Being that last weekend was our virtual Art Deco Weekend, we wanted to bring you a flashback to a year when the festival was also not able to be held on Ocean Drive. In 1988, because of the reconstruction of Ocean Drive between 5th and 15th Streets, MDPL had to move the Art Deco Festival to another location. The museum district was chosen for that year because at the time preservationists were campaigning to get the area designated as their next local historic district.
Improvements on Ocean Drive included widening the sidewalks on the eastern side to 15-20 feet and installing old fashioned street lamps and new landscaping on the street corners. In 1986 there was a November ballot for a $3 million bond for these new improvements. The MB Development Corp. organized a campaign in support and sent “Our Drive, Ocean Drive” brochures to all registered voters.
Shown is a photograph of the 1988 Art Deco Festival held on Collins Avenue between 19th and 21st Street up to Washington Avenue and a 1988 Miami Herald article entitled “Deco fest to move; Construction forcing event to find new site”.
Please visit our website https://artdecoweekend.com/ for a list of scheduled virtual Art Deco Weekend events and lectures, this weekend January 15th-17th, 2021.
