Dubai developer to buy Florida condo collapse site for $120M
Surfside
Fla.
Associated Press
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Pablo Langesfeld looks at the name of his daughter Nicole Langesfeld, Thursday, May 12, 2022, in Surfside, Fla. A large banner with the names of the 98 killed in the collapse of the Champlain Towers South building nearly a year ago, was installed around the site. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)
Michael Fay, of Avison Young, said hundreds of potential buyers had shown interest in the property, but none were ultimately prepared to match the strong initial bid of Hussain Sajwani, of DAMAC Properties. Avison Young is the commercial real estate firm that was appointed to market the land as part of a class-action lawsuit.
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The auction for the 1.8-acre (0.72-hectare) parcel in Surfside was scheduled for Tuesday. Earlier this month, families of the victims reached a $997 million settlement with local officials, the developers of an adjacent building and others whom they hold responsible for the collapse of the 40-year-old, 12-story beachside building during the early hours of June 24.
Most of the Champlain Towers South collapsed suddenly about 1:20 a.m. last June 24 as most of its residents slept. Only three people survived the initial collapse. No other survivors were found despite the around-the-clock efforts of rescuers who dug through a 40-foot (12-meter) pile of rubble for two weeks. Another three dozen people were in the portion of the building that remained standing.
The condominium's residents and visitors formed a melting pot: Orthodox Jews, Latin Americans, Israelis, Europeans and snowbirds from the Northeast.
The National Institute of Standards and Technology is investigating the cause of the collapse, a process that is expected to take years.
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