MDPL’s Advocacy Committee has reviewed the following projects on the upcoming Historic Preservation Board agenda and offers our positions below. Have a comment about a project you would like to share with our committee? Contact us.
Please note: the lack of a position on a project does not indicate support for or opposition to that project. To review the Historic Preservation Board Agenda, including public participation information: Click Here
- 1210 Michigan Avenue
- 1440 Michigan Avenue
- 1835 Michigan Avenue
- 1701 James Avenue
- 4441 Collins Avenue
- 336 Meridian Avenue
OPEN AND CONTINUED ITEMS AND PREVIOUSLY CONTINUED ITEMS
HPB25-0674, a.k.a HPB24-0638, 1210 Michigan Avenue
Current Site
Proposed Structure
Click to view the full City of Miami Beach Staff Report
An application has been filed requesting modifications to a previously approved Certificate of Appropriateness for the construction of a new single-family home. Specifically, the applicant is requesting a variance from the minimum required setbacks for a roof deck, and including one or more design waivers.
MDPL does not have a position on this application.
NEW APPLICATIONS
HPB24-0640, 1440 Michigan Avenue
Current Site
Proposed Structure
Click to view the full City of Miami Beach Staff Report
An application has been filed requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for the construction of a new 3-story multifamily building with an understory, including a waiver to exceed the maximum allowable lot coverage, to replace an existing parking lot, to be demolished.
MDPL Position: We support this project subject to staff recommendations. We appreciate the design, scale, and context of the project. It’s an appropriate transition project from multi-family to single-family homes to the south. We note that the design relies heavily on landscaping, and the long-term success of the design relies on the ongoing maintenance of these landscaping elements. This infill project will add a significant amount of market-rate apartments, which is important for Miami Beach’s continued vitality.
HPB25-0670, 1835 Michigan Avenue
Current Site
Click to view the full City of Miami Beach Staff Report
An application has been filed requesting a variance from the minimum seawall height requirements in order to repair the existing seawall along the property, which contains an existing 2-story home.
MDPL does not have a position on this application.
HPB25-0672, 1701 James Avenue
Current Site
Click to view the full City of Miami Beach Staff Report
An application has been filed requesting an after-the-fact Certificate of Appropriateness for the construction of a wood deck and trellis structure, including after-the-fact variances from the minimum required front and side setbacks, on a site containing an existing 2-story hotel.
MDPL Position: We support this after-the-fact certificate of appropriateness. The owners have been excellent stewards of this historic property. The Cadet Hotel has an important history during World War II, when it housed West Point cadets as Miami Beach hotels served as military barracks. The deck and trellis structure has minimal visual impact from the street without compromising the property’s historic integrity.
HPB25-0669, 4441 Collins Avenue
Current Site
Proposed Structure
Click to view the full City of Miami Beach Staff Report
An application has been filed requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for the partial demolition of existing improvements in the rear yard, and the construction of new rear yard amenities for the hotel, including water slides, pools, restrooms, and cabanas. The applicant is also requesting variances from the maximum allowable height for shade structures; a variance from the minimum setback requirements from the Erosion Control Line; variances from the walkway material and maximum walkway width requirements; variances from the minimum open space requirements in both the Dune Preservation and Oceanfront Overlay Districts; a variance from the side setback requirements in the Oceanfront Overlay; a variance from the minimum setback requirements from the Bulkhead line; a variance from the view corridor requirements in the Oceanfront Overlay; a variance from the rear pedestal setback requirements; and variances from the side setback requirements and sum of the side yard setback requirements.
MDPL Position: We do not support the proposed water park project for the Fontainebleau. While we understand the desire to add family oriented amenities, we believe this proposal is
incompatible with the character of this individually designated landmark and the surrounding neighborhood. The 130 foot tall water slide structure would dramatically alter the character of one of Miami Beach’s most iconic properties and set a concerning precedent.
The scale of the water slides are inconsistent with the historic beach resort character that has made Miami Beach internationally recognized. We believe there are alternative approaches to adding family friendly amenities that would not compromise the character that make the Fontainebleau a historic landmark.
HPB25-0663, 336 Meridian Avenue.
Existing Structure
Proposed Structure
Click to view the full City of Miami Beach Staff Report
An application has been filed requesting a Certificate of Appropriateness for the total demolition of one structure, the substantial demolition of one structure, the construction a single-family home and a variance from the minimum required setbacks.
MDPL Position: We appreciate the applicant’s tweaking the design to address some of the concerns we had as well as those from the Historic Preservation Board members last month. However, we still do not support the proposed design.
We continue to have significant concerns. The massing, scale, and angular form remain out of context with both the original structure and the Ocean Beach Historic District. The overall design lacks contextual sensitivity to the predominantly Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival character of interior portion of the South of Fifth neighborhood.
We no longer oppose the rear setback variance, understanding the significant voluntary setbacks the design has to respect the facades of the historic contributing structure that are being retained. We appreciate the applicant’s desire to build a forever home on Miami Beach and their love of their new home. With that, we encourage the applicant to reconsider the design with one that is more contextually appropriate and that respects the historic nature of their property’s surroundings.
MDPL Position [from October 21, 2025]: We oppose the proposed project for multiple reasons. First, the application does not demonstrate sufficient justification for the near-complete demolition of a contributing structure within the Ocean Beach Historic District. Retaining only three facade walls does not constitute meaningful historic preservation and fails to preserve the architectural integrity that the structure contributes to the neighborhood.
The proposed new construction is incompatible with the scale, massing, and architectural character of the surrounding historic district. The oversized design, particularly the projecting glass block overpowers the historic facade. The overall design lacks contextual sensitivity to the predominantly Art Deco and Mediterranean Revival character of Meridian Avenue and the interior portion of the South of Fifth neighborhood.
We oppose the requested variance to reduce the rear setback from 14 feet to 4 feet. The applicant has not demonstrated a legitimate hardship—claims of base flood elevation challenges do not justify reduced setbacks.
We believe this proposal represents over-development of the site and sets a concerning precedent for demolishing contributing structures while claiming preservation through facade retention alone. We encourage the applicant to reconsider the design with a more contextually appropriate architectural approach that genuinely integrates and respects the historic structure, reduces the overall mass and scale, and eliminates the projecting elements that overpower the streetscape.
