HomeMy WebLinkAboutAnalysisCITY OF MIAMI
PLANNING & ZONING DEPARTMENT
To: City of Miami Commission
From: Megan Cross Schmitt
Preservation Officer
Applicant: City of Miami Planning & Zoning Department, Preservation Office
Subject: 15-17 NE 42 ST
Buena Vista East Historic District Resurvey
ANALYSIS:
The Buena Vista East Historic District was designated by the Miami City Commission in
1987 per Ordinance No. 10213. At the time of designation, approximately 54% of the
buildings were classified as contributing structures, leaving approximately 46% of the rest of
the properties vulnerable to demolition.
It is the job of the Preservation Office to assist with the management of changes to the City
of Miami's historic resources. This occurs on a daily basis through the review of proposed
work to properties that are either individually designated or that are included within one of
our local historic districts. However, in addition to the routine issuance of Certificates of
Appropriateness, staff is obliged to periodically review the status of its existing portfolio to
account for how the passing of time has impacted the integrity of each district on a case by
case basis.
For this reason, the Preservation Staff initiated a review of the Buena Vista East Historic
District. This exercise was intended to update which properties had been demolished since
the establishment of the district in 1987, which vacant lots had been built upon, and which
properties may have become eligible for consideration as a contributing resource. The survey
methodology involved:
• Photographing all of the properties within the district;
• Verifying addresses and folio numbers;
• Confirming year of construction for each structure;
• Comparing current photographs of properties to tax card photographs to analyze level
of alterations and evaluate architectural integrity;
• Assigning an architectural style to those properties that were determined to be non-
contributing at the time of designation in 1987;
• Evaluating non-contributing resources for consideration of reclassification to
contributing resources based upon the evolution of the importance of these more recent
architectural styles and each building's individual integrity.
City of Miami Planning & Zoning Department, Preservation Office
Page 1 of 3
Inherent within the practice of historic preservation is the fact that resources can gain
significance with the passing of time. Age alone is not sufficient reason to identify a property
as contributing, however it is true that architectural styles can grow into their significance
over the span of almost three decades, as is the case with several of the structures within the
Buena Vista East Historic District.
In addition to managing change, it is the responsibility of the Preservation Office to protect
the properties that are under its purview. One of Miami's most significant challenges in
terms of safeguarding its historic resources is the unusually high number of non-contributing
structures that exist within our historic districts. When a historic district only has 55%-65%
contributing structures, it leaves a large number of buildings vulnerable to demolition.
Preservation Office staff welcomes sensitive and appropriate new construction within historic
districts, firmly believing that historic structures and contemporary design can live
harmoniously next to one another. However, when close to half of the buildings within a
district could be demolished, it becomes difficult to retain the sense of place for which the
district was designated. The Preservation Office will continue to evaluate the changes that
occur within the City of Miami's historic districts at both a building by building level as well
as at the broader district level. Both analyses require the understanding that, with the
passage of time, significance evolves.
City of Miami Planning & Zoning Department, Preservation Office
Page 2 of 3
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