Editors Note: The Barbara Baer Capitman archives “Historic Threads” project is partly sponsored by the Department of State, Division of Historical Resources and the State of Florida.
In 1982, the the dispute over the fate of the City of Miami’s historic Sears Tower amid plans for large-scale redevelopment in the Omni/Uptown area levied on whether a single historic building can be exempted from zoning codes meant to preserve designated areas and whether preservation requirements impose unreasonable economic hardship on developers. Built in 1929, the Sears building was one of the city’s earliest Art Deco commercial structures and a symbolic gateway to Uptown Miami. Developers sought to demolish it as part of a new retail-office complex, while preservationists from Miami and Miami Beach– MDPL– argued for its protection.
Miami Beach and Miami were both preparing to vote on new or revised preservation ordinances. Miami’s ordinance was described as unusually strict, requiring proof of economic hardship before allowing demolition while Miami Beach’s ordinance, by contrast, was criticized as weak and ineffective. The Miami Design Preservation League was pushing for stronger legal protections.
Excerpts and quotes from the article are highlighted below in blue.
Two municipalities, Miami Beach and Miami, will be voting on proposed historic preservation ordinances in upcoming weeks. Miami Beach commissioners will decide on a watered-down offering this Wednesday, and the Miami City Commission will vote on a comprehensive ordinance on March 25. The Miami ordinance is unique among local preservation ordinances in that it adds zoning incentives to reward the saving of good, old buildings and requires proof of economic hardship before a certified historic building can be demolished. […] On the other hand, Miami Beach’s historic preservation ordinance is weak, virtually toothless. As proposed, written approval from a property owner would be required before that property would be protected by the ordinance, which makes a bit of a mockery of the whole process.
It’s especially ironic, since Miami Beach has so much to preserve, and in fact, contains South Florida’s only National Historic District — the Art Deco District. And there are plenty of threats to the mile-square Art Deco District. Not surprisingly, and not without good reason, the Miami Design Preservation League is working for a stronger ordinance.
