The Delmore Surfside: Should It Be a Champlain Towers Memorial?

At 8777 Collins Avenue, one of the best-known oceanfront sites in Surfside, a real estate story is unfolding that reopens a question many thought was settled.

Should an ultra-luxury residential project be built there, or could there be an economically viable alternative that turns the former Champlain Towers South site into a memorial park?

On June 24, 2021, Champlain Towers South collapsed and 98 people lost their lives. After the tragedy, some families asked for the site to be preserved as a Surfside memorial park. However, the property became part of the court process meant to compensate the affected owners and families.

In 2022, Dubai billionaire Hussain Sajwani (DAMAC Surfside) was the only bidder for the roughly 1.8-acre site and paid $120 million. The proceeds became part of the compensation process that followed the collapse.

Four years later, the discussion is taking on an unexpected dimension.

The Delmore Surfside: 37 residences and a slow sales start

On the site, DAMAC plans to build The Delmore Surfside, an ultra-exclusive building designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.

The concept is radically different from the old Champlain Towers: only 37 residences, with units of about 7,000 to 10,000 square feet and prices that started around $15 million.

So far, however, sales have not followed what you might expect from such an exceptional oceanfront site.

Sales began in January 2025 and, according to information the developer confirmed in April 2026, no contract had been signed. A deal that would have involved more than $200 million in residences also did not go through in the end.

This is especially striking because Surfside is selling ultra-luxury properties. It would therefore be wrong to simply conclude that "nobody wants to buy because Champlain Towers stood there." Pricing, timing, the fact that it is DAMAC’s first U.S. development and other project conditions may also play a role.

But a question inevitably comes up: what if the best future use of 8777 Collins Avenue were not residential?

The idea of a Champlain Towers memorial is not new

This discussion began long before The Delmore Surfside was planned.

Relatives of some victims opposed selling the entire site for development and called for a Champlain Towers memorial there. They later asked DAMAC to include a memorial space within the project, which the developer said was not viable.

Surfside already plans a permanent memorial separate from The Delmore site, so turning all of 8777 Collins Avenue into a park would be a far more ambitious decision. And an enormously expensive one.

Who would pay for a Surfside memorial park on a $120 million site?

This is where an emotional proposal has to face real estate reality. DAMAC did not receive the land for free; it paid $120 million for it. Asking the owner to walk away from that investment is not, on its own, an economic solution.

There are, however, structures worth exploring:

Could DAMAC donate the land and receive a tax deduction?

Potentially, yes. The federal tax code allows deductions for certain donations of real estate to qualified organizations or local governments for public purposes. The IRS itself notes that donating land for a public park can be a deductible charitable contribution.

But a $120 million deduction is NOT the same as receiving $120 million in cash. A tax deduction only reduces taxable income under specific rules, so determining the real benefit for Hussain Sajwani and DAMAC would require evaluating the tax structure of the owning entity and the current market value.

An alternative: public purchase plus partial donation

There is a more realistic option: combining public funds, private philanthropy and a partial contribution from the owner. A public or nonprofit entity could acquire the land (or part of it) at a negotiated price, while DAMAC receives a partial payment and donates the rest to obtain tax benefits.

What is the 8777 Collins Avenue site worth today?

DAMAC paid $120 million in 2022, but money has since been spent on architecture, engineering, permits and marketing. Before considering a public acquisition for a Surfside memorial park, an updated independent appraisal would be needed, accounting for both those investments and the project’s sales performance.

The economic and intangible value of a memorial park

A public oceanfront park will not produce $40 million condominiums or property taxes comparable to a luxury project, but it does create indirect value: public space, preserved views, urban appeal and higher values for surrounding properties.

There is also the moral dimension: 8777 Collins Avenue is where 98 people died. For many families, building private ultra-luxury condominiums on that ground will always be hard to accept.

Conclusion: the future of 8777 Collins Avenue

Four years after the collapse, the slow commercial start of The Delmore Surfside puts the debate back on the table. The key question for the town and the developers is no longer only why the project has not sold, but how much Surfside would be willing to invest, and how much the owner would be willing to give up, for the site of the tragedy to remain a permanent place of remembrance.