Developer withdraws 3 Miami Beach Live Local high-rise projects amid pushback

A developer has scrapped plans for three residential towers proposed in Miami Beach under the state’s controversial Live Local Act after city commissioners and residents raised concerns about their impact on the community.

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In a Monday night email to Miami Beach City Manager Eric Carpenter, developer Russell Galbut confirmed his decision to withdraw Live Local applications for a 519-foot tower at the historic Firestone site at 1575 Alton Road, a 383-foot tower at 740 Alton Road and a 225-foot tower at 880 71st St., according to Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez.

The Live Local Act, which was passed by state lawmakers in 2023, allows qualifying developments to override local zoning rules and receive fast-tracked approvals in an attempt to address Florida’s housing shortage. The law requires that at least 40% of residential units in these developments be reserved as affordable rental housing for at least 30 years.

Critics say the addition of massive, new developments in Miami Beach would put the city’s historic Art Deco charm and low-scale skyline at risk. Meg Lousteau, executive director of the Miami Design Preservation League, said during Wednesday’s City Commission meeting that “Live Local is coming at us like a freight train.”

“The threat that Live Local poses to Miami Beach strikes at the core of our city’s identity,” Lousteau said. “Our historic buildings and our urban form are our brand. It’s our way of life. It’s why people move here. It’s why people stay here. It’s why people visit here.”

Galbut, a co-founder of the Crescent Heights real estate firm and founder of the GFO Investments advisory firm, said in his email that he decided to shelve the proposed projects after “many constructive conversations” with Fernandez and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Vicki Lopez, whose district includes South Beach. Fernandez had ensured residents’ voices were heard, while Lopez has been vocal about her concerns that Live Local has gone too far, he said.

“This decision reflects my commitment to collaboration, not my retreat from the need for more housing,” Galbut said in the email. “I believe we can work together to create a Miami Beach approach that encourages responsible investment, protects our neighborhoods and provides housing for the people who make this city special. And will continue to strive for this always.”

Fernandez said in a Facebook post that he and Lopez are hopeful that concerns about more Live Local applications could be resolved through constructive dialogue. Galbut didn’t respond to a series of questions, including whether he may reapply or pursue additional Live Local developments in the future.

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The city is continuing to fight against Live Local following the application withdrawals. Miami Beach Commissioner David Suarez highlighted in a Tuesday statement his effort to hire outside counsel to look into the city’s 519-foot height benchmark, set by the Five Park tower right off the MacArthur Causeway, for Live Local projects across South Beach. Five Park received extraordinary, site-specific zoning approvals, yet developers are using it to argue for 500-foot towers elsewhere without independent scrutiny, Suarez said.

“Since I placed this item on the Commission agenda, numerous Live Local projects have been withdrawn,” Suarez said. “The timing speaks for itself. This wasn’t the result of more ‘dialogue’ as certain Commissioners suggest — it happened after we started fighting back and raising the prospect of independent legal review and litigation.”

Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner, who co-sponsored Suarez’s item, said during Wednesday’s meeting that several legislators throughout Florida supported and voted for Live Local, but they are now regretting it.

“There’s sort of a perfect storm forming in our favor, finally,” Meiner said, prior to the item being approved.

Meiner is pushing the city to work with other Florida mayors to advocate directly with the state legislature to possibly amend or repeal the Live Local Act, which was approved Wednesday night. The city attorney was also authorized to coordinate with the city of Miami to explore legal options against the state law.

There has also “been a great deal of talk” about a proposed redevelopment at the Savoy Hotel site at 425 Ocean Drive, but the city’s planning department reviewed and failed that application in July, issuing an extensive list of required corrections, Meiner said. Staff will only review the application again if the new plans address those concerns, but they have not heard from the developers since the denial.

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This story was originally published October 15, 2026 at 10:32 AM.