You gotta fight for your right to party!
Miami Beach high society is fighting back against the city’s new crackdown on extravagant, “commercial-grade,” parties ahead of Art Basel, with three millionaire homeowners from the exclusive Palm, Star and Hibiscus Islands taking legal action to hold onto their over-the-top bashes.
Plastic surgeon and “Real Housewives of Miami” star Leonard Hochstein, Farmasi CEO Sinan Tuna and party-loving Hibiscus Island resident Daniel Vincent Liburdi have filed an emergency motion for a temporary injunction against the city over a new resolution passed on Nov. 20.
The rule requires large-scale events — think sponsors, dance floors, sound systems and fireworks — to obtain a permit, or for the hosts to face potential arrest.
In the filing, the trio claims they’ve spent close to $4 million combined on their annual Art Week extravaganzas, with Hochstein dropping a cool $300,000, and Tuna shelling out a jaw-dropping $1.7 million.
The group argues that the resolution is illegal, alleging it didn’t follow proper city procedures, is too narrowly tailored and didn’t provide sufficient notice.
The group’s lawyer, Richard Wolfe, tells Page Six: “My clients have spent $4 million putting on these parties based on the old laws only to be in jeopardy of being arrested… My clients are all of a sudden going to be raided by SWAT teams who throw their guests out, grab my clients and put them in jail. This is outrageous.”
The legal eagle says the parties should go on this year — and then regulations can be implemented “well in advance of my clients entering into commitments with guests and vendors.”
“Do it right,” he urges.
But Miami Beach Vice Mayor Alex Fernandez is fighting back!
“The legal challenge filed by party organizers is an attempt to bypass reasonable review and permitting processes that have been implemented to ensure safety and protect residents’ quality of life,” Fernandez tells Page Six. “These organizers know their commercial-grade events have a documented history of creating significant nuisances and disrupting our neighborhoods.”
There is a hearing scheduled for Monday.
Hochstein, who has hosted legendary parties during Art Basel over the past two years, was slated to host hip publication Nylon’s massive bash this year — featuring a performance by Ludacris.
Page Six previously reported that Nylon owner Bryan Goldberg is determined to keep the event on track, stating, “There is no chance the event is not happening.”
The new rules came after a flood of complaints from residents of these ritzy enclaves that play home to many celebs like Gloria Estefan, Shakira, Shaquille O’Neal and even disgraced hip hop mogul Diddy.
One resident told Page Six of noise disturbances and safety issues, adding that emergency vehicles had trouble reaching the island due to the chaos caused by traffic and crowds in the past.
The resolution notes that large events on the islands, “impact public safety by clogging the narrow roadways” to such an extent that emergency vehicles can’t respond to emergencies in a timely manner.
Fernandez says the city is “all for” the parties — just in the right places. “We are all for the party and all for the Art Week vibe,” he says. “But they have to be sanctioned and appropriately located where you don’t have children trying to sleep across the street.”
Fernandez also took aim at the unauthorized events, calling them “exploitative.”
“These unauthorized events have absolutely nothing to do with Art Basel. In fact, they take advantage of and exploit the prestige of Art Basel to market their disruptive gatherings,” he says.
“These parties undermine the reputation of Art Basel, which we fully embrace and which represents the best of Miami Beach — cultural sophistication and economic vitality—through carefully planned and sanctioned partnerships at appropriate commercial venues.”
The famed fair runs Dec. 6 through Dec. 8, but has many opportunistic events surrounding it during the overall Miami Art Week.
Last year’s event at Hochstein’s home turned chaotic with crashers, reported Page Six at the time, with one woman spotted lifting a pal over the fence to sneak in, and another woman taking the aquatic route and swimming up to the estate.
Invited VIPs also had issues getting to and from the event, since the island has one bridge that was jammed with traffic.
Read the full article here
