World Congress Day Passes Now Available
Read Time: 3 mins The 16th World Congress on Art Deco® is coming to Miami and Miami Beach in April, and we have options for locals who want to participate in the biennial festivities! If you cannot join us for the entire 14-day Congress, we are now offering Individual Tickets to our Main Congress programs in South Florida between […]
Our Positions at the June 11th, 2024 Historic Preservation Board
Read Time: 4 mins MDPL’s Advocacy Committee has reviewed the following projects on the upcoming Historic Preservation Board agenda and offers our positions below.
Deco district on the Beach could be draw (1981)
Read Time: 3 mins In the 1980s, Miami Beach faced a dilemma that would crucially impact its future: Would it turn into a city full of brand-new skyscraper condos, or would it be a revitalized city honoring its past with an eye toward its future? The following quotes are from a Miami Herald editorial written by Charles Whited on January 29, 1981, in which he argues that Art Deco could save the desolate island and move it toward a cultural revival.
Revitalizing America’s Historic Resorts: Annual ‘Back to the City’ conference opens April 13 in Art Deco district (1984)
Read Time: 3 mins The annual Back to the City conference was a significant gathering focused on urban preservation and revitalization efforts in historic American cities. The conference served as a platform for discussing the resurgence of residential and commercial interests in decaying inner cities, aiming to rejuvenate and preserve the architectural and cultural heritage of these urban areas.
Restoration Fever Spreads: Partners Turn Slum into Condo (1986)
Read Time: 2 mins In the 1980s, the apartment house was one of many undergoing reinvestment and restoration. It was also among the first to be converted from apartments to condominiums – ushering in an era of homeownership in the Flamingo Park neighborhood.
Restoration Fever Spreads: Two buy ‘jewel of Ocean Dr.’ (1986)
Read Time: 2 mins Now known most famously as the former home of Gianni Versace during the 1990s, in the 1980s the Villa Casa Casuarina was an apartment house called the Amsterdam Palace. At the time this article was written, the property was among the most sought-after in all of South Beach. Developers Gerry Sanchez and Amancio Victor Suarez bought the property for double its real estate value:
Collins Canal Recommended for Historic Status
Read Time: 3 mins Before the Venetian Causeway and much of Miami Beach was developed, there was a waterway that made much of its development possible. This waterway – overlooked by many for too long – is now in the final stages of review and approval to receive historic status by the City of Miami Beach.
MDPL Receives Miami Beach Proclamation for National Historic Preservation Month
Read Time: 2 mins In a proclamation issued by the Mayor and Commission of the City of Miami Beach, the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL) has been honored for its unwavering commitment to historic preservation.
Preservationists Fight to Save Bass Museum Area (1988)
Read Time: 2 mins At the time, preservationists fought to make this quaint neighborhood a historic district. Then referred to as the Bass District, the area is between Washington and Collins Avenue from 16th to 23rd Street. It features some of the best examples of Art Deco and Mediterranean architecture.
Agenda Preview: June 11th, 2024 Historic Preservation Board
Read Time: 3 mins MDPL’s Advocacy Committee will review the following applications on the upcoming Historic Preservation Board agenda. Here is a sneak peek of the projects to be heard and links to learn more. Have a comment about a project you would like to share with our committee? Contact us. To review the Historic Preservation Board Agenda, including public […]
Restored beach, cafes, nightlife putting new life in Miami Beach (1983)
Read Time: 3 mins The revitalization of Miami Beach in the early 1980s included major infrastructure projects that helped transform it back to its glory days. A Miami Herald article by Dory Owens, dated Jan 2nd, 1983, highlights various initiatives underway: “Restored beach, cafes, nightlife putting new life in Miami Beach.” Quotes from the article are highlighted below in […]
Edison Hotel gets new life – with assistance from the State of Florida (1987)
Read Time: 3 mins In 1987, the state of Florida loaned $250,000 for the restoration of the Edison, with assistance from the Miami Beach Development Corp.
Miami Beach Conflict Pits Developers Against Lovers of Art Deco (1981)
Read Time: 4 mins Art Deco hotels offered fashionable places to escape the Winter and Great Depression during the 1930s and 40s. But by the 1970s and 1980s, Miami Beach was in decline. By 1981, the city was looking to revitalize.