HomeMy WebLinkAboutM-78-0460y.1
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CITY OF t.tIA 1I, ;'LORIDA
r t1 ` tt 1 t
::3-or FIC i. 'ZMORANGU.',1
Joseph R. Crassie
City Manager
Commissioner Rose
Ir. /*�a -4
I U' iJ i i •
June 28, 1978
Commission support of preservation of
freedom Tower, an historic site
City Commission Agenda, July 13, 1978
Letter and Resolution from Dolly MacIntyr(
I would like the attached Resolution placed on the July 13) 1978
agenda for Commission approval. Would you please see that Mrs.
Maclntyre is notified of the approximate time this item will be
heard. Her home phone is 854-8485.
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77e Commi]f ee �0 Save,
ORGANIZER CflAIRr1AN - ROMAINE ALEXANDER
SPEAKERS FOR TEE COMMITTEE
Dolly Paclntyre -- Trustee - Dade Heritage Trust, Inc.
Ricardo Fernandez - Architect
Peter J. Andolina - Downtown Development Authority
O.J. Jorgensen - Structural Engineer
Romaine Alexander - Organizer -Chairman
The Committee meets every other I.ionday evening at 7:30 P.N. at the
Dade Heritage Trust, Inc., 190 S.E. 12th Terr.
Next meeting ---- July 24, 1978.
ALL INTERESTED PERSONS ARE WELCOME
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STA 11 N ' OP .SI NI'ICA : E
'the 7 CtTFR, originally known as the NEWS TCt'1E and later as the
PlIttsboM q-owER, is closely tied into Miami's history as well as that
Of our country. !lousing one of the city's most prominent newspapers
for over thirty (30) years'and playing host to the thousands of ref. -
ogees during the Cuban exodus in the early sixties, and stands as a
beacon a+ the "Gateway to the Americas", a.s we forge theties of
friendship and business of worth, South and Central America. It is
also a monument to outstanding engineering, architectural design and
ari, descri.bbd recently by Now York architect, Phillip Johnson, as
"by far I•iami's finest structure architecturally.
James i.;. Cox, former governoro.i' Ohio, and a prominent Newspaperman
in Cincinnati, Dayton find Springfield, Ohio and Atlanta, Georgia,
came to I;dami. in 1923 and purchased the r'riami. £'etropolis, the only
afternoon paper, ihe oldest paper :in this region. 'the W.etropolis
war operated in a smallplace on Flagler St. and in Gov. Cox's own
words : "Believing that Biscayne Boulevard -:.ould become the Fifth
Avenue of .out" Florida", he purchased +he 1.oi now known as 600
Biscayne P1 •,d . , and erected on it one of. I.:iami's first skyscrapers,
the 17 ri ory C4 1.f: to house his newly acquired paper, which he
prompl]y re.!,*,ncd thr_ :'.'.II'_' I':i.a':;, (changed again in 1957, to the
VIA; 1," , :? nor.n as the ;,i':''JS 7CI•1.R and, visible
from air, 1 ellc' -Inn sea, }a s yccn a prominent sky/land mark for five
dec!ncier, nor..
', } o 'lc. "•.it, of c'ctei1 :.n dedicated in 1925, was patterned after
t }le e:i ; }-1-hundreri-ye= r-o1 _l b 1.1, tower in Seville, Spain, one
of a t r; 0 (;r i r1c.ri H1 !•lin=]retr', r'eo nizable as sisters.
`: Le 01 1 err r' In :?;•1';, , ,!1ri c• ar. eeh, it.orocco.
Again nuc,tin;' '': Y, "rdo] ph [ . Cch^ (Publisher of the new York 'Time`;)
once 1-%P our a treasured complement by asserting that no
newr,11`r-Pr• i.n ATT.(rir:ri hod n bu,iness office comparable to ours. On
'ire :1'i1 :11 in this part, or the building is a large painting ,
symhni .i e o'.' i'1 ori.c?a c: - l: to,n hJ the ancient and embryonic maps of
thr, .•',ni•ury" ; ' }, it or -cu1 ptured frieze over the elevators in
the t'rot,' 1 ott,y/verttt,u? e coopicts ihe history of printing. And it
is i }; i , c ry rirpo ..urn] ' hir}. 1,c." i een desecrat od, and nearly demolisher]
ly vandal;, lc .ieeri t a accornp:;riy ing )'1mi :ev s ; iclure.
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Cot'. Coc spared no price or effort ih the erection of his 7dt' .f2
Its concrete :and steel structure sits on bedrock four to six feet
below the nu ft:ce, rendering it itnpre€;iinbD ' to "'l oodin.-.s, hurri-
canes and natural ,e! tt:l in e ' then the hurricane? of '26 hit . outh
1lorida, the first t1E?v.5to reach the North r.time from a steamship
in the harbor at }•;obil e, Ala1)atna4 "he dispatch slated that the
"}yews riower vas lcaninn; thi.rty-three and a third degrees', and
Cox scic. tl!cy '.•'ondereci if rubber had been used instead of ,:1,eel
in the con:;truc1 ion.
^, he "G' ": R ouF.c_rl the i :ti I;ew^ for some thirty-two years, until.
t } f I:e" r, moved ou + it; i4r 7, 1 hen rood idle until the Federal Gov-
ernmcnt ] a':i:c : ii'e 1 ui'dini in 1?<-.1 ^i,ri set up 'mmiEra-lion Yerd-
[111 i2' t ors tnc' ? n i c,:: for 'i r c prc,c: er>:,ir: fr. anci care of 1 he Cuban ref -
uFe:e? s. ienci, it t:ee;:.. me ;'.c):'ri aq i }/-.t3 FRI LT-(i . ; C'': LR, :'tandinr out
.. ap 'IC. C'r = ._:ii,i to i},r; ✓C',CUi U` `ir v):C' p=i;::'ed throuph J is
rc,rial:;; 'i.}r ei:ri c)i' the r'reF'ciori ir1i;•1YeS, thc' "Cr'and C]d Lady"
(a as .i1-e hitn teen af'';'nc11oncaiel 1;Ipsi:::d .:( Lfi into idlene so.
:he 1 %1r,} ) i ;1 i ;:rl t j',r• r1. -e .tell'(' l;.Lrit 'rom 1 j69 until. purchased
Ly �t.'i: Pc] ;)�1r' :..?r, �'�"^:, ',] e, in 1(.174, for i.}!v'i•ih. re'-
t ,. C .' i 1] Cr,
')ull •'.l:!.r:, Pt a fore..
c:Jor'. •1F`.
..7he';'•' ., ;1' . :i' •ti" to the ro 1y rndt
,'i . 3 irz,i _ !1•Ci <1rt 1"t''. 447r; 1-.rol.'?n into
; .(); .!.1 'he north i door; ai:d finally the
ra_ ' O) c c)�`r r)--- i:�� ; �� 'o" a:! i
p!..oS, i 1.'i ? . v.Cyr": t, elements usurped •
the- of 'r;'c;:, s t.;Iir-rail:.); copper
pi po;.. ,: :l '; ::1, -' !)1 ar nue:-: Naili;ox; crystal
1; i".'t ;t• i 4•.:1 t lace ..1 ! t :.1 7 ' • r:e. Eirly sal e ble•/pa%/lab) e
.le.,!'': _ntit. '.r1 t:}'" ht.; r.' • .t.r ; • flier rno'.:1 t' pious of all , the
t.;. ,. � a 1 }.E7 bu.i er, ;(,:, and pr.,i red by Ceh a ( the
pu'^l •i.•'1• of
the ,in: 't; :.prod • from the till in pieces.
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The building regained wide open to the above described desecrati.on
and vandai.ismi from the middle of March until May 25th when Citibank
of New York arranged for the building to he sealed.
But the r, Ot1.R proudly hears its sears. 'J he FRhEDOI7 '1 OWE?y rapidly
becoming t,ia.mi.'s most treasured remi.nc3er of our local heritage,
welldeserves another chance. to preserve this structure is to
preserve the 1a.stvestiges of historical continuity in our great city.
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7/6/78
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA:
Section 1. The Freed
RESOLUTION NO.
A RESOLUTION DECLARING THE FREEDOM TOWER
TO BE A CITY OF MIAMI HISTORIC LANDMARK
AND STATING THE INTENT OF THE COMMISSION
THAT NO CITY FUNDED OR CITY PERMITTED
ACTIVITY WHICH WOULD ALTER OR DEMOLISH
THE FREEDOM TOWER BE UNDERTAKEN UNLESS
SUCH ACTIVITY BE FIRST BROUGHT TO THE
ATTENTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION.
WHEREAS, the Freedom Tower, which wis built in 1925 to
house the Miami Daily News and which ha/most recently served
as the Cuban Refugee Center, the proc ssing point for hundreds
of thousands who sought and were granted freedom in the United
States of America, is found to beibne of Miami's most significant
landmarks; and
WHEREAS, the City Commission desires the preservation,
restoration and utilization of this landmark in a manner appropriate
to its historical significaifce;
NOW, THEREFOEE, BE I' 'JRESOLVED BY THE COMMISSION
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, 600 Biscayne Boulevard,
Miami, Florida, is hereby a City of Miami Historic
Landmark. it
Sectio% it is. the intent of the City Commission that
no city fu d d or/city permitted activity which would result in
the alterat: n prrl demolition of the Freedom Tower be undertaken
unless such ac,ivity be first brought to the attention of the
City Commiss
PASSE AND ADOPTED this day of , 1978.
ATTEST:
MAURICE A. FERRE, MAYOR
RALPH G. ONGIE, CITY CLERK
PREPARED AND APPROV Y:./. C
OBE'RT F. CLARK, SIST , ANT CITY ATTORNEY
APPROVED AS TO FORM AND CORRECTNESS:
"DOCUMENT INDEX
ITEM NO. f 1 "
. GEORGE F. KNOX, JR., CITY ATTORNEY