Read Time: 3minsAndrew Capitman, son of Miami Design Preservation League leader Barbara Baer Capitman, was a leading Art Deco rehabilitation pioneer in the late 1970s and 1980s. In 1979, he purchased the Cardozo Hotel with a group of enthusiastic investors who believed in the resurgence of the city through the preservation of its past. Mr. Capitman instinctively knew that a 1930s revival would dramatically improve tourism.
Read Time: 2minsIn 1984, six hotels underwent major renovations that would mark the second wave of an Art Deco revival in South Beach. According to a Miami Herald article written by Paul Shannon on July 8, 1984, Royale Group Ltd. officials secured a $13.5 million loan to pay for the planned renovation, which included painting and refurbishing in the original Art Deco style.
Read Time: 2minsEditors 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. The year was 1986, marking […]
Read Time: 3minsEditors 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. Despite preservationists’ efforts to save […]
Read Time: 4minsMDPL’s Advocacy Committee has reviewed the following projects on the upcoming Historic Preservation Board agenda and offers our positions below.
Read Time: 3minsIn 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.
Read Time: 3minsThe 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.
Read Time: 2minsIn 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.
Read Time: 2minsNow 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:
Read Time: 3minsBefore 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.
Read Time: 2minsIn 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.
Read Time: 2minsAt 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.