Demolition workers on Monday began knocking down the Cameo Apartments, a building that once offered affordable housing on Miami's expensive east side but had become a haven for vagrants after tenants were forced out in June.

When the building at 1825 NE Fourth Ave. is leveled, the land will be ready for Portico, a 43-story condo tower approved for the site, according to the property owners.

The building and its tenants were the subject of a Miami Herald article this summer that examined how the condo boom contributed to the loss of affordable housing.

Victor J. Labruzzo, a partner in the project with Luis Dominguez, said Monday a deal is pending, although financing still must be secured.

''We'll have a clean, safe, fenced lot ready for project Portico,'' Labruzzo said.
The Cameo land, east of Biscayne Boulevard near Biscayne Bay, has been surrounded by construction for months as other condo towers rose around it.

Even though the building was swept for people before demolition began Monday, a man and a woman emerged from a second-floor apartment after workers had already torn off the front staircase. Both made their way safely from the building using a back stairway.