Miami building collapse: judge approves sale of Surfside site with proceeds going to survivors
- The block of flats in Surfside, Miami, collapsed on June 24 leaving at least 95 people dead while others are still missing
- The site of the Champlain Towers South building could fetch from US$100 million to US$110 million, according to court records
A Florida judge on Wednesday approved the sale of the oceanfront property where a collapsed Florida block of flats building once stood, with proceeds intended to benefit victims of the deadly disaster.
At a hearing, Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Michael Hanzman ordered that the process begin to sell the site of the Champlain Towers South, which could fetch from US$100 million to US$110 million according to court records.
The court-appointed receiver handling finances related to the building, lawyer Michael Goldberg, said the judge wants the sale to move quickly.
“He want us to start exploring a potential sale,” Goldberg said of the judge in an email. “He did say he wants the land to be sold and the proceeds to go directly to the victims as soon as possible.”
Goldberg said the decision did not necessarily preclude a buyer from turning at least a portion of the site into a memorial, as some people have advocated. Other survivors want the structure rebuilt so they can move back in.