Could Ocean Drive buildings soon be a thing of the past?
MIAMI BEACH - The legendary buildings that line Ocean Drive could soon be a thing of history.
"We always think about hurricanes maybe being what will risk our historic buildings, but now it's almost like a hurricane in Tallahassee that could really destroy them all," said Daniel Ciraldo, executive director of the Miami Design Preservation League.
Two proposed bills making their way through lawmakers in Tallahassee are hoping to limit local government's abilities to interfere with demolishing buildings.
One of these two bills, proposed by State Senator Bryan Avila of Miami-Dade, states in part: "Creating the Resiliency and Safe Structures Act;" prohibiting local governments from prohibiting, restricting, or preventing the demolition of certain structures unless necessary for public safety;"
While Senator Avila and others who support the bill believe it will create growth and assure safety, Miami Beach leaders say it will destroy the allure of the city.
"I think it would be one of the worst things ever. This is not simply the most iconic area of our city, it's not just simply historic, it's also one of the great economic engines of not just the region, but the state," said Mayor Dan Gelber.
"It's an affront to every historic district because any building that's deemed unsafe by a local building official can now without any regulation from a local government be demolished and be replaced to the maximum height to the maximum density," said Miami Beach Commissioner Alex Fernandez.
While the GOP majority legislature usually votes along party lines, one local Republican representative, Fabian Basabe, is also against the bills, providing us this statement that reads in part:
"The Bill's House sponsor and our State leadership considered the reservations of my district, after I presented environmental, infrastructure and density concerns along with further damage to our already volatile brand identity and the irreplaceable value for our historic integrity. The bill will not move forward this session."
We reached out to Senator Avila for comment on the bill but did not hear back.
The bill is expected to be reviewed and voted on sometime next week.
