MIAMI – A judge should order the destruction of two condo towers being built for an oceanfront resort that carries the name of Donald Trump (search), according to a lawsuit filed by a Miami architect who claims the billionaire and a hotel developer took his design.
The lawsuit filed by Paul Oravec (search) says he was "shocked and dismayed" to see design photos of the towers at Trump Grande Ocean Resort and Residences in the newspaper after similar ideas he created were turned down by Trump.
The resort is under construction in Sunny Isles Beach on the Atlantic Ocean, just a few miles northeast of Miami.
Trump, the corporation, the architect for the Trump Palace (search) and Trump Royale towers and two development companies were named as defendants. The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, alleges copyright violations and seeks unspecified damages. It also calls for a judge to halt construction or order the destruction of the buildings.
Norma Foerderer, a spokeswoman for Trump, said he couldn't comment because he hadn't seen the filing. A spokeswoman at Dezer Properties, a prominent hotel builder in New York and the Miami Beach area that partnered with Trump on the towers, said legal counsel wasn't available for immediate comment.
Oravec claims he devised the concept for the concave-convex design in 1996 and sent it to several developers.
Trump also stars in the NBC reality show "The Apprentice."
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