Real Housewives of Miami star Lisa Hochstein and her plastic surgeon husband, Dr. Leonard Hochstein can now move forward with their plans to demolish their home at 42 Star Island.
According to the couple, the Miami Beach single family home is structurally unsound and sits below the flood plain. Last year, the city approved their request to tear the house down. Shortly thereafter, the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL) appealed the city’s approval of the demolition. However, the MDPL recently dropped its lawsuit after the City Commission declined to declare the Miami Beach property a historic home, paving the way for the Hochstein’s to demolish the aging house and build a modern, dream home. Given that the reality TV stars appear to have extravagant taste and a penchant for drama, the dream home they plan to build to replace the current structure will likely add value to the already luxurious area.
Although Miami certainly wants to retain and maintain as much of its historic architecture as possible, some buildings probably do suffer from structural deficiencies that warrant their destruction. The city simply needs to exercise appropriate caution when deciding whether to approve demolition or designate a home as historic. Hopefully, property owners seeking to tear down and rebuild will utilize good judgment as well so as to preserve Miami’s fascinating and diverse real estate.