A protracted three-year legal battle over the future of a waterfront condominium in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood has reached a resolution, paving the way for the demolition of the aging structure and the construction of a high-rise luxury project. The dispute, which centered on the rights of individual unit owners versus the interests of a developer seeking to redevelop the site, concluded with an out-of-court settlement that effectively ends the standoff.
The Rise of the 'Zombie Condo'
The conflict began in 2022 when Two Roads Development initiated a plan to replace the 13-story building with a 55-story luxury tower. While the developer successfully secured 183 of the building's units, a small contingent of residents refused to sell their homes. This resistance triggered a complex legal struggle over the building’s condominium declaration, which originally mandated unanimous approval to terminate the association.
As the developer sought to lower the termination threshold to 80 percent, the holdout owners challenged the move in court. The situation escalated as the building was partially stripped of its features and utilities in anticipation of demolition, leaving the structure largely uninhabitable and earning it the local moniker of a “zombie condo.” In 2025, Florida’s Third District Court of Appeal ruled in favor of the residents, determining that the developer’s attempt to alter voting rights was improper. A subsequent attempt to have the case reviewed by the Florida Supreme Court was unsuccessful, and a Miami-Dade judge later ordered the developer to restore the building to a habitable state, creating a significant obstacle for the project.
Path Cleared for Luxury Redevelopment
The resolution of the litigation now allows Two Roads Development to proceed with its original vision: the construction of EDITION Residences, Miami Edgewater. The proposed development is slated to be a 55-story tower reaching approximately 649 feet in height, featuring 185 luxury residences under the EDITION brand, which is associated with Marriott International.
The case had drawn significant attention as a bellwether for Florida’s real estate market, highlighting the tension between aging infrastructure and the push for high-density waterfront development. With the settlement finalized, the developer has indicated that demolition of the original structure could commence within weeks. For the remaining owners who had fought to retain their properties, the agreement provides financial compensation, while the site is now positioned to undergo the transformation that sparked the multi-year legal confrontation.
