The Dade Heritage Trust Wants To Save An Architectural Eyesore
The Dade Heritage Trust Executive Committee has recently entered the Florida casino battle with their attempt to help scuttle a plan for a casino at the Miami Herald newspaper site. Dade Heritage Trust announced their intention to file an application for the Miami Herald building to be recognized as a protected, architecturally significant, landmark, which would strip Genting of their property rights and mandate that the existing Herald structure be incorporated into the new Resort World Miami development. It's a strange move by a strange group of characters. We'll have more information on Dade Heritage Trust board members next month.
The Miami Herald building is arguably one of the ugliest buildings in all of Miami. Why would anyone want to preserve such an abomination to architectural design? It was built in 1963, a period that is not known for any design style that should be protected. The Herald building does not even meet the minimum age requirement of 50 years. The Dade Heritage Trust would need to show extraordinary circumstances, or merit, for a property to qualify for Heritage protection prior to the 50-year minimum age rule.
This is obviously a political move designed to add another obstacle for Genting to overcome. A historic landmark designation would prevent the property owner from altering the facade of the structure, and many of the interior features. It would essentially kill Gentings contemporary design proposal - a design that does not mesh well with a 1960's box styled building. Miami residents should be outraged by the prospect of having to see the old Miami Herald building at the entrance of Miami, in perpetuity. TEA Party Miami members will fight any attempt to preserve the Miami Herald building as a historic structure. It needs to be torn down and forgotten about.
The gaming opposition knows that their best chance to hamstring Gentings resort casino efforts is to hinder their ability to develop the property. This is just another roadblock: used to help derail the Florida gaming initiative.
Two 500 ft. "Media Towers" were approved for the Miami Herald site prior to Gentings purchase
Where was the Dade Heritage Trust when the City of Miami publicly approved two flashing, illuminated, 500 foot billboard towers that were to be built on the Miami Herald site? If Genting would not have purchased the Miami Herald properties, the "billboard building" would have become a reality that would have defined Miami as a billboard city into the future. The gargantuan billboard towers were approved by the Miami City administration, Mayor and Commissioners in 2010 - they changed city code to allow for them.
Gigantic downtown Miami buildings made as billboards is NOT the image that most Miami Dade residents want for their city. A resort casino fits well with the Miami vibe and lifestyle; probably better than any other area in the country, with the exception of Las Vegas, which was also created as an adult playground, but has evolved into a family friendly resort city that draws millions of families per year and provides billions in revenues for the State.
Marine Stadium on Key Biscayne also received historic designation through the efforts of the Dade Heritage Trust - WHY?
Dade Heritage Trust fought to designate the rusted-out Key Biscayne Marine Stadium grandstand as a Heritage site - and received approval; thereby blocking any future development or beneficial use to the public. The crumbling, graffiti-filled stadium has no utility or purpose. The priceless land that it sits on and the $3 million of public money that is being spent for upkeep and maintenance should be used for a new community water sporting center that promotes waterskiing, wakeboarding, crew, and other water sport activities. Marine Stadium sits on land that was donated to Miami for the specific purpose and use as a public watersporting facility. Miami residents OWN Marine Stadium - why has the Dade Heritage Trust been allowed to hinder future development and public use?
Miami needs more kid-friendly parks to fill the void for teenagers who are in need of safe and healthy environments to hang-out. Instead, we will be stuck with another Dade Heritage supported eyesore that blocks public usage and development opportunities, and which encourages more delinquent youth behavior, like adding graffiti, instead of using the facility as a water sporting recreation center, which was it's intended purpose.
The designation will make it nearly impossible for anyone to develop the waterfront location. Even restoring it for some commercial use would now be too costly and difficult for anyone to want to consider. Marine Stadium will continue to rust and decay and it will need ongoing costly repairs to keep it standing. Nice move, Dade Heritage Trust. You have rendered another prime Miami property useless.
The Dade Heritage Trust should raise money from their supporters and purchase the properties they like, themselves. It is against the principles of our constitution to take property owners rights, especially when it is being done so indiscriminately and with seemingly fraudulent intent. What site is the Dade Heritage Trust going to register as "historic" next - the closed, forgotten about, and broken down Miami Beach pier?
TEA Party Miami
