Miami Beach residents hold in their hearts the nostalgia of yesteryear. In North Beach – the northern-most neighborhood in Miami Beach – yesteryear sparks a flashback to when The Beatles performed at the Deauville with Ed Sullivan, and our young men coming home from WWII to start their families; unfortunately not in the area proposed for preservation.
This specific post-war era period is characterized by a newly branded nomenclature of MiMo (Miami Modernism).
Indeed, this history in North Beach must be celebrated. These nostalgic properties and areas where you find “MIMO” architecture have already been deemed “locally designated” & protected for preservation.
Other areas in North Beach fall into a grey area, and local preservation activists associated with the Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL) are lobbying to blanketly preserve a massive range from roughly 73rd street to 87th street and Harding Avenue to Crespi Blvd under the guise of revitalization.
Very few of these buildings truly have the characteristics associated with “MIMO” architecture but meet “ Scale” criteria that could be protected via “design Guidelines”. The structures were erected in the late 1950s with lightning speed and very little planning and were originally built for the purpose of vacation rentals.
These small multifamily buildings are poorly designed apartments that do not accommodate modern families, creating a predominantly transient neighborhood.
Some may argue that low rent structures such these are needed to accommodate those who work in Miami Beach. This argument falls flat when confronted with the harsh economic realities of the situation.
Sea level rise is an issue manifesting itself in real-time. Major infrastructure changes are needed to make properties viable and insurable.
The cost of these infrastructure improvements is billions of dollars, and require both private and public investment. These costs will be passed on to renters, essentially pricing out the lower rent tenants.
Because many of the arguments the activists employ in their support of preservation fail in the face of facts, the activists have relied on emotion and a demonization of property owners to shape public opinion.
The activists warn of over development and point their fingers at the massive high-rises that have been erected throughout South Florida, but not in Miami Beach.
All agree that the development seen in Sunny Isles Beach and Brickell is not the direction for North Beach. Many people appreciate the quasi village feel of the area; but the status quo has clearly not brought about economic development, and all agree change is needed.
There is middle ground between massive development and smart, sensible development that can retain the quasi urban/village atmosphere while allowing for infrastructure improvements and economic growth.
Unfortunately, the emotional tactics employed by a few highly vocal activists have influenced many who hold public office, and they are recklessly taking positions that are not in the best interest of the people they represent.
If unimpeded preservation is allowed to take place in North Beach, the long-term effects will cripple the area economically and result in an unsustainable living environment.
Miami Beach has been deemed as having the largest gap in housing equality, and continued legislative down zoning and regulations will only further exasperate the unacceptable challenge of finding attainable housing for family life.
Miami Beach is “ground zero” for sea level rise, and the world is watching to see how we react. We can either be a vanguard city paving the way to sustainability and equality, or drown under the pretense of saving questionable architecture.
If we side with the strident preservationists, who shout from the rooftops with a false sense of moral superiority, and keep our properties below FEMA minimum requirements and the city’s own new policies, true revitalization will literally be washed away.
Matis Cohen
President North Beach Property Owners Association
Board of Governors Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce
Chairman Advocacy Council Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce
Principal Kahunah Properties / property owner North Beach
