors, painful disappointments and gut-wrenching betrayals. The promise to memorialize 88th Street, adjacent to the tragedy, was shattered last week when the Town of Surfside’s commission approved develoer DAMAC’s plan to use this sacred ground for trash pickup and loading docks.
The shock of this approval left us with one anguished question: Where is the respect we were promised? Surfside Mayor Shlomo Danzinger, who initially vowed to stand with the 98 families, changed his stance after a secret meeting in Dubai with the developer.
What happened in that meeting?
We are not seeking to stop the project altogether. We are not seeking to limit its size. We are not seeking to change the design by Zaha Hadid Architects.
We ask, simply: Relocate the loading dock and trash facilities from the dedicated memorial grounds on 88th Street to Collins Avenue.
To those asking why we didn’t purchase the land ourselves, we tried, but the court deemed it impossible, as DAMAC already had it under contract. This land went up for sale before we knew whether our loved ones were dead or alive.
Most important, we still don’t know why this building collapsed or if the land is safe for development. Despite promises from various levels of government, we still are waiting for answers. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) investigation, expected to provide those answers, has yet to declare the land safe, but development proceeds.
Why the rush to build on potentially unsafe ground? Why will FEMA alter flood-zone maps in 2024 to favor the developer’s plans? FEMA currently outlines a portion of this land in a flood zone for a reason, yet efforts are under way to revise the maps to suit the developer’s vision. The building site plans were approved with plans not up to code, a fact we cannot overlook for the safety of future occupants.
DAMAC’s team and Surfside officials alleged that the Florida Department of Tranportation forced them to use 88th Street for the loading dock and trash collection. FDOT clarified this was not true and it was unaware of the 88th Street memorial and resolution. We urge the state attorney to investigate these troubling claims.
FDOT states that placing the loading dock on Collins Avenue is not deemed impossible, as neighboring buildings have done it. The difference? Ninety-eight lives were lost on this land. Despite numerous pleas from victims’ families and neighbors before the commission’s vote, our voices fell on deaf ears.
It’s painfully clear that Commissioner Fred Landsman, Danzinger and Vice Mayor Jeff Rose are prioritizing the developer’s interests over those of our town and its grieving families.
We call upon FDOT, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Gov. Ron DeSantis to ensure the loading dock on Collins Avenue gets approved. We also request a long-awaited and promised meeting with the governor.
Our journey has been marked by heartbreak, but it’s also been defined by our resilience. We will not stop fighting for the respect our loved ones deserve, for their memories to be preserved and for our community to heal.
It is a battle we never asked for, but we will fight with unwavering determination, no matter the odds.
Martin Langesfeld is a community activist.
