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Home My WebLink AboutCRA-R-05-0019 Backup DocumentationProposal for Historic Preservation Funding From the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, City of Miami Miami City Cemetery Miami, Miami -Dade County, Florida N 25° 47' 34" W080°11'34" City Cemetery History At the edge of downtown lies the city's oldest cemetery. The City Cemetery was created in 1887, a year after the City of Miami was incorporated. It is one of the few cemeteries where the owners of the plot actually hold a deed to the land where the plot is situated. In 1983 the cemetery was classified as a historic landmark and in the years since it has been through a series of repairs, refurbishment and improvements which continue to happen thanks to the support of local foundations including the Dade Heritage Trust. With close to 10,000 plots, the cemetery was originally split into two parcels, one for whites and one for blacks. Then in 1915, the City sold two lots to B'nai Zion, the first Jewish synagogue. These lots were walled following Jewish tradition and the walls can still be seen today. Many of Miami's founders are buried in the City Cemetery. Well known names we come in contact with on a daily basis today, such as Burdine, Peacock, Tuttle, Duval, Sewell and Jackson, can be visited. Veterans of the Civil War, Spanish-American War and World War I and II can also be found here, marking the time line of the City of Miami's history and what our City has lost and gained during it's 117 year existence. Approximately 1,000 open plots still remain within the City Cemetery but to be buried there, the criteria is strict. One must be able to produce proof of ownership for a plot and must be either the deed holder or able to prove familial relationship to the owner. Friends of the family are not allowed. Currently between 10 and 20 burials occur every year at the City Cemetery. Operated by the City of Miami Parks and Recreation's Operation Department, they maintain the property's building, facilities and grounds. Tombstones and gravesite maintenance is the sole responsibility of the plot owner. All cemetery records are housed at Operation's main office and are checked with every burial request. For more information on the City Cemetery call 305-579-6938. Funding Request The money needed is a threefold request. 1. Signage for the newly designated City Cemetery Drive (NE 18th St.) will be $800.00. 2. A plaque is needed for the sexton's wall stating that the cemetery is on the register of historic sites which is $200.00. This request and information was given to me by Mike Mitchell, I have not researched it nor do I know the state's procedure on what is done when a site is deemed historic. 3. Many of the headstones need cleaning and repair. One person has been doing this at his own expense for a number of years. To enhance this effort, $5,000 is required. 3. Funding for landscaping along City Cemetery Drive, two islands each with 13 different species of palms. This will be a an opportunity to showcase some of South Florida's magnificent palm trees from Biscayne Blvd. to the entrance to the historic cemetery. Approximate cost will be $3,900.00. 4. Bougainvillea Plantings Bougainvillea is one of South Florida's most rewarding plants. With minimum care, it provides glorious colors all year long. It can also serve as a deterrent to illegal entry as it is a very thorny vine, and when it covers fences or walls, no one is Iikely to try to climb over them. Therefore, planting of bougainvillea along the fence surrounding the Cemetery is desired. The estimated cost is $2,000 for 100 plants installed. To add color to the landscaped median on City Cemetery Drive, a shrub -like bougainvillea will be planted. The estimated cost for 25 plants is $500. Budget Summary: Signage $800 Plaque $200 Stone Repair $5000 Tree Planting $3900 Bougainvillea $2500 Total $12,400 Submitted by: Penny Lambeth, Chair Miami City Cemetery Committee Dade Heritage Trust 190 SE 12th Terrace Miami, FL 33131 Phone: 305-556-6280 CITY OF MIAMI, FLORIDA INTER -OFFICE MEMORANDUM TO : FROM: Frank Rollason Executive Director Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) Ernest W. Bu een, Director Department f Parks and Recreation DATE: SUBJECT: REFERENCES: ENCLOSURES: March 18, 2005 FILE City of Miami Cemetery Grant Application I welcome the Dade Heritage Trust Commitment to the City of Miami Cemetery and support its application to the State for Historic Preservation funding. The grant request will allow the City to add much needed landscaping, signage and improve the condition of the headstones. I look forward to the implementation of this project. Please feel free to have the State call me regarding my support for this application. EWB/pr „.: t- of S. .�lb',t OMNI AREA %/uniOiRedevelvpment” REDEVELOPMENT PLAN SEPTEMBER 1986, AS AMENDED 1987 IV. E. HISTORIC PRESERVATION PLAN The Omni area contains a number of structures and sites that are important in the historical and architectural development of Miami. The earliest is the City of Miami Cemetery, which dates to 1897, and reflects Miami's pioneer era. Miramar, one of the City's early exclusive residential subdivisions, was laid out in 1912, while Biscayne Boulevard, the City's first "shopping center," was _completed in 1927. Buildings in the Omni area also reflect the wide variety of architectural styles common to Miami, including frame and masonry vernacular, Mediterranean Revival, and Art Deco. The Dade County Historic Survey, completed in 1979, identified approximately 140 structures of varying degrees of historic and/or architectural significance within this area. Since that time, approximately 30 of these have been demolished, while many others have been drastically altered. Two buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places (Miami Woman' s Club, 1737 N. Bayshore Drive and Trinity Episcopal Church, 464 N.E. 16th Street), while one has been determined eligible for the National Register (Sears, Roebuck and Co., 1300 Biscayne Boulevard). In addition, two properties (Miami Woman's Club and City of Miami Cemetery, 1800 N.E. 2nd Avenue) have been designated as local historic sites by the City of Miami under its Heritage Conservation Ordinance. As part of the- Downtown Master Plan, the Dade County Historic Survey was updated, and all buildings eligible for the National Register of Historic Places and/or local historic site designation were identified. These sites are listed on the following page and illustrated on Map 10. It is the policy of the City of Miami to promote the preservation of these historic sites and to encourage that any remodeling respect their historic character. To promote preservation, the City will nominate all of the ten potentially eligible buildings to the National Register of Historic Places. If listed in the National Register, income producing buildings would be eligible for a 20 percent investment tax credit for rehabilitation. Other federal incentives would also be available. The City will also encourage the designation of all eligible buildings as local' historic sites under the Heritage Conservation Ordinance. This ordinance provides for certain zoning incentives in exchange for the preservation of a building. These incentives may include floor area or density bonuses, transfer of development rights, change in use, and modification of height, setback, parking and other zoning regulations. The City will continue to explore other incentives to encourage preservation. Because of its historic and architectural significance, as well as its visual prominence at the entrance to the Omni area, the Sears Building is worthy of special attention. Every attempt should be made to find a buyer who will rehabilitate the building, either individually or as a component in a larger development. In the meantime, the exterior should be cleaned and painted in Art Deco colors to eliminate the negative visual image the building currently projects. - 21 -