South Beach Parties On After Booze Ban Halted

Melissa Alonso, CNN

(CNN) – The party looks set to go on well into the night in Miami's South Beach, for now at least, after a ban on alcohol sales after 2 a.m. was temporarily halted.

Earlier this week a judge ruled that last call for booze in parts of South Beach can be shifted from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m. following several attempts by Miami Beach officials to address complaints about nightclubs from city residents.

Now a Miami-Dade County judge has granted a temporary halt to the planned ban, allowing Miami Beach nightclubs to serve alcohol until 5 a.m. through the spring break season, according to a representative for Story nightclub.

RELATED: Last Call for South Beach Extended Drinking Hours

The business filed a motion Wednesday to withhold enforcement of the city ordinance until after March 27 – the peak of spring break tourism – according to Miami Dade County Court documents.

Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Reemberto Diaz approved the motion at a hearing Wednesday afternoon – stopping the new city ordinance for at least 30 days before it takes effect, according to a spokesperson for the club.

Lawyers for Story said the business “will suffer substantial and irreparable harm the moment the challenged ordinance takes effect,” according to the motion.

“Behind Story, what you would find is an ecosystem of hundreds of hospitality workers who depend on the club for their livelihoods,” said Sean Burstyn, attorney for Story Nightclub, in a statement to CNN. “Enforcement of the ordinance meant unemployment for these people. Story is in business and we are confident that Story will prevail in Court,” said the statement.

This is the latest tug-of-war between the city's peace-seeking residents and its booming nightlife business. During spring break last year, attorneys for the Clevelander hotel effectively put a stop to the Miami Beach City Commission approved ban on alcohol in South Beach nightclubs after 2 a.m. as violence and misbehavior hit the beach during a rowdy spring break.

CNN has reached out to a spokesperson for the city for comment.

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