Hotel Uses Now Approved for Miami Beach’s Lincoln Lane South

Miami Beach City Commissioners expanded their previous approval of hotels for Lincoln Road by allowing hotel uses on the south side of Lincoln Lane South under certain conditions. The legislation was proposed by Mel Schlesser, the owner of Lincoln Center located at Lincoln Road and Euclid Avenue. Schlesser wants to return Lincoln Center to its use as a hotel. As part of that proposal, he wants to redevelop a parcel of land to the immediate south with hotel units.

Specifically, the approval allows hotel uses for RM-1 district (residential, mult-family low-density) properties abutting Lincoln Lane South from Drexel Avenue to Lenox Avenue with the following provisions: The RM-1 property shall not exceed 100 feet in width; lobby access to the property is located within a property fronting on Lincoln Road and directly across Lincoln Lane South from the RM-1 property; the hotel shall be operated by a single operator; and no accessory uses shall be located within the RM-1 district.

Following the vote, Schlesser told the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District (BID) Board, “It’s a difficult time right now to think about a hotel” and as a result, “It’s going to take several years to put together” but he was pleased with the Commission’s approval and is looking at ways to have it “come to fruition.” 

In 2019, Commissioners approved hotel uses for Lincoln Road. Earlier this year, the Historic Preservation Board approved plans for a hotel at the Sterling Building at 927 Lincoln Road.