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1616-73 Various Miami Beach r HOTELS Beach's Roney Palace closes a The Roney Palace Hotel and Beach Resort was shuttered late Tuesday,as the property's sale to a New York real-estate group approaches. BY INA PAIVA CORDLE icordle therald.com The Roney Palace Hotel and Beach Resort, whose roots date back to 1925, shut down Tuesday, the last workday for nearly 200 employees, and days before its scheduled sale to the Chetrit Group. Closed are the 585-room hotel, the Roney Pub,the hotel's sushi bar and poolside dining venues, and Breezes,a casual dining restaurant. The New York developers'$150 million purchase of the Roney hotel and condominium property, which was approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court this summer,is expected to be completed by Sept. 10,said Brian Rich,an attorney for Berger Singerman which repre- sents Roney Associates. Roney Associates, the partnership that •TURN TO RONEY PALACE,4C HOTELS I FROM THE FRONT PAGE Beach's Roney c oses •RONEY PALACE,FROM IC owned the property,filed for . Chapter 11 bankruptcy protec- tion on Feb. 9. "Roney Associates has made the decision to close down the hotel as of today," l",;. Rich said late Tuesday.Roney "' Associates said it does not 0.>,.., ` know the intention of the buy- " , ' ' ."5: ti - ers, who stipulated that the �.z..F- ': _ - _ resort be closed before being �.�.� 1",;;;,,. _ - '. ' 11 ' i handed over. The sale .17,_;„„,.-'.- '^ •' G- "` ` �- "� r�,.` _.��- �« ; , _ , includes the hotel's furniture k;s- -'7,0k-w4..„ and fixtures, so the owners ° �+ , , a � could reopen under new man- '� ! • ,,$ agement "or pursue another course of action for the prop- erty," Rich said. - gy. Roney Palace Oceanfront Condominium,the condo part 11114141 of the property,remains open. - , -°- ., Nearly 200 resort employ- -. - ees, who were given 60 days 1 . - - notice on July 17, were laid ,.- -skma `' off, but will be paid through .._ ' . . :,r. ' Sept. 17, said Bill Mueller, DONNA E.NATALE PLANAS/HERALD FILE chief executive of Roney LONG HISTORY: The Roney Palace's roots date back to Miami Beach of 1925. Tuesday, Associates. Only a group of the 585-room hotel closed and about 200 workers were let go. about 10 employees,including Mueller, will remain for the next several days or beyond. Johnny Weismuller, the as a rental building unti11997, controlled by 11 corporate No reservations for Sep- first movie Tarzan,worked as when the conversion began to partners, with the majority tember had been taken during a cabana boy at the Roney. condominiums. interest held by two Canadian recent weeks, and any long- Florence Chadwick, who The Roney property, groups and three sets of Ital- standing reservations have swam the English Channel, which extends for an entire ian investors.The bankruptcy been accommodated else- was once the hotel's aquatic block between 23rd and 24th was forced by .upcoming where, Mueller said. director. streets on Collins, had been financing needs and a $3.8 The Roney's history dates In 1968,the original Roney split between the hotel and million interest payment due back to 1925,when the initial, was demolished and replaced the condos. The property in February. landmark 17-story hotel with with a 1,162-apartment build- includes two grand ballrooms, A representative for the its Florentine bell tower and ing. In 1980,the building was two oceanfront swimming Chetrit Group, headed by copper dome was built. Dur- sold by Frankel Brothers Con- pools and a 10,000-square- Joseph Chetrit,and which has ing World War II, the hotel struction Co.of Philadelphia foot health club. a stake in Chicago's Sears was used for housing and to Roney Associates.The con-' At the time of its bank- Tower, could not be reached training Army officers. sortium operated the Roney ruptcy filing, the Roney was for comment late Tuesday.