Current Advocacy Issues
MDPL’s advocacy committee meets monthly to track historic preservation issues across Miami Beach and beyond, with a representative attending the City’s Historic Preservation Board meetings.
Visit the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board for designation reports, agendas, and schedules
Advocacy alert
When the Wrecking Balls Came for Star Island
In November 2012, MDPL volunteers sat down with Miami Beach’s Planning Department staff to sound an alarm: historic home demolitions were spiking. What used to be one or two teardowns a year had become two or three a month — and entire neighborhoods were changing shape in real time.
MDPL and the city agreed to explore changes to local law. We were warned it wouldn’t be easy — that developers, speculators, and their lobbyists would fight any new protections. But residents were calling and emailing daily, begging someone to stop the bleeding.
Then came the proposal that crystallized everything: a plan to demolish 42 Star Island Drive, a 1925 Walter DeGarmo-designed mansion overlooking Biscayne Bay, visible to millions of drivers on the MacArthur Causeway every year.
A Rare Move
MDPL took an unusual step: applying to designate 42 Star Island Drive as a historic site — a tool that’s existed for 25 years but is almost never used. It was the only real chance to save the DeGarmo Mansion from the wrecking ball.
The application cleared two Historic Preservation Board votes, unanimously. But on a separate track, the Design Review Board — which can’t block a demolition if the replacement design meets code — reluctantly approved a new plan for the site. Demolition was cleared in March.
Update
The DeGarmo Mansion’s story ultimately took an unexpected turn: in 2014, the original Mediterranean Revival home was carefully preserved and relocated to the south side of the 40,000-square-foot lot, making way for a SAOTA-designed modern mega-mansion on the site. The historic structure survived — just not where it started.
A Bigger Fix: Rewriting the Rules
Beyond Star Island, MDPL pushed the City Commission to draft an ordinance addressing the demolition epidemic at its root. The Planning Department’s draft has real promise — incentives like added height and unit size for retaining historic structures, along with easing courtyard requirements and fees, are steps we support. We also back limits on lot coverage for new construction, though the proposed caps are still too generous to stop oversized McMansions from taking over.
Look to Coral Gables
Still, the draft falls short of the gold standard: Coral Gables. There, a preservation board reviews demolition requests within a week — approving plenty, but with real scrutiny. Coral Gables, Palm Beach, and similar cities have proven that strong preservation rules raise property values and tax bases. Miami Beach has that same reputation for design and character — and it’s at risk.
MDPL is asking the City Commission to adopt the Coral Gables model. We’ll keep members posted as the ordinance moves forward — and thank you, as always, for standing with us to protect what makes this city worth living in.