Miami Beach’s Historic Art Deco District Could Be Bulldozed in Favor of High-Rise Towers

Some of the iconic art deco architectural gems in the heart of Miami Beach, FL, might soon be lost to a wrecking ball to make way for affordable apartment units. 

Under a proposed update to the state’s 2023 Live Local Act, developers would potentially be allowed to bulldoze hundreds of Miami Beach’s celebrated buildings boasting five stories or less, and replace them with apartment towers of up to 50 floors. 

City leaders have voiced strong opposition to the move, warning that it could fundamentally alter the community’s identity in the name of affordable housing. 

Miami Beach Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez said during a press conference last month that as things stand now, only eight buildings in the entire city would be spared from demolition—those currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

“That is unacceptable, because it would turn us into Manhattan, or even Sunny Isles to some extent,” said Gonzalez, according to Local10.

Historic buildings facing demolition

Art deco is an architectural style that is characterized by geometric or highly stylized shapes and modern finishes. First emerging in Paris more than a century ago, art deco reached the peak of its popularity in the U.S. during the 1920s and ’30s. 

Miami Beach’s Art Deco District, located between 5th Street and 23rd Street, is dotted with hundreds of buildings in this style, easily distinguishable by their geometric lines and pastel colors. Some of the most eye-catching landmarks include the Colony Hotel, the Tides Hotel, and the Clevelander South Beach.

At a gathering of lawmakers pushing against the law change, staged along Ocean Drive last week, Gonzalez argued that Miami Beach’s Art Deco District must be protected not only for its historic significance, but also because it is a major source of revenue—as Florida’s second-largest tourist attraction after Disney World. 

“Our art deco architecture, it’s our Leaning Tower of Pisa, our Eiffel Tower, our pyramids,” she said.

Local leaders have voiced objections to several aspects of the proposed changes, including having to give up control of zoning regulations and historic preservation of buildings, and facing the prospect of skyrocketing density in the community, brought on by an influx of new residents.

Additionally, Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez argued that replacing low-rise art deco buildings with skyscrapers could put pressure on existing infrastructure, including Miami Beach’s storm evacuation routes.

“Our evacuation routes today are at a failing level of service and that is based on FDOT (Florida Department of Transportation) maps from the state of Florida, so if we up-zone our city with 50-story towers all over South Beach, God forbid there is an evacuation, it would be the most devastating thing that could happen because today those evacuation routes are at an F level of service,” said Fernandez.

But state Rep. Vicki Lopez, the Florida Republican who filed the amendment to the Live Local Act, argued that the state was in the midst of a housing crisis, and that developers had to be incentivized to build more rental units in order to make the area livable for local workers. 

Florida, which saw its population explode during the COVID-19 pandemic, is facing a serious shortage of affordable housing. In 2023, the state had the highest share of cost-burdened renters in the nation, exceeding 60%, according to a study conducted by Apartment List.

What is Florida’s Live Local Act?

Live Local, first signed into law two years ago, gives developers the go-ahead to erect taller multifamily and mixed-use buildings than local zoning laws would otherwise permit, provided that they set aside 40% of apartments as workforce housing—defined as units with rentals affordable to people making between 80% and 120% of local median income.

Critics point out, however, that in Miami-Dade County, the range means that people making as much as $96,000 a year could be eligible for affordable housing.

The legislation also prohibits counties and municipalities from restricting neither the height nor density of workforce developments, and requires them to rubber-stamp the demolition of historic structures without holding hearings.

The first update to Live Local aimed at boosting development was approved last year. Now, a new and more far-reaching slate of amendments to the controversial state law is in the works, with two versions: one in the state House and one in the state Senate. 

Unlike the Senate bill, the initial iteration of the House bill included exemptions for historic buildings and neighborhoods, but those were subsequently removed.  

The Senate passed its bill in mid-April, followed by the House, which voted 109-3 in favor of the changes to the Live Local Act on April 29, which, ironically, coincided with the 100th anniversary of the unveiling of the art deco style at an exhibition in Paris. 

Miami Beach politicians and community leaders slammed the pro-development measures, warning that they could lead to the “bulldozing” of century-old historic buildings that give the community its character and attract tourist dollars.

State Rep. Fabian Basabe, A Republican who represents Miami Beach, hit out at the bill’s opponents, accusing them of seeking to block affordable housing in order to protect luxury developments under the guise of historic preservation. 

“The city should not be allowed to weaponize historic identity to block housing for working families while quietly paving the way for high-rise luxury towers,” Basabe said in a statement. “That is not preservation. That is manipulation.”

Basabe also responded to safety concerns voiced by local leaders, claiming that Miami Beach’s problems were self-inflicted and have nothing to do with the proposed development of high-rises. 

“The real threats to public safety and infrastructure in Miami Beach are the result of failed local leadership,” the lawmaker said. “They tied the hands of law enforcement, embraced a tourism model that destroys our beaches and streets, and forced businesses into survival mode. They destabilized the city and now want to point fingers elsewhere.”

The Senate bill is now awaiting a final vote in Tallahassee. If passed, as expected, it will head to Gov. Ron DeSantis’ desk for his signature.