2002-3355 ORD
ORDINANCE NO.
2002-3355
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY
OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING SUBPART B OF THE LAND
DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF THE MIAMI BEACH CITY CODE;
AMENDING CHAPTER 118, "ADMINISTRATION AND REVIEW
PROCEDURES," ARTICLE X, "HISTORIC PRESERVATION," DIVISION
4, "DESIGNATION," SECTION 118-593, "HISTORIC PRESERVATION
DESIGNATION," SUBSECTION 118-593 (E) , "DELINEATION ON
ZONING MAP" BY DESIGNATING THE 69TH STREET FIRE STATION
(NOW KNOWN AS FIRE STATION NO.4) AS AN HISTORIC SITE TO
BE KNOWN AS THE "HISTORIC 69TH STREET FIRE STATION,"
LOCATED AT 6860 INDIAN CREEK DRIVE, AS MORE PARTICULARLY
DESCRIBED IN THE ORDINANCE; PROVIDING THAT THE CITY'S
ZONING MAP SHALL BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE 69TH STREET
FIRE STATION AS AN HISTORIC SITE; ADOPTING THE
DESIGNATION REPORT ATTACHED AS APPENDIX "A"; PROVIDING
FOR INCLUSION IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF THE
CITY CODE; REPEALER; SEVERABILITY; AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
WHEREAS, on December 11, 2001, the City's Historic
Preservation Board held a public hearing and voted unanimously (7-
0) in favor of recommending that the City Commission designate the
69th Street Fire Station (now known as Fire Station No.4), located
at 6860 Indian Creek Drive, as an Historic Site; and
WHEREAS, on January 22, 2002, the City's Planning Board held
a public hearing and voted unanimously (7-0) in favor of the
proposed designation; and
WHEREAS, the Ci ty of Miami Beach Planning Department has
recommended this amendment to the Land Development Regulations of
the City Code; and
WHEREAS, these recommendations of approval for the designation
of the 69th Street Fire Station as an Historic Site were based upon
the information documented in the Designation Report prepared by
the City of Miami Beach Planning Department attached hereto as
Appendix n A. n
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA:
SECTION 1.
DESIGNATION OF THE 69TH STREET FIRE STATION AS AN
HISTORIC SITE.
The 69th Street Fire Station is hereby designated as an
Historic Site of the City of Miami Beach and shall be known as the
"Historic 69th Street Fire Station." The legal description for the
designated property is described in Section 2 below. The
Designation Report attached hereto as Appendix "A" is hereby
adopted.
SECTION 2.
AMENDMENT OF SUBSECTION 118-593 (E) .
Subpart B of the Land Development Regulations of the Miami
Beach City Code,
Chapter 118,
"Administration and Review
Procedures," Article X, "Historic Preservation, " Division 4,
"Designation,"
Section
118-593,
"Historic
Preservation
Designation," Subsection 118-593(e), "Delineation on Zoning Map,"
is hereby amended to read as follows:
Section 118-593. Historic Preservation Designation.
*
*
*
(e) Delineation on zoning map.
All sites and districts
designated as historic sites and districts shall be
delineated on the city's zoning map, pursuant to section
142-71, as an overlay district. Such sites and districts
include:
*
*
*
2
l11l PF and ROS/HPS-ll: The Historic 69th Street Fire
Station. more particularly described as follows: A
portion of Lots 1 through 6. Block M. CORRECTED
PLAT OF ATLANTIC HEIGHTS. recorded in Plat Book 9.
at Page 14. Public Records of Miami-Dade County.
Florida.
together wi th the
riparian rights
appurtenant and adjacent thereto. and together with
a portion of Atlantic Drive (now 69th Street).
Said portion of land located in the south half of
Government Lot One. Section 11. Township 53 South.
Range 42 East. and more particularly described as
follows: Commence at the southeast corner of Lot
6. Block M. of the above mentioned CORRECTED PLAT
OF ATLANTIC HEIGHTS: thence North 890 121 34" West.
along the south line of said Lot 6 for a distance
of 38.36 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING of the
tract of land herein described: then North 260 00'
53" West along the new right-of-way line of Indian
Creek Drive for a distance of 427.95 feet to the
point of intersection with the southerly line of
Lot 6. Block N. of said CORRECTED PLAT OF ATLANTIC
HEIGHTS: thence run along the arc of a curve
concave to the northwest whose radius bears North
3
620 11' 32" West. having a central angle of 630 01'
09" and a radius of 20.00 feet for a distance of
22.00 feet to a point of tangency; thence North 890
10' 23" West. along the north right-of-way line of
Atlantic Drive (now 69th Street) for a distance of
152.47 feet; thence South 160 52' 06" East for a
distance of 74.53 feet; thence South 190 41' 17"
East for a distance of 37.33 feet to a point of
tangency; thence along the arc of a curve concave
to the northeast, having a central angle of 190 13'
49" and a radius of 703.27 feet for a distance of
236.04 feet to a point of tangency; thence South 380
55' 06" East for a distance of 53.57 feet; thence
South 530 17' 11" West for a distance of 33.97 feet;
thence South 890 12' 34" East, along the south line
of the above mentioned Lot 6, Block M and its
westerly extension. for a distance of 202.55 feet
to the POINT OF BEGINNING.
Said lands located,
lying, and being in the City of Miami Beach, Miami-
Dade County, Florida. and containing 1.6066 acres
(more or less) .
*
*
*
4
SECTION 3.
INCLUSION IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF
THE CITY CODE.
It is the intention of the City Commission, and it is hereby
ordained that the provisions of this ordinance shall become and be
made part of the Land Development Regulations of the Code of the
City of Miami Beach as amended; and that the sections of this
Ordinance may be renumbered or relettered to accomplish such
intention.
SECTION 4.
AMENDMENT OF ZONING MAP.
The Mayor and City Commission hereby amend the Zoning Map of
the City of Miami Beach as contained in the Land Development
Regulations of the City Code by identifying the area described
herein as HPS-ll, Historic Preservation Site Eleven.
SECTION 5.
REPEALER.
All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict herewith be
and the same are hereby repealed.
SECTION 6.
SEVERABILITY.
If any section, subsection, clause or provision of this
Ordinance is held invalid, the remainder shall not be affected by
such invalidity.
5
SECTION 7.
EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Ordinance shall take effect ten days following adoption.
PASSED and ADOPTED this 20th day of
March
, 2002.
ATTEST:
MAYOR
~r e~~
CITY CLERK
Ordinance No. 2002-3355
APPROVED AS TO FORM & LANGUAGE
<< FOR EXECUTION:
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CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
NOTICE OF ZONING MAP CHANGE
ro
The City of Miami Beach proposes to adopt the following Ordinance:
-
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING SUBPART B OF
THE LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF THE MIAMI BEACH CITY CODE; AMENDING CHAPTER 118, "ADMINISTRATION AND
REVIEW PROCEDURES," ARTICLE X, "HISTORIC PRESERVATION," DIVISION 4, "DESIGNATION," SECTION 118-593, "HISTORIC
PRESERVATION DESIGNATION," SUBSECTION 118-593(E), "DELINEATION ON ZONING MAP" BY DESIGNATING THE 69TH STREET
FIRE STATION (NOW KNOWN AS FIRE STATION NO.4) AS AN HISTORIC SITE TO BE KNOW AS THE "HISTORIC 69TH STREET FIRE
STATION," LOCATED AT 6860 INDIAN CREEK DRIVE, AS MORE PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN THE ORDINANCE; PROVIDING THAT
THE CITY'S ZONING MAP SHALL BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE 69TH STREET FIRE STATION AS AN HISTORIC SITE; ADOPTING
THE DESIGNATION REPORT ATTACHED AS APPENDIX "N'; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE LAND DEVELOPMENT
REGULATIONS OF THE CITY CODE; REPEALER; SEVERABILITY; AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
PUBLIC NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that a first and. final reading.public hearing on the Ordinance will be held by the City Commission on
WEDNESDAY, March 20, 2002, at 5:05 p.m., or as soon thereafter, as possible, in the City Commission Chambers, Third Floor, City
Hall, 1700 Convention Center Drive, Miami Beach, Florida.
This historic site proposed for designation is shown on the Map
within this Zoning Map Change.
All persons are invited to appear at this meeting or be
represented by an agent, or to express their views in writing
addressed to the City Commission c/o the. City Clerk, 1700
Convention Center Drive, First Floor, City Hall, Miami Beach,
Florida 33139.
A copy of this Ordinance, and all documents related to the
proposed historic site, are available for public inspection during
normal business hours in the City Clerk's Office. Inquiries may
be directed to the Planning Department at (305) 673-7550. The
hearing on this Ordinance may be continued at this meeting
and, under such circumstances, additional legal notice would
not be provided. Any person may contact the City Clerk at (305)
673-7411 for information as to the status of the Ordinance as
a result of the meeting.
Pursuant to Section 286.0105, Fla. Stat., the City hereby
advises the public that: if a person decides to appeal any
decision made by the Commission with respect to any matter
considered at its meeting or its hearing, such person must
insure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made,
which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which
the appeal is to be based. .
This notice does not constitute consent by the City for the introduction or admission of otherwise inadmissible or irrelevant evidence, nor
does it authorize challenges or appeals not otherwise allowed by law.
In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, persons needing special accommodation to participate in this
proceeding should contact the City Clerk's Office at (305) 673-7411 for assistance, no later than four (4) prior to the proceeding. If
hearing impaired, telephone the Florida Relay Service Numbers, (800) 955-8771 (TOO) or (800) 955-8770 (Voice), for assistance.
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CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
COMMISSION ITEM SUMMARY
m
Condensed Title:
First and Final Reading Public Hearing - Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station (now known as Fire
Station No.4) as an Historic Site
Issue:
The Administration is requesting that the Mayor and City Commission consider the proposed designation
of the 69th Street Fire Station (now known as Fire Station No.4), located at 6860 Indian Creek Drive, as
an historic site.
Item Summary/Recommendation:
Adopt the Ordinance on first and final reading public hearing.
Advisory Board Recommendation:
On December 11, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved a motion (7 to 0) to
recommend approval of the designation of the 69th Street Fire Station as an historic site, in accordance with
staff recommendations.
On January 22, 2002, the Planning Board unanimously approved a motion (7 to 0) to recommend approval
of the designation of the 69th Street Fire Station as an historic site.
On February 20, 2002, the City Commission adopted a resolution to schedule a first and final reading public
hearing on March 20, 2002, to consider the designation of the 69th Street Fire Station as an historic site.
Financial Information:
Amount to be expended:
D
Finance Dept.
Source of
Funds:
AGENDA ITEM -.B5H
DATE 3-020-0'2-
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
www.ci.miami-beach.f1.us
COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
To:
From:
Mayor David Dermer and
Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez d!:
City Manager
First and Final Re . ing Public Hearing - Designation of the 69th Street
Fire Station (now known as Fire Station No.4) as an Historic Site
Date: March 20, 2002
Subject:
AN ORDINANCE OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF
MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, AMENDING SUBPART B OF THE LAND
DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF THE MIAMI BEACH CITY CODE;
AMENDING CHAPTER 118, "ADMINISTRATION AND REVIEW PROCEDURES,"
ARTICLE X, "HISTORIC PRESERVATION," DIVISION 4, "DESIGNATION,"
SECTION 118-593, "HISTORIC PRESERVATION DESIGNATION," SUBSECTION
118-593(E), "DELINEATION ON ZONING MAP" BY DESIGNATING THE 69TH
STREET FIRE STATION (NOW KNOWN AS FIRE STATION NO.4) AS AN
HISTORIC SITE TO BE KNOWN AS THE "HISTORIC 69TH STREET FIRE
STATION," LOCATED AT 6860 INDIAN CREEK DRIVE, AS MORE
PARTICULARLY DESCRIBED IN THE ORDINANCE; PROVIDING THAT THE
CITY'S ZONING MAP SHALL BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE 69TH STREET
FIRE STATION AS AN HISTORIC SITE; ADOPTING THE DESIGNATION
REPORT ATTACHED AS APPENDIX "A"; PROVIDING FOR INCLUSION IN THE
LAND DEVELOPMENT REGULATIONS OF THE CITY CODE; REPEALER;
SEVERABILITY; AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE.
RECOMMENDA liON
The Administration recommends that the Mayor and City Commission, upon first and final
reading public hearing, adopt the proposed amending Ordinance.
ANALYSIS
On April 10, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved a motion (5 to
0; 1 absence, 1 vacancy) to direct Planning Department staff to prepare a preliminary
evaluation report with recommendations regarding the possible designation of the 69th
Street Fire Station (now known as Fire Station No.4), located at 6860 Indian Creek Drive,
as a local historic site. The Historic Preservation Board further requested a special
meeting to be held at the site in order to tour the fire station and examine the existing
conditions of the structure.
On May 1, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board held a special meeting at the 69th Street
Fire Station. A tour of the subject property was conducted by Commissioner Luis R.
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 2 of 16
Garcia, Jr., former Fire Chief of the City of Miami Beach. Those persons present at the
special meeting included members of the Historic Preservation Board, City Commission,
City staff, and the general public.
On May 8, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board reviewed the preliminary evaluation report
with recommendations prepared by the staff of the Planning Department regarding the
designation of the 69th Street Fire Station as a local historic site. The Historic Preservation
Board unanimously approved a motion (5 to 0; 1 absence, 1 vacancy) to direct staff to
prepare a designation report and schedule a public hearing relative to the designation of
this new historic site to be known as the Historic 69th Street Fire Station.
On September 12, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board continued the public hearing of
the proposed Historic 69th Street Fire Station until the October 9, 2001, meeting in order
to allow the City Administration to explore options relative to the siting of the new fire
fighting facility or possible addition to the existing 69th Street Fire Station.
On October 9, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board continued the public hearing of the
proposed Historic 69th Street Fire Station until the December 11, 2001, meeting in order
to allow the City Administration to explore options relative to the siting of the new fire
fighting facility or possible addition to the existing 69th Street Fire Station.
On December 11, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved a motion
(7 to 0) to recommend approval of the designation of the 69th Street Fire Station as an
historic site, in accordance with staff recommendations.
On January 22, 2002, the Planning Board unanimously approved a motion (7 to 0) to
recommend approval of the designation of the 69th Street Fire Station as an historic site.
On February 20,2002, the City Commission adopted a resolution to schedule a first and
final reading public hearing on March 20, 2002, to consider the designation of the 69th
Street Fire Station as an historic site.
The schematic design phase is presently underway for the proposed rehabilitation of the
69th Street Fire Station in conjunction with the construction of a new fire fighting facility on
the same site. On January 25, 2002, the project architects, MCHarry and Associates,
presented six design options for consideration by the City's Capital Improvements Projects
(CIP) design review committee. One schematic design was selected by consensus of the
committee for further study. This design scheme consisted of the lifting and relocation of
the existing historic fire station slightly to the east towards Indian Creek Drive and the
demolition of the 1961 addition attached to the west (rear) fac;ade wall of the existing
building. The amount of new land cleared by the relocation of the historic fire station would
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 3 of 16
enable a more efficient three bay fire fighting facility to be constructed behind the existing
historic fire station on the west side of the site.
On March 1, 2002, MCHarry and Associates met with the City's CIP design review
committee and presented the previously selected design scheme for the fire station site
that had been developed in more detail. At the same meeting, the project architects
presented a new design scheme that appears to have good potential to meet the
requirements of the fire department in a more independent and desirable way; satisfy the
objectives of the historic preservation community by preserving the integrity of the design
of the original structure; and benefit the residents of North Beach and the general public
by providing excellent pedestrian access directly to the bayfront. This new design scheme
consists of the relocation of the original historic fire station to the west of the existing
pumping station and the introduction of a landscaped lawn and walkway from Indian Creek
Drive to the historic structure as well as to a new Biscayne Bay plaza and dock. A much
more autonomous fire fighting facility would be constructed on the former site of the original
building on the north side of the property. A central vista to Biscayne Bay would be
created between the historic fire station and the new fire fighting facility. Additionally, the
proposed public walkway would separate the public use from the active fire station.
Another significant benefit of siting the new fire fighting facility on the north side of the site
is that future expansions to the new building could be accommodated on both the Indian
Creek Drive side as well as the Biscayne Bay side of the structure should the need arise
as North Beach redevelops. The CIP design review committee was enthusiastic about the
benefits of this concept and requested that the project architects further study and continue
development of this new design scheme. The estimated date of completion for the
schematic design phase of the project is March 25, 2002.
Although not normally encouraged, the relocation of historic buildings has a long standing
precedent in Miami Beach. One historic example is the relocation of a grand single family
residence from the northeast corner of Washington Avenue and Espanola Way to a new
site in the Palm View residential neighborhood (now the Palm View Historic District). The
physical relocation of this structure then enabled the Art Deco style Cameo Theater to be
constructed in this prominent location in 1938. The Historic Preservation Board has
previously approved on a number of occasions the relocation of historic buildings as a final
measure to protect them from demolition. Alterations, additions, and rare relocations are
permitted for historic structures provided that the changes are found to be appropriate by
the Historic Preservation Board. This should enable the City to modernize and expand the
historic fire fighting facilityto best serve the life safety interests of the community while
preserving the structure's historic architectural integrity to the greatest extent possible.
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 4 of 16
DESIGNATION PROCESS
The designation report for a proposed historic site is required to be presented to the
Historic Preservation Board and the Planning Board at separate public hearings. Following
public input, the Historic Preservation Board votes on whether or not the proposed historic
site meets the criteria listed in the Land Development Regulations of the City Code and
transmits a recommendation on historic designation to the Planning Board and City
Commission. If the Historic Preservation Board votes against the designation, no further
action is required. If the Historic Preservation Board votes in favor of designation, the
Planning Board reviews the designation report and formulates its own recommendation.
The recommendations of both Boards, along with the designation report, are presented to
the City Commission. Because in this instance the proposed ordinance involves an area
of ~ than ten (10) contiguous acres, the City Commission must hold one (1) public
hearing on the designation. Upon conclusion of the hearing, the City Commission can
immediately adopt the ordinance with a 5/7 majority vote.
RELATION TO ORDINANCE CRITERIA
1. In accordance with Section 118-592 in the Land Development Regulations of the
City Code, eligibility for designation is determined on the basis of compliance with
the listed criteria set forth below.
(a) The Historic Preservation Board shall have the authority to recommend that
properties be designated as historic buildings, historic structures, historic
improvements, historic landscape features, historic interiors (architecturally
significant public portions only), historic sites or historic districts if they are
significant in the historical, architectural, cultural, aesthetic or archeological
heritage of the city, the county, state or nation. Such properties shall
possess an integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship,
feeling or association and meet at least one (1) of the following criteria:
(1) Association with events that have made a significant contribution to
the history of the city, the county, state or nation;
(2) Association with the lives of persons significant in the city's past
history;
(3) Embody the distinctive characteristics of an historical period,
architectural or design style or method of construction;
(4) Possesses high artistic values;
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 5 of 16
(5) Represent the work of a master, serve as an outstanding or
representative work of a master designer, architect or builder who
contributed to our historical, aesthetic or architectural heritage;
(6) Have yielded, or are likely to yield information important in pre-history
or history;
(7) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places;
(8) Consist of a geographically definable area that possesses a significant
concentration of sites, buildings or structures united by historically
significant past events or aesthetically by plan or physical
development, whose components may lack individual distinction.
(b) A building, structure (including the public portions of the interior),
improvement or landscape feature may be designated historic even if it has
been altered if the alteration is reversible and the most significant
architectural elements are intact and repairable.
2. The 69th Street Fire Station is eligible for designation as an historic site as it
complies with the criteria as specified in Section 118-592 in the Land Development
Regulations of the City Code outlined above.
(a) Staff finds the proposed historic site to be eligible for historic designation and
in conformance with the designation criteria for the following reasons:
(1) Association with events that have made a significant contribution to
the history of the city. the county. state or nation:
The north end of Miami Beach was sparsely inhabited during the
1920's and 1930's with little more than empty sand, water, and a light
sprinkling of trees and structures. Visionary City officials, however,
foresaw the rapid future growth of the area in light of the development
boom in south and mid beach, and they carefully planned in
anticipation of the impending north beach urban expansion event.
Providing advance infrastructure was cardinal to successful
development northward. Among infrastructure priorities, municipal
funds were authorized for the construction of a fire fighting facility in
North Beach as early as 1926. It was clearly realized the new fire
station would be critical to assuring public safety both during and after
the expansion event. Further, the presence of a stately Neoclassical
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 6 of 16
Revival structure with the qualities of a fine classical residence would
demonstrate the Municipality's commitment to quality and high artistic
value in the future growth and development of North Beach.
The fire station project, together with most of the North Beach urban
expansion itself, was delayed for eleven years due to the devastation
of the great hurricane of 1926 and the economic circumstances of the
Great Depression. A new fire fighting facility was finally built in 1937
at Indian Creek Drive and 69th Street in as timely a manner as was
likely possible.
The new fire station was clearly conceived as more than an efficient,
carefully scaled fire fighting facility to service its region. It was
specifically designed in the Neoclassical Revival tradition which was
a bedrock architectural style of its time; it symbolized the Ancient
qualities of strength, stability, and the beauty of the ages, in
combination with municipal integrity, dignity, and community
assuredness. This style was common in communities across the
nation for both public, civic, commercial, and private architecture; but
of special note in Miami Beach was the fact that the Neoclassical
Revival standard was applied to a modest fire fighting facility in the
format of a fine classical residence.
Today the 69th Street Fire Station is the oldest free-standing fire
station in Miami Beach. It was designed to meet the demanding
requirements of the Miami Beach Fire Department in its service region
while in full coordination with the locations and roles of the City's other
fire stations and their inventories of equipment. Similarly important, it
is an early landmark of Miami Beach's municipal commitment to the
establishment of another uniquely defined quality community in
preparation for the acknowledged major northern expansion event.
(2) Association with the lives of persons significant in the city's past
history:
Frank Osborn, who was a Quaker from Middletown, New Jersey, filed
the first land plat north of John Collins' original property holdings on
February 21,1919. This 671-foot wide strip of land spanned from the
Atlantic Ocean to Indian Creek and centered at present-day 69th
Street. (A corrected plat of the Atlantic Heights subdivision was later
filed by Osborn and others on March 10, 1923.) It was in the Atlantic
Heights subdivision that the 69th Street Fire Station would be built in
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 7 of 16
1937. Frank Osborn filed the Atlantic Heights subdivision nearly 40
years after he had helped to plant coconuts in Miami Beach with his
father Ezra, Elnathan Field, and Henry Lum in a failed coconut
plantation scheme from 1882.
J.S. Stephenson was appointed the City's first Fire Chief in 1920, on
the opening of the first permanent Miami Beach City Hall at 617
Collins Avenue. The new City Hall also housed the City's first fire
fighting facility. According to Fire Department legend, Stephenson
was elevated to top rank because he was the only one in the Fire
Department who knew how to operate the new pumper.
Chief Stephenson's professional and personal contribution to the City
thereafter was clearly of major significance. For the next twenty-three
years as Fire Chief, he oversaw the City's second fire station
constructed at 2331 Liberty Avenue in 1924; its third fire station built
in the north wing of the "new" City Hall at 1130 Washington Avenue
in 1927; its fourth fire fighting facility erected at 6860 Indian Creek
Drive in 1937; and its fifth, ultimate state-of-the-art fire station
constructed at 2300 Pinetree Drive in 1939.
Chief Stephenson was responsible for the City's fire safety through its
first two major development boom periods in the 1920's and the
1930's; these development boom periods were times of astonishing
rates of new construction that required a seasoned master to keep
abreast of. Chief Stephenson would clearly have been one of the
central City figures in determining the need to construct the new fire
fighting facility at 6860 Indian Creek Drive in North Beach in 1926 and
again in 1937 in the advance ,planning for the North Beach expansion
event.
Since the Miami Beach Fire Department was founded in 1920, the
following persons were appointed as Fire Chief to oversee the daily
activities of the fire department and entrusted with the public safety:
J.S. Stephenson (1920-1943), D.C. Kennett (1943-1967), Hubert
Albritton (1967-1972), Albert Bishop (1973-1979), Homer Goltzene
(1979-1982), Edward Walterman (1982-1985), Braniard Dorris (1985-
1994), Thomas Sullivan (1994-1996), Luis R. Garcia, Jr. (now
Commissioner Luis R. Garcia, Jr.)(1996-1999), and Floyd Jordan
(1999 to present).
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 8 of 16
Architect Robert Law Weed served his country in World War I and
World War II as a planner who provided architectural expertise to the
Army Air Force in addition to being a nationally recognized designer.
He was highly involved with many civic affairs through his public
service, served on numerous juries for architectural awards, and
participated in advisory committees for the discussion of problems
relative to architecture and the building industry.
Architect Edwin T. Reeder served his country in World War II when he
was called to duty with the Navy Civil Engineering Corps. Reeder
was involved with many civic organizations in the Miami area. He
served as a member and later the director of the Florida South
Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, chairman of the Metro
Planning Advisory Board, a member of the State Board of
Architecture, and a member of the Miami Zoning Board of Appeals.
(3) Embody the distinctive characteristics of an historical period.
architectural or design style or method of construction:
Designed by architects Robert Law Weed and Edwin T. Reeder, the
69th Street Fire Station embodies defining characteristics of the
Neoclassical Revival period of architecture as popularized across the
United States from about 1900 to the 1950's.
The original fire station building features a classical two-story
symmetrically massed plan with a side-gabled roof and central
chimney. Its principal facade (facing Indian Creek Drive) is organized
about a grand two-story high curved entrance portico dignified by four
pairs of full height columns connoting simplified classical columns in
the manner of a grand residence. The front entrance door of the
building and the omamentallantem (now removed) suspended from
the oval feature ceiling above it are placed at the center of the portico
and facade in accordance with the customary fashion of the style, and
which gives it the feeling of the south wing of the White House.
Concordantly, the windows and two large equipment bay doors of the
principal facade are ordered symmetrically about the front door. The
original design of the equipment bay doors was carefully broken down
into a symmetrical arrangement of detailed panels about four centrally
placed glass lites to preserve the stately character of the facade and
maintain the architectural order of the style.
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 9 of 16
The exterior masonry surface of the original building is carefully
crafted and constructed to read as brickwork painted white. The
windows are typically double-hung, wooden sash with a truly divided
glass lite configuration (in this instance "six over six" lites). The
windows originally featured full dramatic shutters (but now removed)
painted a contrasting color to the surrounding brickwork. These latter
handsome characteristics are shared with the Colonial Revival style.
(4) Possess high artistic values:
Constructed in 1937, the 69th Street Fire Station is a unique
interpretation of the Neoclassical Revival style of architecture as
applied to a functional, small scale fire fighting facility in Miami Beach.
This architectural style was fashionable throughout the United States
for the first half of the 20th century due to its close association with
the highly respected artistic values of the Ancient architecture of the
Greeks and Romans while at the same time realistically addressing
the functional needs of a modern technological society.
The earlier predecessor to this style in America was the Early
Classical Revival style, popular from circa 1780 to 1830. This
remarkably brazen style borrowed the highest artistic values and
direct architectural features of the Greeks and Romans as found in
the Five Ancient Orders of architecture: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic,
Corinthian, and Corinthian Composite. These high artistic values
were intentionally used to create a powerful public and domestic
image in the building of the new American nation.
Notable.examples displaying these high artistic values include: the
United States Capitol, designed by William Thornton in 1795 (with the
new dome and north and south wings added by Thomas Walter in
1855), the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and Jefferson
Memorial, many fine domestic residences (including two designed by
William Thornton), as well as the Decatur House designed by
Benjamin Latrobe in 1818, among a large host of others in the early
architecture of the District of Columbia and the nation.
(5) Represent the work of a master. serve as an outstanding or
representative work of a master designer. architect or builder who
contributed to our historical. aesthetic or architectural heritage:
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 10 of 16
Robert Law Weed (1897-1961). Florida's most renowned World's Fair
submission was probably Robert Law Weed's "Florida Tropical Home"
for the 1933 U.S. World's Fair, "A Century of Progress," in Chicago,
Illinois. Weed began his career as an architect of extravagant Florida
homes, but he eventually built his reputation on the Neoclassical
Revival style, International style, and Streamline Modeme structures.
His designs for educational, commercial, and residential buildings
were developed to key into Florida's climate and terrain.
Notable architectural works during Weed's stellar career include the
Miami Shores Elementary School (1930), the Royal Palm Club (1937),
numerous buildings at the University of Miami, a residential aviation
community near Miami's airport (1947), the Paramount Theater in
Miami (1938), the Administration and Terminal Building at the Miami
International Airport, the Fleet Sonar School for the U.S. Navy in Key
West (1953), and the Jai Alai Fronton in Dania (1953). His
commissions in Miami Beach include the "House of Tomorrow" at
5757 Sheridan Avenue in 1935, the South Florida Art Center
(originally known as Burdine's Department Store) at 800 Lincoln Road
in 1935, the Dade Boulevard Fire Station (now known as Fire Station
No.2) at 2300 Pinetree Drive in 1939, the interior of the Beach
Theater at the west end of 420 Lincoln Road in 1940, the Jorge B.
Sanchez House at 1700 Michigan Avenue in 1948, and the current
Burdine's Department Store at 1675 Meridian Avenue in 1953.
Weed's architectural work was published in many national magazines
which include Architectural Forum, Architectural Record, Progressive
Architecture, .Lim, and the Saturday Evening Post. Weed received a
high professional honor when he was elected to the American
Institute of Architects' College of Fellows for his achievements in
design in 1960.
Edwin T. Reeder (1908-1963). In addition to his architectural works
designed with Robert Law Weed from 1935 until 1941, Edwin T.
Reeder was commissioned in Miami Beach to design the Due
residence at 1179 Bay Drive in 1949, the Barnes residence at 2 La
Gorce Circle in 1951, the Miami Beach Federal Building (now Bank of
America) at 401 Lincoln Road in 1955, and the Miami Beach Federal
Savings and Loan (later Fedco, now vacant) at 1611 Washington
Avenue in 1955. Other notable architectural works by Reeder include
the Industrial National Bank of Miami and the Greater Miami Federal
and the Edison Center branch office buildings of the Dade Savings
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 11 of 16
and Loan Association. Along with an associate, B.R. Swartburg, he
designed Miami-Dade County's civic center and jail and the Public
Safety and Criminal Courts buildings on NW 14th Street in Miami.
(6) Have yielded. or are likely to yield information important in pre-history
or history:
Retention of the 69th Street Fire Station promotes the general welfare
of the City by providing an opportunity for the study and appreciation
of a unique interpretation of the Neoclassical Revival style of
architecture as applied to a fire fighting facility. The fire station
represents an early official step by the City of Miami Beach to plan
well in advance of the anticipated development of North Beach. This
official step was physically consummated in 1937 through the
construction of a modern and efficient fire station with its stately
architectural roots derived from American interpretations of Ancient
Greek and Roman architecture.
The overall design of the fire station has a strong residential influence
which may be attributed to its location and period of construction. The
building was constructed on the north side of North Bay Park (now
known as Atlantic Heights Park) during a period of time when North
Beach was still largely undeveloped.
The study of the architectural proportions, features, and details of the
69th Street Fire Station, especially once fully restored, will reveal very
important insights into the Classical style of architecture of the Ancient
Greeks and Romans as it evolved over two and one half thousand
years of time into its more functional modern (18th, 19th, and 20th
century) successors in America.
The Classical Revival residential architecture from which 69th Street
Fire Station draws its primary inspiration is recognized across the
country as a significant symbolic national style peculiar to its historical
periods (Le., 1780-1830, the building of a new nation; and the first half
of the 20th century, following the Industrial Revolution of the last half
of the 19th century); it embodies high levels of artistic achievement in
its form, classical proportions, and details, especially as applied to a
modest fire fighting facility.
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 12 of 16
(7) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places:
Currently, the 69th Street Fire Station is neither listed individually as
an historic site nor is it located within an historic district on the
National Register of Historic Places. However, because its symbolic
and dignified design character was derived from classical residential
architecture and successfully applied to a functional fire station of its
own time, it appears to have clear potential to be determined to be
eligible for national historic designation. It would most certainly hold
the status of a "contributing" building in either a nationally designated
historic district or a locally designated historic district in the City of
Miami Beach.
Despite a variety of intrusions on the historic park site over time,
including the pumping station and more recently the Police
Department substation, the historic site still retains a significant
amount of its original character and integrity as a park-like setting on
Biscayne Bay. The historic site hosts a stately Neoclassical Revival
residential edifice which lends dignity, security, and a touch of
elegance to its North Beach community. With restoration and
professional landscaping, this original park-like character will be
greatly enhanced.
(8) Consist of a geographically definable area that possesses a significant
concentration of sites. buildings or structures united by historically
significant past events or aesthetically by plan or physical
development. whose components may lack individual distinction:
The Atlantic Heights Park, which forms the general boundary line of
the proposed 69th Street Fire Station Historic Site, is clearly a
geographically defined green area on Biscayne Bay. The proposed
historic site features the 69th Street Fire Station as its architectural
centerpiece, which is united by the aesthetic cohesiveness of its
waterfront setting, grass, large shade trees, and formal plantings, as
well as its historical role in the City's North Beach expansion event.
(b) A building. structure (including the public portions of the interior).
improvement or landscape feature may be designated historic even if it has
been altered if the alteration is reversible and the most significant
architectural elements are intact and repairable.
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 13 of 16
Although the 69th Street Fire Station has been expanded over the years, no
major alterations have been made to its significant architectural features with
the exception of a more recent southwest (rear) addition. The original fire
station structure clearly maintains a high degree of its original exterior
architectural integrity as well as it original front entrance lobby. Accurate
exterior restoration could be successfully completed by following original
architectural plans and excellent available historical photographs. Despite
minor alterations to this structure, it continues to be representative of the
architectural and cultural history of Miami Beach and, particularly, North
Beach in its early development period.
ANALYSIS OF THE AMENDING ORDINANCE
In reviewing a request for an amendment to the Land Development Regulations of the City
Code or a change in land use, the Planning Board shall consider the following:
1. Whether the proposed change is consistent and compatible with the Comprehensive
Plan and any applicable neighborhood or Redevelopment Plans;
Consistent - The proposed designation is consistent with the Comprehensive Plan,
specifically with the Historic Preservation Element of the
Comprehensive Plan's Objective No. 1 which, in part, states:
"...increase the total number of structures designated as historically
significant from that number of structures designated in 1988, either
individually or as a contributing structure within a National Register
Historic Preservation District or a local Historic Preservation District."
2. Whether the proposed change would create an isolated district unrelated to adjacent
or nearby districts;
Consistent - The amendment would not change the underlying zoning district for
any areas within the City.
3. Whether the change suggested is out of scale with the needs of the neighborhood
or the City;
Consistent - The designation of the area as a local historic site would help to
encourage redevelopment and rehabilitation that is compatible with
the scale, characteristics and needs of the surrounding neighborhood
and help to preserve the architectural character of the built
environment.
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 14 of 16
4. Whether the proposed change would tax the existing load on public facilities and
infrastructure;
Consistent - The LOS for the area public facilities and infrastructure should not be
negatively affected, if at all, by the proposed amending ordinance.
5. Whether existing district boundaries are illogically drawn in relation to existing
conditions on the property proposed for change;
Consistent - The 69th Street Fire Station is located at 6860 Indian Creek Drive.
The boundaries of the proposed historic site are logically drawn
because Biscayne Bay, to the west, is a natural boundary; Indian
Creek Drive, to the east, is a major north-south arterial road; and the
north and south boundaries reflect the extent of North Bay Park (now
known as Atlantic Heights Park), of which the fire station was the
centerpiece. A detailed description of the proposed boundaries is
delineated within the attached Designation Report.
6. Whether changed or changing conditions make the passage of the proposed
change necessary;
Consistent - The success of historic preservation in the ongoing revitalization of
Miami Beach supports the protection of the proposed historic site.
Past demolition of historic structures demonstrates the necessity of
this amendment to maintain the historical integrity of the area.
7. Whether the proposed change will adversely influence living conditions in the
neighborhood;
Consistent - The proposed change should not negatively affect living conditions or
the Quality of Life for the surrounding properties. Indeed, the quality
of living conditions in designated historic areas has significantly
improved since the City started designating historic sites and districts.
The thousands of Design Review approvals (both substantial
rehabilitation and minor improvements) within the existing historic
districts demonstrate this principle.
8. Whether the proposed change will create or excessively increase traffic congestion
beyond the Level Of Service as set forth in the Comprehensive Plan or otherwise
affect public safety;
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 15 of 16
Consistent - As designation does not change the permitted land uses, the levels
of service set forth in the Comprehensive Plan will not be affected by
designation. Likewise, public safety will not be affected.
9. Whether the proposed change will seriously reduce light and air to adjacent
properties;
Consistent - If designation results in the retention of existing structures, there
should be no reduction in light and air either on site or to adjacent
properties.
10. Whether the proposed change will adversely affect property values in the adjacent
area;
Consistent - As property values and value of construction have historically
increased in the existing designated historic sites and districts, there
is no evidence to suggest that designation would adversely affect
property values in the area surrounding the proposed designation. To
the contrary, the designation of the site should help to reinforce and
promote continuous quality enhancement of the area.
11. Whether the proposed change will be a deterrent to the improvement or
development of adjacent property in accordance with existing regulations;
Consistent - The proposed amendment will not change the development
regulations for adjacent sites which must comply with their own site
specific development regulations. Furthermore, the proposed
ordinance should not affect the ability for an adjacent property to be
developed in accordance with said regulations.
12. Whether there are substantial reasons why the property cannot be used in
accordance with existing zoning;
Consistent - The permitted land uses are not affected since the proposed
amendment does not change the underlying zoning district for any
property.
13. Whether it is impossible to find other adequate Sites in the City for the proposed
Use in a district already permitting such Use;
Not Applicable - This review criteria is not applicable to this Zoning Ordinance
amendment.
f
Commission Memorandum
March 20, 2002
First and Final Reading Public Hearing
Historic Designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
Page 16 of 16
The proposed designation of the Historic 69th Street Fire Station is appropriate to protect
the aesthetic, architectural, and historical importance of the neighborhood. The positive
social and economic impact that preservation has had on the revitalization of Miami Beach,
as well as the worldwide media recognition of Miami Beach, is well known. Local
residents, as well as visitors from around the world, are seeking the very special urban
character of Miami Beach that the Planning Department seeks to preserve. Further,
alterations are permitted to historic structures provided that the changes are found to be
appropriate by the Historic Preservation Board. This should enable the City to construct
a completely modern new fire fighting facility that best serves the life safety interests of the
community while preserving the original architectural integrity of the Historic 69th Street
Fire Station on its relocated site.
Therefore, the Administration recommends adoption of the Designation Report, as
recommended by the Historic Preservation Board and the Planning Board, and adoption
of the attached amending Ordinance upon first and final reading public hearing, thereby
designating the 69th Street Fire Station as an historic site.
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Appendix A
THE 69TH STREET FIRE STATION
MIAMI BEACH HISTORIC SITE
DESIGNATION REPORT
Figure 1 Designed by Robert law Weed and Edwin T. Reeder, the 69th Street Fire
Station was built by the Southeastern Construction Company for the City of Miami
Beach in 1937.
PREPARED BY
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PLANNING DEPARTMENT
DESIGN, PRESERVATION & NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING DIVISION
SEPTEMBER 12, 2001
Revised October 9, 2001
Revised December 11, 2001
Revised January 22, 2002
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
HISTORIC SITE DESIGNATION REPORT
THE 69TH STREET FIRE STATION
Prepared By
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PLANNING DEPARTMENT
DESIGN, PRESERVATION & NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING DIVISION
MIAMI BEACH CITY COMMISSION
David Dermer, Mayor
Saul Gross, Vice Mayor
Commissioners:
Matti Herrera Bower
Simon Cruz
Luis R. Garcia, Jr.
Jose Smith
Richard L. Steinberg
Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager
2
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH HISTORIC PRESERVATION BOARD
Mitch Novick, Chair
Beth Dunlop, Vice Chair
Judith Berson
Raul Garcia
Randall Robinson
William Taylor
Jose Toledo
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PLANNING BOARD
Melvyn Schlesser, Chair
Roberto DaTorre, Vice Chair
Carlos Capote
Victor Diaz
Joe Garcia
Jean-Francois Lejeune
Jerry Libbin
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH PLANNING DEPARTMENT
Jorge G. Gomez, AICP, Director, Planning Department
William H. Cary, Director, Design, Preservation & Neighborhood Planning Division
Thomas R. Mooney, AICP, Design and Preservation Manager
PRINCIPAL AUTHORS
William H. Cary, Division Director
Shannon M. Anderton, Senior Planner
RESEARCHERS
Shannon M. Anderton, Senior Planner
Carolyn Klepser, Historical Research Consultant
MAP PRODUCT.ION
Juan Diaz, Planning Technician
3
THE 69TH STREET FIRE STATION
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
HISTORIC SITE DESIGNATION REPORT
TABLE OF CONTE~TS
I. REQUEST............................................................................................ 5
II. DESIGNATION PROCESS...................................................................... 6
III. RELATION TO ORDINANCE CRITERIA.................................................... 7
IV. DESCRIPTION OF BOUNDARIES............................................................. 16
V. PRESENT OWNERS............................................................................... 17
VI. PRESENT USE...................................................................................... 17
VII. FUTURE LAND USE/ZONING.................................................................. 17
VIII. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND.................................................................. 18
IX. ARCHITECTURAL BACKGROUND........................................................... 33
X. PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATIONS...................................... 43
XI. FIGURE INDEX...................................................................................... 45
XII. BIBLIOGRAPHy..................................................................................... 47
4
I. REQUEST
On April 10, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved a motion (5
to 0; 1 absence, 1 vacancy) to direct Planning Department staff to prepare a
preliminary evaluation report with recommendations regarding the possible designation
of the 69th Street Fire Station (now known as Fire Station No.4), located at 6860
Indian Creek Drive, as a local historic site. The Historic Preservation Board further
requested a special meeting to be held at the site in order to tour the fire station and
examine the existing conditions of the structure.
On May 1, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board held a special meeting at the 69th
Street Fire Station. A tour of the subject property was conducted by Commissioner
Luis R. Garcia, Jr., former Fire Chief of the City of Miami Beach. Those persons
present at the special meeting included members of the Historic Preservation Board,
City Commission, City staff, and the general public.
On May 8, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board reviewed the preliminary evaluation
report with recommendations prepared by the staff of the Planning Department
regarding the designation of the 69th Street Fire Station as a local historic site. The
Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved a motion (5 to 0; 1 absence, 1
vacancy) to direct staff to prepare a designation report and schedule a public hearing
relative to the designation of this new historic site to be known as the Historic 69th
Street Fire Station.
On September 12, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board continued the public hearing
of the proposed Historic 69th Street Fire Station until the October 9, 2001, meeting
in order to allow the City Administration to explore options relative to the siting of the
new fire fighting facility or possible addition to the existing 69th Street Fire Station.
On October 9, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board continued the public hearing of
the proposed Historic 69th Street Fire Station until the December 11, 2001, meeting
in order to allow the City Administration to explore options relative to the siting of the
new fire fighting facility or possible addition to the existing 69th Street Fire Station.
On December 11, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved a
motion (7 to 0) to recommend approval of the designation of the 69th Street Fire
Station as an historic site in accordance with staff recommendations, as reflected in
this designation report.
On January 22, 2002, the Planning Board unanimously approved a motion (7 to 0) to
recommend approval of the designation of the 69th Street Fire Station as an historic
site.
5
II. DESIGNATION PROCESS
The process of historic designation is delineated in Sections 118-591 through 118-593
in Subpart B of the Land Development Regulations of the City Code (Chapter 118,
Article X, Division 4). An outline of this process is delineated below.
Step One: A request for designation is made either by the City Commission, the
Historic Preservation Board, other agencies and organizations as listed in
the Land Development Regulations of the City Code, or the property
owners involved. Proposals for designation shall include a completed
application form available from the Planning Department.
Step Two: The Planning Department prepares a preliminary evaluation report with
recommendations for consideration by the Board.
Step Three: The Historic Preservation Board considers the preliminary evaluation to
determine if proceeding with a designation report is warranted.
The designation report is an historical and architectural analysis of the
proposed district or site. The report:
1) describes the historic, architectural and/or archeological
significance of the property or subject area proposed for Historical
Site or District designation;
2) recommends Evaluation Guidelines to be used by the Board to
evaluate the appropriateness and compatibility of proposed
Developments affecting the designated Site or District; and
3) will serve as an attachment to the Land Development Regulations
of the City Code.
Step Four: The designation report is presented to the Board at a public hearing. If
the Board determines that the proposed site or district satisfies the
requirements for designation as set forth in the Land Development
Regulations of the City Code, the Board transmits a recommendation in
favor of designation to the Planning Board and City Commission.
St~p Five: The Planning Board will hold a public hearing on the proposed
designation, and shall consider the proposed historic designation as an
amendment to the Land Development Regulations of the City Code and,
subsequently, transmit its recommendation to the City Commission.
6
Step Six:
The City Commission may adopt an amendment to the land Development
Regulations of the City Code which thereby designates the Historic
Preservation Site or Historic District after one (1) public hearing for a
parcel of land less than ten (10) contiguous acres or after two (2) public
hearings for a parcel of land which is more than ten (10) contiguous
acres.
III. RELATION TO ORDINANCE CRITERIA
1. In accordance with Section 118-592 in the land Development Regulations of
the City Code, eligibility for designation is determined on the basis of
compliance with the listed criteria set forth below.
(a) The Historic Preservation Board shall have the authority to recommend
that properties be designated as historic buildings, historic structures,
historic improvements, historic landscape features, historic interiors
(architecturally significant public portions only), historic sites or historic
districts if they are significant in the historical, architectural, cultural,
aesthetic or archeological heritage of the city, the county, state or nation.
Such properties shall possess an integrity of location, design, setting,
materials, workmanship, feeling or association and meet at least one (1)
of the following criteria:
(1 ) Association with events that have made a significant contribution
to the history of the city, the county, state or nation;
(2) Association with the lives of persons significant in the city's past
history;
(3) Embody the distinctive characteristics of an historical period,
architectural or design style or method of construction;
(4) Possesses high artistic values;
(5) Represent the work of a master, serve as an outstanding or
representative work of a master designer, architect or builder who
contributed to our historical, aesthetic or architectural heritage;
(6) Have yielded, or are likely to yield information important in pre-
history or history;
(7) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places;
7
(8) Consist of a geographically definable area that possesses a
significant concentration of sites, buildings or structures united by
historically significant past events or aesthetically by plan or
physical development, whose components may lack individual
distinction.
(b) A building, structure (including the public portions of the interior),
improvement or landscape feature may be designated historic even if it
has been altered if the alteration is reversible and the most significant
architectural elements are intact and repairable.
2. The 69th Street Fire Station is eligible for designation as an historic site as it
complies with the criteria as specified in Section 118-592 in the Land
Development Regulations of the City Code outlined above.
(a) Staff finds the proposed historic site to be eligible for historic designation
and in conformance with the designation criteria for the following
reasons:
(1 ) Association wi~h events that have made a significant contribution
to the history of the city. the county. state or nation:
The north end of Miami Beach was sparsely inhabited during the
1920's and 1930's with little more than empty sand, water, and
a light sprinkling of trees and structures. Visionary City officials,
however, foresaw the rapid future growth of the area in light of
the development boom in south and mid beach, and they carefully
planned in anticipation of the impending north beach urban
expansion event.
Providing advance infrastructure was cardinal to successful
development northward. Among infrastructure priorities, municipal
funds were authorized for the construction of a fire fighting facility
in North Beach as early as 1926. It was clearly realized the new
fire station would be critical to assuring public safety both during
and after the expansion event. Further, the presence of a stately
Neoclassical Revival structure with the qualities of a fine classical
residence would demonstrate the Municipality's commitment to
quality and high artistic value in the future growth and
development of North Beach.
8
The fire station project, together with most of the North Beach
urban expansion itself, was delayed for eleven years due to the
devastation of the great hurricane of 1926 and the economic
circumstances of the Great Depression. A new fire fighting facility
was finally built in 1937 at Indian Creek Drive and 69th Street in
as timely a manner as was likely possible.
The new fire station was clearly conceived as more than an
efficient, carefully scaled fire fighting facility to service its region.
It was specifically designed in the Neoclassical Revival tradition
which was a bedrock architectural style of its time; it symbolized
the Ancient qualities of strength, stability, and the beauty of the
ages, in combination with municipal integrity, dignity, and
community assuredness. This style was common in communities
across the nation for both public, civic, commercial, and private
architecture; but of special note in Miami Beach was the fact that
the Neoclassical Revival standard was applied to a modest fire
fighting facility in the format of a fine classical residence.
Today the 69th Street Fire Station is the oldest free-standing fire
station in Miami Beach. It was designed to meet the demanding
requirements of the Miami Beach Fire Department in its service
region while in full coordination with the locations and roles of the
City's other fire stations and their inventories of equipment.
Similarly important, it is an early landmark of Miami Beach's
municipal commitment to the establishment of another uniquely
defined quality community in preparation for the acknowledged
major northern expansion event.
(2) Association with the lives of persons significant in the city's past
history:
Frank Osborn, who was a Quaker from Middletown, New Jersey,
filed the first land plat north of John Collins' original property
holdings on February 21, 1919. This 671-foot wide strip of land
spanned from the Atlantic Ocean to Indian Creek and centered at
present-day 69th Street. (A corrected plat of the Atlantic Heights
subdivision was later filed by Osborn and others on March 10,
1923.) It was in the Atlantic Heights subdivision that the 69th
Street Fire Station would be built in 1 937. Frank Osborn filed the
Atlantic Heights subdivision nearly 40 years after he had helped to
plant coconuts in Miami Beach with his father Ezra, Elnathan Field,
9
and Henry Lum in a failed coconut plantation scheme from 1882.
J.S. Stephenson was appointed the City's first Fire Chief in 1920,
on the opening of the first permanent Miami Beach City Hall at
617 Collins Avenue. The new City Hall also housed the City's first
fire fighting facility. According to Fire Department legend,
Stephenson was elevated to top rank because he was the only one
in the Fire Department who knew how to operate the new pumper.
Chief Stephenson's professional and personal contribution to the
City thereafter was clearly of major significance. For the next
twenty-three years as Fire Chief, he oversaw the City's second fire
station constructed at 2331 Liberty Avenue in 1924; its third fire
station built in the north wing of the "new" City Hall at 1130
Washington Avenue in 1927; its fourth fire fighting facility erected
at 6860 Indian Creek Drive in 1937; and its fifth, ultimate state-of-
the-art fire station constructed at 2300 Pinetree Drive in 1939.
Chief Stephenson was responsible for the City's fire safety
through its first two major development boom periods in the
1920's and the 1930's; these development boom periods were
times of astonishing rates of new construction that required a
seasoned master to keep abreast of. Chief Stephenson would
clearly have been one of the central City figures in determining the
need to construct the new fire fighting facility at 6860 Indian
Creek Drive in North Beach in 1926 and again in 1937 in the
advance planning for the North Beach expansion event.
Since the Miami Beach Fire Department was founded in 1920, the
following persons were appointed as Fire Chief to oversee the daily
activities of the fire department and entrusted with the public
safety: J.S. Stephenson (1920-1943), D.C. Kennett (1943-
1967), Hubert Albritton (1967-1972), Albert Bishop (1973-1979),
Homer Goltzene (1979-1982), Edward Walterman (1982-1985),
Braniard Dorris (1 985-1 994), Thomas Sullivan (1 994-1 996), Luis
R. Garcia, Jr. (now Commissioner Luis R. Garcia, Jr.)(1996-1999),
and Floyd Jordan (1 999 to present).
Architect Robert Law Weed served his country in World War I and
World War II as a planner who provided architectural expertise to
the Army Air Force in addition to being a nationally recognized
designer. He was highly involved with many civic affairs through
10
his public service, served on numerous juries for architectural
awards, and participated in advisory committees for the discussion
of problems relative to architecture and the building industry.
Architect Edwin T. Reeder served his country in World War II when
he was called to duty with the Navy Civil Engineering Corps.
Reeder was involved with many civic organizations in the Miami
area. He served as a member and later the director of the Florida
South Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, chairman
of the Metro Planning Advisory Board, a member of the State
Board of Architecture, and a member of the Miami Zoning Board
of Appeals.
(3) Embody the distinc;tive characteristics of an historical period.
architectural or design style or method of construction:
Designed by architects Robert Law Weed and Edwin T. Reeder,
the 69th Street Fire Station embodies defining characteristics of
the Neoclassical Revival period of architecture as popularized
across the United States from about 1900 to the 1950's.
The original fire station building features a classical two-story
symmetrically massed plan with a side-gabled roof and central
chimney. Its principal facade (facing Indian Creek Drive) is
organized about a grand two-story high curved entrance portico
dignified by four pairs of full height columns connoting simplified
classical columns in the manner of a grand residence. The front
entrance door of the building and the ornamental lantern (now
removed) suspended from the oval feature ceiling above it are
placed at the center of the portico and facade in accordance with
the customary fashion of the style, and which gives it the feeling
of the south wing of the White House.
Concordantly, the windows and two large equipment bay doors of
the principal facade are ordered symmetrically about the front
door. The original design of the equipment bay doors was
carefully broken down into a symmetrical arrangement of detailed
panels about four centrally placed glass lites to preserve the
stately character of the facade and maintain the architectural order
of the style.
11
The exterior masonry surface of the original building is carefully
crafted and constructed to read as brickwork painted white. The
windows are typically double-hung, wooden sash with a truly
divided glass lite configuration (in this instance "six over six" lites).
The windows originally featured full dramatic shutters (but now
removed) painted a contrasting color to the surrounding brickwork.
These latter handsome characteristics are shared with the Colonial
Revival style.
(4) Possess high artistic values:
Constructed in 1937, the 69th Street Fire Station is a unique
interpretation of the Neoclassical Revival style of architecture as
applied to a functional, small scale fire fighting facility in Miami
Beach. This architectural style was fashionable throughout the
United States for the first half of the 20th century due to its close
association with the highly respected artistic values of the Ancient
architecture of the Greeks and Romans while at the same time
realistically addressing the functional needs of a modern
technological society.
The earlier predecessor to this style in America was the Early
Classical Revival style, popular from circa 1780 to 1830. This
remarkably brazen style borrowed the highest artistic values and
direct architectural features of the Greeks and Romans as found in
the Five Ancient Orders of architecture: Tuscan, Doric, Ionic,
Corinthian, and Corinthian Composite. These high artistic values
were intentionally used to create a powerful public and domestic
image in the building of the new American nation.
Notable examples displaying these high artistic values include: the
United States Capitol, designed by William Thornton in 1795 (with
the new dome and north and south wings added by Thomas
Walter in 1855), the White House, the Lincoln Memorial and
Jefferson Memorial, many fine domestic residences (including two
designed by William Thornton), as well as the Decatur House
designed by Benjamin Latrobe in 1818, among a large host of
others in the early architecture of the District of Columbia and the
nation.
12
(5) Represent the work of a master. s~rve as an outstanding or
representative work of a master designer. architect or builder who
contributed to our historical. aesthetic or archit~ctural heritage:
Robert Law Weed (1897-1961), Florida's most renowned World's
Fair submission was probably Robert Law Weed's "Florida Tropical
Home" for the 1933 U.S. World's Fair, "A Century of Progress,"
in Chicago, Illinois. Weed began his career as an architect of
extravagant Florida homes, but he eventually built his reputation
on the Neoclassical Revival style, International style, and
Streamline Moderne structures. His designs for educational,
commercial, and residential buildings were developed to key into
Florida's climate and terrain.
Notable architectural works during Weed's stellar career include
the Miami Shores Elementary School (1 930), the Royal Palm Club
(1937), numerous buildings at the University of Miami, a
residential aviation community near Miami's airport (1947), the
Paramount Theater in Miami (1 938), the Administration and
Terminal Building at the Miami International Airport, the Fleet
Sonar School for the U.S. Navy in Key West (1953), and the Jai
Alai Fronton in Dania (1953). His commissions in Miami Beach
include the "House of Tomorrow" at 5757 Sheridan Avenue in
1935, the South Florida Art Center (originally known as Burdine's
Department Store) at 800 Lincoln Road in 1935, the Dade
Boulevard Fire Station (now known as Fire Station No.2) at 2300
Pinetree Drive in 1 939, the interior of the Beach Theater at the
west end of 420 Lincoln Road in 1940, the Jorge B. Sanchez
House at 1700 Michigan Avenue in 1948, and the current
Burdine's Department Store at 1675 Meridian Avenue in 1953.
Weed's architectural work was published in many national
magazines which include Architectural Forum, Architectural
Record, Progressive Architecture, Life, and the Saturday Evening
~. Weed received a high professional honor when he was
elected to the American Institute of Architects' College of Fellows
for his achievements in design in 1960.
Edwin T. Reeder (1 908-1 963). In addition to his architectural
works designed with Robert Law Weed from 1935 until 1 941 ,
Edwin T. Reeder was commissioned in Miami Beach to design the
Due residence at 1179 Bay Drive in 1949, the Barnes residence at
13
2 La Gorce Circle in 1 951 , the Miami Beach Federal Building (now
Bank of America) at 401 Lincoln Road in 1955, and the Miami
Beach Federal Savings and Loan (later Fedco, now vacant) at 1611
Washington Avenue in 1955. Other notable architectural works
by Reeder include the Industrial National Bank of Miami and the
Greater Miami Federal and the Edison Center branch office
buildings of the Dade Savings and Loan Association. Along with
an associate, B.R. Swartburg, he designed Miami-Dade County's
civic center and jail and the Public Safety and Criminal Courts
buildings on NW 14th Street in Miami.
(6) Have yielde~. or are likely to yield information important in pre-
history or history:
Retention of the 69th Street Fire Station promotes the general
welfare of the City by providing an opportunity for the study and
appreciation of a unique interpretation of the Neoclassical Revival
style of architecture as applied to a fire fighting facility. The fire
station represents an early official step by the City of Miami Beach
to plan well in advance of the anticipated development of North
Beach. This official step was physically consummated in 1 937
through the construction of a modern and efficient fire station with
its stately architectural roots derived from American interpretations
of Ancient Greek and Roman architecture.
The overall design of the fire station has a strong residential
influence which may be attributed to its location and period of
construction. The building was constructed on the north side of
North Bay Park (now known as Atlantic Heights Park) during a
period of time when North Beach was still largely undeveloped.
The study of the architectural proportions, features, and details of
the 69th Street Fire Station, especially once fully restored, will
reveal very important insights into the Classical style of
architecture of the Ancient Greeks and Romans as it evolved over
two and one half thousand years of time into its more functional
modern (18th, 19th, and 20th century) successors in America.
The Classical Revival residential architecture from which 69th
Street Fire Station draws its primary inspiration is recognized
across the country as a significant symbolic national style peculiar
to its historical periods (Le., 1780-1830, the building of a new
14
nation; and the first half of the 20th century, following the
Industrial Revolution of the last half of the 19th century); it
embodies high levels of artistic achievement in its form, classical
proportions, and details, especially as applied to a modest fire
fighting facility.
(7) Be listed in the National Register of Historic Places:
Currently, the 69th Street Fire Station is neither listed individually
as an historic site nor is it located within an historic district on the
National Register of Historic Places. However, because its
symbolic and dignified design character was derived from classical
residential architecture and successfully applied to a functional fire
station of its own time, it appears to have clear potential to be
determined to be eligible for national historic designation. It would
most certainly hold the status of a "contributing" building in either
a nationally designated historic district or a locally designated
historic district in the City of Miami Beach.
Despite a variety of intrusions on the historic park site over time,
including the pumping station and more recently the Police
Department substation, the historic site still retains a significant
amount of its original character and integrity as a park-like setting
on Biscayne Bay. The historic site hosts a stately Neoclassical
Revival residential edifice which lends dignity, security, and a
touch of elegance to its North Beach community. With restoration
and professional landscaping, this original park-like character will
be greatly enhanced.
(8) Consist of a geographically definable area that possesses a
significant concentration of sites. buildings or structures united by
historically significant past events or aesthetically by plan or
physical development. whose components may lack individual
distinction:
The Atlantic Heights Park, which forms the general boundary line
of the proposed 69th Street Fire Station Historic Site, is clearly a
geographically defined green area on Biscayne Bay. The proposed
historic site features the 69th Street Fire Station as its
architectural centerpiece, which is united by the aesthetic
cohesiveness of its waterfront setting, grass, large shade trees,
and formal plantings, as well as its historical role in the City's
15
North Beach expansion event.
(b) A building. structure (including the public portion~ of the interior).
improvement or landscape feature may be designated historic even if it
has been altered if the alteration is reversible and the most significant
architectural elements are intact and repairable.
Although the 69th Street Fire Station has been expanded over the years,
no major alterations have been made to its significant architectural
features with the exception of a more recent southwest (rear) addition.
The original fire station structure clearly maintains a high degree of its
original exterior architectural integrity as well as it original front entrance
lobby. Accurate exterior restoration could be successfully completed by
following original architectural plans and excellent available historical
photographs. Despite minor alterations to this structure, it continues to
be representative of the architectural and cultural history of Miami Beach
and, particularly, North Beach in its early development period.
IV. DESCRIPTION OF BOUNDARIES
The 69th Street Fire Station (now known as Fire Station No.4) is located at 6860
Indian Creek Drive in the Atlantic Heights Park (formerly North Bay Park) in Miami
Beach, Florida. A detailed legal description of the boundaries of the proposed historic
site is as follows:
A portion of Lots 1 through 6, Block M, CORRECTED PLAT OF
ATLANTIC HEIGHTS, recorded in Plat Book 9, at Page 14, Public Records
of Miami-Dade County, Florida, together with the riparian rights
appurtenant and adjacent thereto, and together with a portion of Atlantic
Drive (now 69th Street). Said portion of land located in the south half of
Government Lot One, Section 11, Township 53 South, Range 42 East,
and more particularly described as follows:
Commence at the southeast corner of Lot 6, Block M, of the above
mentioned CORRECTED PLAT OF ATLANTIC HEIGHTS; thence North 890
12' 34" West, along the south line of said Lot 6 for a distance of 38.36
feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING of the tract of land herein described;
then North 260 00' 53" West along the new right-of-way line of Indian
Creek Drive for a distance of 427.95 feet to the point of intersection
with the southerly line of Lot 6, Block N, of said CORRECTED PLAT OF
ATLANTIC HEIGHTS; thence run along the arc of a curve concave to the
northwest whose radius bears North 620 11' 32" West, having a central
16
angle of 630 01' 09" and a radius 'of 20.00 feet for a distance of 22.00
feet to a point of tangency; thence North 890 10' 23" West, along the
north right-of-way line of Atlantic Drive (now 69th Street) for a distance
of 152.47 feet; thence South 160 52' 06" East for a distance of 74.53
feet; thence South 190 41' 17" East for a distance of 37.33 feet to a
point of tangency; thence along the arc of a curve concave to the
northeast, having a central angle of 190 13' 49" and a radius of 703.27
feet for a distance of 236.04 feet to a point of tangency; thence South
380 55' 06" East for a distance of 53.57 feet; thence South 530 17' 11"
West for a distance of 33.97 feet; thence South 890 12' 34" East, along
the south line of the above mentioned Lot 6, Block M and its westerly
extension, for a distance of 202.55 feet to the POINT OF BEGINNING.
Said lands located, lying, and being in the City of Miami Beach, Miami-
Dade County, Florida, and containing 1.6066 acres (more or less).
The described boundaries, as recommended by the Planning Department, are shown
in the proposed historic site map (see Map 1).
V. PRESENT OWNERS
The property located within the boundaries of the proposed historic site is owned and
controlled by the City of Miami Beach. (The Warranty Deed which transfers the
described property from Helen S. Pearson to the City of Miami Beach was recorded in
Deed Book 1634, Page 476, on June 17, 1935.)
VI. PRESENT USE
The current use within the boundaries of the proposed historic site includes the
following (as seen from north to south): a portion of the public right-of-way of 69th
Street, the 69th Street Fire Station at 6860 Indian Creek Drive, a sewage pumprng
station to the south of the fire station, the Miami Beach North Shore Police Substation
(formerly Sailport) at 6840 Indian Creek Drive, a parking lot to the south of the police
substation, and the area known as Atlantic Heights Park.
VII. FUTURE LAND USE/ZONING
Established Future Land Use/Zoning Districts within the boundaries of the proposed
historic site are as follows:
PF Public Facility (Fire, Police, Other)
ROS Recreation and Open Space
Please refer to the future land use/zoning map for more detailed information (Map 2).
17
MAP 1 : PROPOSED DESIGNATION OF THE 69TH STREET FIRE STATION
(6860 INDIAN CREEK DRIVE) AS AN HISTORIC SITE
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-...........
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(NOW KNOWN AS
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PUIIP.NfI STATION
fIOLIC. au.STATION
(1.... )
ATLANTIC HBlGHTS PAIlK
........ ....-...c
.-n........_
MAP 2 : FUTURE LAND USE I ZONING DISTRICTS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE
PROPOSED HISTORIC 69TH FIRE STATION AND THE SURROUNDING AREAS
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VIII. HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Miami Beach Fire Department
In 1920, just five years after the
incorporation of Miami Beach, the first
permanent City Hall was constructed at
617 Collins Avenue.1 The 1920 City
Hall housed the City's first fire fighting
facility. The new fire station opened
under the direction of Chief J.S.
Stephenson in 1920. Legend has it
that Stephenson was elevated to the
top rank because he was the only one
in the Fire Department who knew how
to operate the new pumper. 2 The first
City Hall was in operation from 1920
until 1927 when a new City Hall was
built at 1130 Washington Avenue. In
1927, the fire station was transferred
to the north wing of the new City Hall.
The 1920 City Hall was then converted
to the Miami Beach Athletic Club. The
building was demolished and replaced
with a parking lot sometime between
1944 and 1952.
The City's second fire station was
constructed at 2331 Liberty Avenue in
1924. At that time, the Headquarters
of the Fire Department was transferred
from the "Number One Station" at the
1920 City Hall to the Liberty Avenue
Fire Station. The two-story structure
was constructed by John Cooper for
the City of Miami Beach at a cost of
$16,000. The architect of the
Mediterranean Revival style structure is
Figure 2 The first permanent City Hall was built in 1920 at
617 Collins Avenue. It housed the City's first fire fighting
facility .
Figure 3 This photo depicts Miami Beach's second fire
fighting facility. The liberty Avenue Fire Station (now
demolished) was built at 2331 liberty Avenue in 1924.
Notice that the Roney Plaza is under construction in the
background of the photo. (The hotel opened in February of
1926.)
1 H.M. Raley, L.G. Polansky, and A.J. Millas, Old Miami Beach, 1994, p. 8.
2 City of Miami Beach, Fire Department, Miami Beach Fire peoartment 11917-19921, 1992, p. 8.
18
unknown. The Liberty Avenue Fire Station operated from 1924 until it was replaced
in 1 939 by a new fire fighting facility located nearby at 2300 Pinetree Drive (the Dade
Boulevard Fire Station). The Liberty Avenue Fire Station was converted to the Belmar
Garage in 1939, then Hertz Car Rental in 1948, and finally Avis Rent-A-Car in 1958.
The original building was demolished in 1968.3
According to the City of Miami Beach Annual Report of 1926, the Fire Department
employed 25 men during that year. The force was divided into two companies,
according to their assignment to either the fire station at the 1920 City Hall or the
Liberty Avenue Fire Station, and further divided into platoons for the purpose of
handling the working shifts of 12 hour periods. Fire fighting equipment in 1926
included two American La France trucks and a 75-foot American La France aerial
ladder truck. The City's central fire alarm system was located at the Liberty Avenue
Fire Station. In 1926, the Fire Department conducted 3,188 inspections, issued 271
permits to burn, and answered 218 fire calls. The City authorized funds for the
construction of a third fire station at 63rd Street that same year;4 however, a fire
station was not constructed in North Beach until the 69th Street Fire Station was
erected at 6860 Indian Creek Drive in 1937. The construction delay was almost
certainly due to the setbacks of the great hurricane of 1926 and the Great Depression.
In 1927, Miami Beach constructed its
second City Hall at 1130 Washington
Avenue. The nine-story Mediterranean
Revival style building, now known as
Old City Hall, replaced the 1920 City
Hall at 617 Collins Avenue. The
structure was designed by Martin
Luther Hampton and built by H.A.
Peters for the City of Miami Beach at a
cost of $260,000. The fire fighting
facility at the 1920 City Hall was
transferred to the new structure's north
wing. The fire station at Old City Hall
was in operation from 1927 until 1967
when a new Fire Station No. 1 was built at 1051 Jefferson Avenue. (Old City Hall
was designated as the City's first local historic site on October 15, 1983.)5
Figure 4 A fire fighting facility occupied the north wing of
Old City Hall at 1130 Washington Avenue from 1927 until
1967.
3 City of Miami Beach, Building Permit Card No. 17073, 2331 Liberty Avenue, Permit No. 832, 24
April 1924, and others.
4 City of Miami Beach Archives, Citv of Miami Beach Annual Reoort. 30 November 1926, pp. 33-34.
5 City of Miami Beach, Planning Department, Old Citv Hall Desicnation Reoort, 1983.
19
In 1937, the 69th Street Fire Station
was built at 6860 Indian Creek Drive.
It was originally known as Fire
Station No.3, but it was renamed to
Fire Station No.4 after the new fire
station was built at 5301 Collins
Avenue in 1975. The two-story
building was designed by Robert Law
Weed and Edwin T. Reeder in an
interpretation of the Neoclassical
Revival style of architecture. It was
built by the Southeastern
Construction Company for the City of
Miami Beach at a cost of $27,300.6
Today the 69th Street Fire Station is
the oldest free-standing fire station in
Miami Beach and a landmark of the historic emergence of North Beach. (Refer to later
sections in this report for more detailed information about the 69th Street Fire Station.)
Figure 5 This photo of the 69th Street Fire Station was
published in the September 1957 issue of The American Citv
with a caption that reads, "Fire stations look like
neighborhood homes. (Inset) Fire Chief D. C. Kennett of
Miami Beach. H
In 1939, another new fire fighting facility
was constructed at 2300 Pinetree Drive
to replace the nearby Liberty Avenue Fire
Station. The two-story building was
designed by Robert Law Weed and
Edwin T. Reeder, the same architects
who had designed the 69th Street Fire
Station two years earlier. The Dade
Boulevard Fire Station (now known as
Fire Station No.2) was built by the C.F.
Wheeler Company for the City of Miami
Beach at a cost of $67,000. The multi-
use structure provided a "modern" fire
fighting facility with a central training
station, a residence for the Fire Chief, and a central fire alarm system. The building's
unique design, which embodies characteristics of the Streamline Moderne,
International, and Vernacular styles of architecture, respects the surrounding low-scale
residential neighborhood. (The Dade Boulevard Fire Station was designated as a local
historic site on October 20, 1999.)7
Figure 6 The Dade Boulevard Fire Station replaced the
nearby Liberty Avenue Fire Station in 1939. It was
designed by Robert Law Weed and Edwin T. Reeder.
6 City of Miami Beach, Building Permit Card No. 114, 69th Street and Indian Creek Drive, Permit No.
10621, November 1937.
7 City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. Dade Boulevard Fire Station Desianation Reoort. 1999.
20
The tenure of the City's first Fire Chief, J.S. Stephenson, took him through the land
development boom of the 1920's and the great hurricane of 1926. Chief Stephenson
retired in 1943 and was replaced by D.C. Kennett. Chief Kennett, commonly known
as Doc, joined the department on September 19, 1926, the day after the great
hurricane devastated Miami Beach. He was promoted to captain in December of 1934
and then Fire Chief in June of 1943. During World War II, Chief Kennett worked
closely with the U.S. Army-Air Forces when they transformed Miami Beach into a
major training center for an estimated 500,000 troops. After the war, in 1946, Chief
Kennett increased the size of the Fire Department to 55 men and purchased additional
fire equipment. The average fire loss in Miami Beach that year was only $15,000.8
According to the National Board of Fire Underwriters Report on the City of Miami
Beach, the Fire Department employed 78 enlisted men in 1951, which included the
following: the Fire Chief, two battalion captains, 14 captains, 49 firemen, four fire
prevention inspectors, a signal system maintenance person and an assistant, a clerk,
an acting mechanic, a chief's driver, and three extinguisher maintenance men. The
Fire Chief was on continuous duty and occupied living quarters in the north wing of
the Dade Boulevard Fire Station. The other members of the Fire Department worked
on a 72 hour a week basis.9
In 1951, there were three fire stations in
operation in Miami Beach. Headquarters
at Old City Hall (1130 Washington
Avenue) housed a 1,500 gallon
American La France pumping engine and
a 1 00 foot Seagrave aerial ladder. The
Dade Boulevard Fire Station housed a
1,000 gallon American La France
pumping engine and a Pirsch pumper-
ladder. The 69th Street Fire Station
housed two 750 gallon American La Figure 7 This photo documents Miami Beach's fire
France pumping engines. The central fire fighting equipment around 1950.
alarm system, a four-loop circuit control
board by Gamewell, was located in the south wing of the Dade Boulevard Fire Station.
During the 1950 fiscal year, 552 fire alarms were reported by the Fire Department.lO
8 City of Miami Beach, Fire Department, Miami Beach Fire Deoartment 11917-1992),1992, pp. 8-9.
9 City of Miami Beach Archives, National Board of Underwriters Reoort on the Citv of Miami Beach,
August 1951, file no. 438, pp. 5-11.
10 Ibid.
21
In a September 1957 article written by Miami Beach City Engineer Morris Lipp, he
reports that "Miami Beach has one industry - tourism. The city's economy thrives on
its reputation for beauty, cleanliness, and efficiency. Its fire department, like the other
municipal services, must meet rigid and high operating standards. It is considered
'good business' in Miami Beach to make fire protection unobtrusive but of the highest
caliber possible. Building and zoning requirements are well above average and strictly
enforced. Fire hazards rarely arise, but when they do they are quickly eradicated.
Two of our three fire stations are of architecture designed to enhance the appearance
of their Pine Tree and Indian Creek neighborhoods. "11
In 1957, the Fire Department operated under a 60 hour work week and employed 122
men with a minimum pay of $327 per month. (The Fire Chief earned the highest
salary of $700 per month.) Personnel included Chief Kennett, three deputy chiefs,
nine fire captains, nine fire lieutenants, nine engine men, a fire prevention captain, a
fire training captain, a master mechanic, a signal system maintenance person, a clerk,
and a fire extinguisher lieutenant. There were 494 fire alarms and $110,482 in fire
losses reported by the Fire Department in 1956.12
Chief Kennett retired after 41 years of service in 1967. Hubert Albritton, who had
joined the Fire Department in 1941, was appointed as the City's third Fire Chief on
May 1, 1967. One of his career achievements was his work to establish Miami Beach
as one of the finest emergency medical services in the country.13
In 1967, a new Fire Station No. 1
was constructed at 1051 Jefferson
Avenue to replace the fire fighting
facility which had been housed in the
north wing of Old City Hall at 1130
Washington Avenue for 40 years.
The three-story building was designed
by Morris Lapidus and built by David
M. Abel Construction Company for
the City of Miami Beach at a cost of
Figure 8 In 1967, Fire Station No. 1 at 1051 Jefferson
Avenue replaced the fire fighting facility located in the north
wing of Old City Hall. It was designed by Morris Lapidus.
11 City of Miami Beach Archives, Morris N. Lipp, "Fire Loss Low at Miami Beach," The American City,
September 1957, pp. 120-123.
12 Ibid.
13 City of Miami Beach, Fire Department, Miami Beach Fire Deoartment 11917-19921, 1992, p. 9.
22
$210,000.14 (Morris Lapidus was also the architect who designed the landmark
Fontainebleau Hotel at 4441 Collins Avenue in 1953 and the Eden Roc Hotel at 4525
Collins Avenue in 1955.)
In December of 1972, Chief Albritton retired after 31 years of service. Albert Bishop
was appointed as the City's next Fire Chief in 1973. He began his career with the Fire
Department in 1954. Chief Bishop was instrumental in persuading the City to build
a new fire station in Mid-Beach to help protect the residents in the hi-rise buildings
along Collins Avenue.15
In 1975, Fire Station No.3 was built at 5301
Collins Avenue, and the 69th Street Fire Station
was renamed from Fire Station No.3 to Fire
Station No.4. The two-story building was
designed by Severud-Knight and constructed by
the Arkin Building Corporation for the City of
Miami Beach at a cost of $495,000.16
Chief Bishop was replaced by Homer "Bud" Figure 9 Fire Station No.3 was constructed at
5301 Collins Avenue in 1975.
Goltzene in 1979. Goltzene began his career
with the Fire Department in 1954. He was the
first Fire Chief to hire a woman fire fighter in Dade County. Under his tenure, Chief
Goltzene hosted the 107th annual conference of the International Association of Fire
Chiefs in 1980.17
Edward "Waldo" Walterman, who had joined the Fire Department in 1954, was
appointed as the City's sixth Fire Chief on May 17, 1982. When he began his
appointment, Miami Beach was experiencing an economic depression with increased
crime and frequent large fires. Chief Walterman applied for and received funds from
the Community Development Block Grant program to modify and expand the Dade
Boulevard Fire Station, modify the 69th Street Fire Station, and build a training and
14 City of Miami Beach, Building Permit Card No. 158. 1051 Jefferson Avenue, Permit No. 78482, 23
June 1967.
15 City of Miami Beach, Fire Department. Miami Beach Fire Deoartment 11917-19921. 1992, p. 9.
16 City of Miami Beach, Building Permit Card No. 177, 5301 Collins Avenue, Permit No. 88887, 14
August 1975.
17 City of Miami Beach, Fire Department, Miami Beach Fire Deoartment 11917-19921. 1992, pp. 9-10.
23
maintenance facility. 18
Braniard Dorris was promoted to Fire Chief in April of 1985. Chief Dorris served
during the difficult "sprinkler wars" between the City and various property owners of
high-rise buildings in Miami Beach. On April 8, 1990, nine people perished in a
devastating fire at the Fontana Hotel (originally the Del Prado Hotel and now the site
of the Capomar Condominium) at 2642 Collins Avenue. Their deaths inspired Chief
Dorris to lead the push for compliance with the state law to retrofit existing high-rise
buildings with fire sprinklers.
Under Chief Dorris' tenure, Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida on August 24, 1992.
Miami Beach's fire fighting personnel had increased to 212 when Hurricane Andrew
hit, in comparison to the 28 members with the City during the great hurricane of
1926. Chief Dorris commanded those 212 members to quickly and efficiently
evacuate more than 65,000 residents and visitors. Hurricane Andrew was the catalyst
for greater efforts in hurricane planning, and it became one of the Fire Chief's major
responsibilities.19
Thomas Sullivan was appointed as the
City's eighth Fire Chief after Chief Dorris
retired in 1994. He was known as a "fire
fighter's chief" whose personnel was
extremely loyal to him. The "sprinkler
wars," which began under Chief Dorris in
1990, ended following the disastrous
Morton Towers fire (today's Grand
Flamingo) at 1500 Bay Road on May 24,
1996. This fire left two dead, scores
injured, and heavy casualties among the
City's fire fighters.
Figure 10 Two fire fighters search for bodies after
the disastrous Fontana Hotel fire at 2642 Collins
Avenue on April 8, 1990.
More recently, Luis R. Garcia, Jr., (now Commissioner Luis R. Garcia, Jr.) was
appointed as the City's ninth Fire Chief on July 3, 1996.20 He joined the Fire
Department in 1973 and first served as a Fire Fighter II for Rescue 11 in South Beach.
In 1986, he was promoted to Lieutenant with an assignment to the 69th Street Fire
Station. He advanced to Rescue Division Captain in 1989 and later Rescue Division
18 Ibid, pp. 10-11.
19 Ibid, pp. 12-14.
20 Web Site of the City of Miami Beach Fire Fighters. the City of Miami Beach Fire/Rescue Department.
Fire and Rescue News, Miami Beach Appoints New Chief, 1 July 1996.
24
Chief in 1992. Chief Garcia served a remarkable 25 1/2 year professional career with
the Fire Department in total dedication to the life safety of the City's residents and
visitors. Chief Garcia's tenure as the City's ninth Fire Chief spanned from 1996 until
his official retirement on March 26, 1999. Soon thereafter, he ran for City
Commissioner for Group V and was elected to the Miami Beach City Commission in
November of 1999. Under Chief Garcia's leadership, the Fire Department made great
strides in the improvement of public safety throughout the City as a result of an
aggressive public education and fire prevention program. Fire-related deaths in Miami
Beach were reduced from four in 1996, to one in 1997, and to zero in both 1998 and
1999. Chief Garcia was instrumental in ensuring that all of the Fire Department's
equipment was certified as Advance Life Support (ALS). 21
On June 1, 1999, Chief Floyd Jordan was appointed as the City's tenth Fire Chief.
He began his career with the Fire Department on August 12, 1996, as an Assistant
Fire Chief. After a brief departure from the department in November of 1998, Chief
Jordan returned to serve as the City's tenth Fire Chief following the retirement of Chief
Garcia. Prior to his employment with the City of Miami Beach in 1996, he served 27
years with the City of Miami Fire Department and two and a half years as Fire Chief
with the City of Boynton Beach.22
Presently the Fire Department employees 218 personnel, of which 201 are fire
fighters. A full 84 percent of the fire fighters are state certified paramedics. The
department features the Fire Prevention Bureau, Combat Division, Rescue Division,
Support Services/Training Division, and the Communications Division. Combat and
Rescue Division personnel are assigned to one of the three 24 hour shifts. Fire
Prevention and Support Service/Training Division are on a four or five day work week.
The Fire Department's command structure is the following (in ascending order): Fire
Fighter I, Fire Fighter II, Lieutenant, Captain, Division Chief, Assistant Chief, and Fire
Chief.23
Today there are four fire stations in operation in Miami Beach: Fire Station No.1 at
1051 Jefferson Avenue, Headquarters at the Dade Boulevard Fire Station (now known
as Fire Station No.2) at 2300 Pinetree Drive, Fire Station No. 3 at 5301 Collins
Avenue, and the oldest of the four fire stations - the 69th Street Fire Station (now
known as Fire Station No.4) at 6860 Indian Creek Drive. The fire stations are
21 Web Site of the City of Miami Beach, Commissioner Luis R. Garcia, Jr., Commissioner's Biography.
22 Web Site of the City of Miami Beach Fire Fighters, the City of Miami Beach Fire/Rescue Department,
Fire and Rescue News, Jordan Appointed as Miami Beach's Assistant Fire Chief, 12 August 1996.
23 Web Site of the City of Miami Beach Fire Fighters, the City of Miami Beach Fire/Rescue Department,
About the Department, copyright 2000.
25
strategically located throughout the City with an average response time of less than
four minutes. Fire fighting equipment includes six Advanced Life Support Rescue
Units, four Advanced Life Support Engines, two Advanced Life Support ladder Trucks,
and one Air/Lighting Support Vehicle. The Fire Department handles an average of
20,000 calls per year, and of those calls 85 percent are medical related.24 The role of
the Fire Department has expanded over the years from its original fire fighting function
to include emergency medical services, fire prevention inspections, public education
about fire safety, and hurricane preparation and evacuation planning.
24 Web Site of the City of Miami Beach Fire Fighters, the City of Miami Beach Fire/Rescue Department,
Stations and Equipment, copyright 2000.
26
Historical Overview of the 69th Street Fire Station Site
North Beach, like all the rest of Miami Beach, was originally part of a tract of land that
was planted with imported coconuts in a plantation scheme by New Jersey investors
Ezra Osborn, Elnathan Field, and Henry Lum in 1882. Imported coconuts were planted
on 65 miles of oceanfront land from Key Biscayne to Jupiter, Florida. Frank Osborn,
who accompanied his father Ezra to Miami Beach, was a member of the coconut
planting crew. The Osborns and Field were Quakers from Middletown, New Jersey.
They received deeds to the lands north of today's 11th Street in Miami Beach in
1882.25
One of the investors in the coconut plantation scheme was John S. Collins, a Quaker
and a horticulturist from New Jersey. When Collins came to Miami in 1 896 to
investigate the failed project, he still saw agricultural promise in Miami Beach. In
1907, seven years after the death of Ezra Osborn, Collins bought out Field's land
interest, and he became sole owner of 1,675 acres of land between 14th Street and
67th Street from the Atlantic Ocean to Biscayne Bay. 26 Miami Beach was incorporated
as a town on March 26, 1915, and as a city on May 1, 1917. (It is important to note
that the original northern city limit was not extended from today's 45th and 46th
Streets27 to 87th Terrace until about 1925).
The first land plat north of Collins' original property holdings was the Atlantic Heights
subdivision. It was filed on February 21, 1919, by Frank Osborn and his wife Viola
nearly 40 years after he had helped to plant coconuts here. This 671-foot wide strip
of land spanned from the Atlantic Ocean to Indian Creek and centered at present-day
69th Street.28 Due to erroneous measurements and missing information, a corrected
plat of the Atlantic Heights subdivision was filed by Frank and Viola Osborn and Helen
Pearson, a widow as trustee, on March 10, 1923.29 Helen Pearson later sold all of
Block M of the Atlantic Heights subdivision to the City of Miami Beach for a sum of
$8,000 on June 17, 1935.30 It was in Block M of the Atlantic Heights subdivision
25 Howard Kleinberg, Miami Beach, 1994, pp. 10-14.
26 Howard Kleinberg, Miami Beach, 1994, p. 20.
27 "Vote Tonight on Incorporating Miami Beach," Miami MetroDolis, 26 March 1915.
28 Biscayne Engineering Company, Plat of Atlantic Heiahts, 21 February 1919, plat 4-146.
29 Biscayne Engineering Company, Corrected Plat of Atlantic Heiahts, 10 March 1923, plat 9-14.
30 City of Miami Beach, City Clerk's Office, 69th Street Fire Station, File No. WD-22, Warranty Deed
from Helen Pearson, recorded 17 June 1935, book 1634, p. 476.
27
that the 69th Street Fire Station would be built in 1937.
Other land plats north of the Atlantic Heights subdivision include Henry Levy's
Normandy Beach South and the U.S. Government tract between 72nd and 73rd
Streets (the former site of the Biscayne House of Refuge). Normandy Beach South
was located between the Osborns' Atlantic Heights subdivision at 69th Street and the
U.S. Government tract that began at 72nd Street. It was filed by Henry Levi and his
wife Rose together with Reuben and Ethel Gryzmich on October 7, 1925. Present-day
71 st Street, which ran down the middle of it, was the main thoroughfare to Normandy
Isle.31
As seen in a 1927 aerial photograph of Miami Beach (Figure 12),32 North Beach was
still largely undeveloped with only a handful of structures highlighting the streets, even
though eight years had elapsed since the first subdivision was platted. The north end
of the City was slower to develop than the south. Although the land itself sold well
during the 1920's, it seems that little was built upon it. One early Miami Beach
resident recalled a significant structure in today's North Beach during the early 1920's.
The Jungle Inn was Miami Beach's" 'first speakeasy and gambling joint, which was
located in the wilderness at approximately 67th Street and Indian Creek Drive,' and
that there was nothing between there and the Firestone Estate at 43rd Street and
Collins A venue (now the Fontainebleau). "33
The slow growth of North Beach may be attributed to its remote location and limited
accessibility on a long, narrow strip of land between Indian Creek and the Atlantic
Ocean. The area suffered through the great hurricane of 1926 and the Great
Depression. By 1935, there were only a few significant buildings located north of the
Bath Club (5937 Collins Avenue), which included the Gulf Stream Apartments (6029-
6039 Collins Avenue), St. Francis Hospital (250-63rd Street), the Deauville Casino
(6701 Collins Avenue), and the Sea Village Apartments (6853-6877 Collins Avenue).34
Although the north end of Miami Beach was sparsely inhabited during the 1920's and
1930's, City officials foresaw the rapid growth of this area. Municipal funds were
authorized for the construction of a fire fighting facility in North Beach as early as
1926.35 The project was postponed for eleven years almost certainly due to the
31 Biscayne Engineering Company, Plat of Normandv Beach South, 7 October 1925, plat 12-54.
32 Richard B. Hoit, Aerial Survev of Miami Beach. Florida. 17 February 1927, sheet 93A.
33 Ruby leach Carson, "Forty Years of Miami Beach," Teauesta, volume XV, 1955, p. 16.
34 Franklin Survey Company, Prooertv Atlas of Miami Beach to Golden Beach. Florida, 1935, plate 14.
3S City of Miami Beach Archives, Citv of Miami Beach Annual Reoort, 30 November 1926, p. 33.
28
devastation of the great hurricane of 1926 and the economic circumstances of the
Great Depression. In 1937, North Beach received a new fire fighting facility at 6860
Indian Creek Drive, the 69th Street Fire Station.
According to a 1937 newspaper article, Miami Beach spent $2 million on public
improvements for the expected record influx of visiting tourists to the island resort
colony during the 1 937 season. These
public improvements included the
reconstruction of several main roads, the
widening and paving of Collins Avenue,
a new bridge at Washington Avenue and
Dade Boulevard, various storm sewer
and pumping station improvements, a
new Police Station at First Street and
Meridian Avenue, and a new fire station
at 69th Street and Indian Creek Drive.
The newspaper article reads, "In order
that a clean sweep of all necessary
improvements and enlargements might
be made at one time; and in order, too,
that all city departments be well-housed,
(the public improvements) also included
the building of a fire station at Sixty-
ninth street and Biscayne bay. Providing
protection for the numberless new
homes springing up in a territory that,
during past years, would have been entirely without aid in the event of fire, and the
new station is nearing completion and, with the police post, should be finished around
the middle of January (1938). "36
Figure 11 The 69th Street Fire Station was built in 1937
to provide protection to the numerous new structures
springing up in North Beach.
As evidenced in a 1 941 aerial photograph (Figure 13)37 and the 1 944 atlas of Miami
Beach (Figure 14),38 North Beach experienced a building construction boom during the
1940's. Buildings which surrounded the 69th Street Fire Station in 1944 included the
Devon Hotel (6880 Byron Avenue) to the east, the Blue Ocean Villas (6918-6928
Indian Creek Drive) to the north, and the Biarritz Villas (6827 Indian Creek Drive) to the
southeast.
36 Historical Museum of Southern Florida, "Public Improvements," The Beach Beacon, Progress Edition,
1937, p. 6.
37 Abrams Aerial Survey Corporation, Aerial Survev of Miami Beach. Florida, 1941, sheet 129.
38 Frank B. Dolph, Atlas of Miami Beach to Golden Beach. Florida, 1944, plate 14.
29
Numerous apartments, villas, and hotels were built in North Beach by 1952.
Prominent hotels located south of the fire station that year included the Sherry
Frontenac (6565 Collins Avenue), the Monte Carlo (6551 Collins Avenue), and the Bel
Aire (6515 Collins Avenue).39 Normandy Isle, just west of the 69th Street Fire
Station, was becoming rapidly populated after World War II.
The 69th Street Fire Station is located at the southwest corner of 69th Street and
Indian Creek Drive on Lots 1 and 2, Block M, in the Atlantic Heights subdivision. The
building fronts Indian Creek Drive, which was originally known as Albacore Drive
between 67th Street and 71 st Street. This portion of the roadway was renamed to
Indian Creek Drive sometime between 1944 and 1952. North Bay Park (now known
as the Atlantic Heights Park) is located to the south of the fire station; it originally
occupied Lots 3 through 6 of the same block and subdivision. In 1937, a sewage
pumping station was constructed to the south of the fire station on Lot 3.40 In 1984,
Sailport (now the Miami Beach North Shore Police Substation) was built at 6840 Indian
Creek Drive on Lot 5 and part of Lot 6.41 A parking lot was built to the south of the
Sailport on Lot 6. (Refer to Figure 15 for present site conditions.)
The 69th Street Fire Station was expanded in 1 961 to accommodate both the growing
needs of North Beach and the changing specifications of new fire fighting equipment.
An addition was constructed on the west (rear) elevation of the original 1 937 fire
station to house now larger fire trucks on the first floor and an expanded dormitory on
the second floor. It was designed by architects Robert and Leonard H. Glasser.
Although the addition enclosed the west elevation of the original fire station, it simply
contained most of the original architecture and did not result in any significant
demolition. Almost all of the original construction remains intact within the walls of
the expanded structure today.
39 G.M. Hopkins Co., Plat Book of Miami Beach to Golden Beach. Florida, 1952, plate 20.
40 City of Miami Beach, Building Permit Card No. 114, 69th Street and Indian Creek Drive, Permit No.
10621, November 1937.
41 City of Miami Beach, Building Permit Card No. 175.1, 6840 Indian Creek Drive, Permit No. 91235,
17 April 1984.
30
Figure 12 This 1927 aerial photograph of Miami Beach was taken over the Atlantic Ocean looking westward towards
Miami ten years before the construction of the 69th Street Fire Station. It documents the sparsely inhabited conditions
of North Beach. Frank Osborn's Atlantic Heights subdivision, platted in 1919, was centered at present-day 69th Street
(left of center). It was in the Atlantic Heights subdivision that the 69th Street Fire Station would be built in 1937.
Henry Levy's Normandy Beach South, platted in 1925, was located between the Atlantic Heights subdivision and the
U.S. Government tract that began at 72nd Street (right of center). Present-day 71 st Street, which ran down the middle
of Normandy Beach South, was the main thoroughfare to Normandy Isle. The U.S. Government tract, which lay
between 72nd and 73rd Streets, was the former site of the Biscayne House of Refuge (far right).
Figure 13 This 1941 aerial photograph of Miami Beach shows the 69th Fire Station (left-center)
in its original park setting. Notice that the western end of 69th Street has not yet been built.
31
CREEK
Figure 14 As seen in this 1944 plat of Miami Beach, the 69th Street Fire Station (top-
center) is located in North Bay Park (now known as Atlantic Heights Park). Albacore
Drive was renamed to Indian Creek Drive sometime between 1944 and 1952.
Figure 1 5 This 1985 plat of Miami Beach shows the current site conditions of the 69th
Street Fire Station and the surrounding area. Notice the present use within the Atlantic
Heights Park (top-center), which includes (as seen from north to south (right to left))
the 69th Street Fire Station, a sewage pumping station, the Miami Beach North Shore
Police Substation, and a parking lot.
32
IX. ARCHITECTURAL BACKGROUND
The design of the 69th Street Fire
Station by Robert Law Weed and
Edwin T. Reeder is an
interpretation of the Neoclassical
Revival style of architecture. The
Neoclassical Revival style was
popular throughout the country
during the first half of the 20th
century. Although it was never
quite as abundant as its closely
related Colonial Revival
contemporary, the Neoclassical
Revival style had two principal
waves of popularity. The first
phase, from about 1900 to 1920,
emphasized hipped roofs and
elaborate, correct columns. The
later phase, from about 1925 to
the 1950s, emphasized side-gable
roofs and simple, slender
columns.42 The 69th Street Fire
Station is an inspiration from the
second phase of the Neoclassical
Revival style.
The World's Columbian
Exposition, held in Chicago in
1893, played an important part in
reviving interest in classical
architecture. The planners of the
exposition mandated a classical
theme. The exposition was
widely photographed, reported,
and attended. The Neoclassical
Revival style soon became the
latest fashion throughout the
country. The central buildings of
the exposition were of
Figure 16 The design of the 69th Street Fire Station is an
interpretation of the Neoclassical Revival style, which was popular
throughout the country during the first half of the 20th century.
Figure 17 Although a slightly more ornate design with an unusual
gambrel roof, this structure from Connecticut (circa 1910) shares
many typical architectural characteristics of the Neoclassical
Revival style with the 69th Street Fire Station. Both structures
feature a symmetrically balanced facade, a central door, a curved
entry portico with a flat roof and full height columns, a portico
pendant lantern, a side pitched roof with one or more chimneys,
multi-lited, double-hung windows with dramatic full shutters, and
a deep front lawn with a central entrance walk.
42 Virginia and Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, 1984, p. 344.
33
monumental scale and inspired numerous public and commercial buildings in the
following decades.43
Although the Neoclassical Revival style was popular for banks, colleges, and for public
buildings such as museums and libraries, the 69th Street Fire Station was designed as
a unique interpretation of this style as applied to a modern, functional fire fighting
facility. The overall design of the building also has a strong residential influence which
may be attributed to its location. The building was constructed on the north side of
North Bay Park during a period of time when North Beach was still largely
undeveloped. It represents an early formal step by the City in planning for the
anticipated development of North Beach.
The two-story building is
post and beam construction
with its walls being a
combination of concrete
masonry unit and non-
structural terra cotta tiles.
The exterior masonry
construction is carefully
crafted to read as brick
painted white which was
consistent with its
architectural style. It has a
rectangular massed plan
with a central curved
portico, a side-gabled roof,
and a central chimney. The side-gabled roof is finished with white flat tiles. The
windows are typically double-hung, wooden sash with a truly divided six over six glass
lite configuration and dramatic full shutters (now removed) painted a dark contrasting
color. The primary elevation has a stylistic feeling of the south facade of the White
House. It is interesting to note that the original architectural plans call for a flat roof
on both the main structure and the curved portico; however, a revised elevation
drawing shows the main structure with a modest side-gabled roof with oval gable
vents carefully articulated by brick patterning and the portico with a triangular
pediment. The as-built condition reflects a combination of the flat and gable roof
designs with the curved portico.44
Figure 18 This 1937 original elevation drawing of the 69th Street Fire
Station shows the first design concept of the building with a flat roof. It
was revised by the architects to a side-gabled roof prior to construction; all
other design elements remained the same.
43 Virginia and Lee McAlester, A Field Guide to American Houses, 1984, p. 345.
44 City of Miami Beach, Building Permit Card No. 176, 6860 Indian Creek Drive, Permit No.1 0169, 10
August 1937.
34
The symmetrical front (east) facade is dominated by a central entry portico which
extends the full height of the building and about one-third the width. The curved
portico features a flat roof which is supported by two-story pipe columns with modest
bases. Decorative molding highlights the ceiling of the portico. The semi-circular
entrance patio is finished in red brick. The central entrance is defined by panelled,
double doors with a decorative cornice and flanking single windows. A bronze plaque
(now painted over) is located to the north of the double doors, which reads, "Robert
Law Weed, Architect," and "Southeastern Construction Co., Miami, Fla." Three single
windows are located above the entrance; they are visually divided by the portico
columns. Panelled wood, roll-up garage doors feature center windows recalling the
paired windows above. They have since been removed and replaced by simple metal
roll-up garage doors of two different types.
The side (north and south) elevations are uniform; they feature four single windows
on the first floor and four single windows on the second floor. An oval louvered vent
is located in the pediment on each side of the gabled roof. Alternating brick patterns
define the gabled roof pediments and divide the first floor from the second floor.
The public interior lobby has original architectural features present, which include a
formal Classically-influenced central fireplace, a patterned green terrazzo floor with a
yellow border, and a curved staircase with a detailed wrought iron railing. According
to the original 1937 architectural plans, the first floor featured a central lobby and a
C-shaped fire truck room with green ceramic tiles and a green terrazzo floor which
wrapped the lobby space. A small storage room projected out from the west elevation
wall which was fully articulated in a manner consistent with the other facade walls.
On the second floor, there was a dormitory on the south side, a locker room on the
west side, a bathroom at the northwest corner, the captain's room at the northeast
corner, and a lounge room on the east side.45 The Fire Department advised staff that
the entire original second floor was modified around 1984.
The deep front lawn of the fire station is defined by symmetrical, stepped planting
beds between the central entrance walk and the fire truck entrance drives on the north
and south sides of the site. The landscaped planting beds feature low concrete walls
with red brick coping. These site features appear to be an original condition, as
documented in a 1940 photograph.46
45 City of Miami Beach, Building Permit Card No. 176, 6860 Indian Creek Drive, Permit No.1 0169, 10
August 1 937.
46 Miami Public Library, Florida Room, "69th Street Fire Station, Miami Beach Municipal Project,"
Florida Architecture Journal, 1940, p. 54.
35
The fire station clearly maintains
most of its original architectural
integrity even though it has been
modestly altered over the years.
In 1961, a substantial addition
(26 feet in width, 67 feet in
length, and 23 feet in height) was
constructed and attached to the
rear (west) elevation, but it simply
enclosed most of the original
architecture. It was designed by
Robert and Leonard H. Glasser to
house fire trucks on the first floor
and dormitories on the second
floor.47 Other alterations include
the following: removal of all of
the window shutters, removal of the stately portico pendant lantern, replacement of
some of the original wooden windows, replacement of both original roll-up garage
doors, enclosure of one window masonry opening on the north elevation, and the
reduction of the sill height for two window bays on the east elevation and one window
on the north elevation.
Figure 19 As seen in this 2001 photo, the 69th Street Fire
Station clearly maintains most of its original architectural integrity.
A rear addition (right side) simply enclosed most of the original
architecture on the west elevation in 1961.
Restoration and appropriate renovation of the 69th Street Fire Station could be
successfully completed by careful analysis of original architectural plans and available
historical photographs. Despite minor alterations to this building, it continues to be
representative of the architectural and cultural history of Miami Beach and, particularly,
North Beach in its early development period.
47 City of Miami Beach, Building Permit Card No. 176, 6860 Indian Creek Drive, Permit No. 65233, 28
June 1961.
36
Robert law Weed. Robert Law Weed was born in
Sewickley, Pennsylvania, on September 4, 1897. He
graduated from high school in Richmond, Indiana, in 1915.
Weed married Gertrude Weaver of Portsmouth, Virginia, and
had three children: Robert Law, Jr., Richard Crosby, and
Virginia Bishop. After attending two years at the Carnegie
Institute of Technology in Pittsburgh, Weed studied under
Florida architect Richard Kiehnel from 1921 until 1922.
(Kiehnel and his partner Elliot are recognized for designing
the Carlyle Hotel at 1250 Ocean Drive in 1939 and the
Shorecrest Hotel at 1535 Collins Avenue in 1940.) Weed
began to practice architecture in Florida in 1923.48
Weed temporarily gave up his professional pursuit when he
served his country in World War I (1917-1919) and World Figure 20 This photo of Robert
War II (1942-1945) as a planner who provided architectural Law Weed was taken in 1948.
expertise to the Army Air Force. During World War I, he
served in Europe as a Lieutenant in the Coast Artillery Corps supervising field drafting
and plotting and as an observation and orientation officer. During World War II, he
served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the
Air Transport Command of the Army Air
Forces in Washington, D.C., India,
China, Burma, and South America and
on the Pacific Coast in charge of
installations and supervising the design
of airports and airport facilities for
transport operations. Military awards
received in recognition of his service
include the Bronze Star and the
Presidential Citation. After World War
II, Weed continued his activities for the
Army Air Force which resulted in the
master planning of a number of
installations in the United States and its
dependencies.49
Figure 21 This architectural rendering by Weed depicts the
Administration and Terminal Building at the Miami
International Airport. It was published in an issue of
Architecture and Desian around 1940.
Based in Miami, Weed began his career as an architect of extravagant Florida homes,
but he eventually built his reputation on stripped Neoclassical Revival, International
48 American Institute of Architects, Miami Chapter, Office Records, Robert Law Weed.
49 Miami Beach Public Library, Florida Reference, Tracy Hollingsworth, Historv of Dade Countv. Florida,
1949, pp. 179-180.
37
style, and Streamline Moderne structures. Notable architectural works during his
stellar career include the Miami Shores Elementary School (1930), the Royal Palm Club
(1937), numerous buildings at the University of Miami, a residential aviation
community near Miami's airport (1947), the Paramount Theater in Miami (1938), the
Administration and Terminal Building at the Miami International Airport, the Fleet Sonar
School for the U.S. Navy in Key West (1953), and the Jai Alai Fronton in Dania
(1953). His commissions in Miami Beach include the South Florida Art Center
(originally Burdine's Department Store) at 800 Lincoln Road in 1935, the Dade
Boulevard Fire Station (now known as Fire Station No.2) at 2300 Pinetree Drive in
1939, the interior of the Beach Theater at the west end of 420 Lincoln Road in 1940,
the Jorge B. Sanchez House at 1700 Michigan Avenue in 1948, and the current
Burdine's Department Store at 1675 Meridian Avenue in 1953.
Weed was the architect of the "Florida Tropical
Home" for the 1933 U.S. World's Fair, "A
Century of Progress," in Chicago, Illinois. It
was probably Florida's most renowned World's
Fair submission. The Florida Tropical Home
was a demonstration house designed for a
section of the fair which showcased the
"Homes of the Future." It was designed as a
modest reinterpretation of Europe's
International style villa. The masonry structure
was equipped with eyebrows, large windows,
gracious rooftop decks, and a double-height
living room suitable to Florida's tropical climate.
It was filled with a sparse selection of modern
furnishings. The floor coverings were geometric, and the walls were lined with plate-
glass mirrors and Vitrolite (a patented colored glass).5o Today the Florida Tropical
Home can be found together with four other demonstration houses from the "Homes
of the Future" in Beverly Shores, Indiana. Soon after the World's Fair ended, these
houses were barged across lake Michigan to Beverly Shores as a publicity stunt to lure
buyers to a new housing development. The housing development was eventually
annexed to a neighboring park, and the surviving houses now comprise the Beverly
Shores/Century of Progress Architectural District at the Indiana Dunes National
lakeshore, 45 miles southeast of Chicago.51
Figure 22 Florida's most renowned World's Fair
submission was probably Weed's "Florida
Tropical Home" at the 1933 U.S. World's Fair in
Chicago.
50 Joel M. Hoffman, "From Augustine to Tangerine: Florida at the U.S. World's Fairs," ~
Wolfsonian/Florida International Universitv Journal of Decorative and Prooaaanda Arts. volume 23, 1998, pp.
64-66.
51 Dennis W. Wilhelm, "Art Deco Architecture at the World's Fairs," Official Proaram of the Miami
Desian Preservation Leaaue Art Deco Weekend. 19-21 January 2001, pp. 9-10.
38
In collaboration with Eastman studios, Weed designed
the "House of Tomorrow" at 5757 Sheridan Avenue
in 1935. According to an article from The Society
Pictorial, never before had a house of such size been
built for exhibition purposes. The house was not
meant to be regarded as a tropical home but as an
indication of the possibilities in planning the southern
residence. New technologies featured at the House of
Tomorrow included glass brick windows, timed light
switches, electric fountains, an automatic garage door
opener, and an electric dumbwaiter. Approximately
250 different exhibitors were represented at the
sixteen-room house. 52
Figure 23 Weed's "House of
Tomorrow" at 5757 Sheridan Avenue
was built in 1935 to exhibit new
technologies for the southern residence.
Weed's designs for educational, commercial, and r.esidential buildings were developed
to key into Florida's climate and terrain. His modern Florida designs and construction
techniques led to other works in tropical and sub-tropical areas in South America and
the Caribbean countries. Weed believed that, "New, simpler design must replace the
old-style, traditional type of architecture. The reason is not hard to understand.
People building today just cannot afford to build in the complicated, costly style of
homes we know best. If a builder insists on the traditional lines, he will simply have
to pay more for it. ..53
During his architectural practice in Miami, Weed was highly
involved with many civic affairs. He was an active member
and served as director of the Florida South Chapter of the
American Institute of Architects, a member of the Dade
County Planning Board (1935-1937), chairman of the Greater
Miami Emergency Housing Executive Committee after World
War II, chairman of the Committee for Development of
Airport Facilities (1 946-1 947), and member of the City of
Miami Board of Appeals (1950-1951). He also served on
numerous juries for architectural awards and participated in
advisory committees for the discussion of problems relative
to architecture and the building industry. Weed's
architectural work was published in many national
magazines, which include the Architectural Forum,
Architectural Record, Progressive Architecture, l.im, and the
Figure 24 Built in 1922, the
Fairfax Theatre on Flagler
Street in Miami was converted
to the Paramount in 1927. It
received an updated Art Deco
appearance by architect Robert
Law Weed in 1938.
52 "Something New Under Sunny Skies," The Societv Pictorial, 19 January 1935, p. 25.
53 "Future Must Bring Thrift in Building," Miami Herald, 13 June 1948. pp. 1-C and 3-C.
39
Saturday Evening Post. 54 On April 18, 1960, Weed received a high professional honor
when he was elected to the American Institute of Architects' College of Fellows for
his achievements in design. 55
Weed's architectural firm and his partners evolved over the years. His practice was
originally known as Robert Law Weed, Architect, from 1923 until 1939. In 1939,
Edwin T. Reeder (who was Weed's draftsman and then a junior partner from 1935
until 1939) was promoted to partner, and the firm was renamed Weed and Reeder,
Architects. In 1941, Reeder left Weed and Reeder, Architects, to form his own firm
known as Edwin T. Reeder, Architect. Weed's practice became Robert Law Weed and
Associates from 1941 until 1953, then Weed-Russell-Johnson from 1953 until 1957,
and then finally Weed-Johnson Associates from 1957 until 1962. Weed died at the
age of 64 on October 7, 1961. Weed's firm was succeeded by his partner at that
time Herbert H. Johnson. Robert Law Weed, Jr., who became a professional architect,
worked with his father from 1949 until his father's death. He continued to practice
architecture with Herbert H. Johnson Associates.56
Figure 25 Robert Law Weed and
William L. Pereira, then of Chicago,
designed the Beach Theatre at the
west end of 420 Lincoln Road in
1940. Their project was so
spectacular that it won an award
as the nation's best theatre of the
year at its opening in 1941.
Figure 26 The Beach Theatre had a maximum seating capacity
of 1,604. The auditorium displayed scrolling plaster work
(photo left). The lobby featured glass atriums (photo above,
left-side), which preceded by several years a similar design by
Morris Lapidus in the Americana Hotel in Bal Harbour. The
Beach Theatre even had a grand staircase at its entrance
(photo above, right-side), like Lapidus' stairway to "nowhere
at all" in the Fontainebleau Hotel, but it led to the balcony
above.
54 American Institute of Architects, Miami Chapter, Office Records, Robert Law Weed.
55 "Three Miamians Get High Honor," Miami Herald, 28 February 1960.
56 American Institute of Architects, Miami Chapter, Office Records, Robert Law Weed, Edwin T.
Reeder, and Robert Law Weed, Junior.
40
Edwin T. Reeder. Edwin Thorley Reeder was born in
Laurium, Michigan, on December 14, 1908. He graduated
from high school in Rosiclare, Illinois, in 1926. Reeder
received a degree in architecture from the University of
Illinois in 1 931. He served as a draftsman and then a junior
partner with Robert Law Weed from 1 935 until 1 939. He
was promoted to partner in 1939, and the firm was renamed
Weed and Reeder. In 1941, Reeder left the firm and formed
his own corporation called Edwin T. Reeder, Architect (later
Edwin T. Reeder Associates). He temporarily gave up his
professional practice when he was called to duty with the
Navy Civil Engineering Corps during World War 11.57
Notable architectural works by Reeder include the Industrial
National Bank of Miami and the Greater Miami Federal and
the Edison Center branch office buildings of the Dade
Savings and Loan Association. Along with an associate, B.A.
Swartburg, he designed Miami-Dade County's civic center
and jail and the Public Safety and Criminal Courts buildings
on NW 14th Street in Miami.58
In addition to his architectural works designed
with Robert Law Weed from 1935 until 1941,
as previously referenced, Reeder was
commissioned in Miami Beach to design the
Due residence at 11 79 Bay Drive in 1 949, the
Barnes residence at 2 La Gorce Circle in 1951,
the Miami Beach Federal Building (now Bank of
America) at 401 Lincoln Road in 1955, and the
Miami Beach Federal Savings and Loan (later
Fedco, now vacant) at 1611 Washington
Avenue in 1955.59
Reeder served as a member and later the
director of the Florida South Chapter of the
American Institute of Architects, chairman of
the Metro Planning Advisory Board, a member
Figure 27 Edwin T. Reeder
was elected president of the
Florida South Chapter of the
American Institute of
Architects in November of
1953.
Figure 28 Reeder designed the bank building at
401 Lincoln Road in 1955.
57 American Institute of Architects, Miami Chapter, Office Records, Edwin T. Reeder.
58 "Greater Miami Deaths, n The Miami News, 21 February 1963, p. 8B.
59 City of Miami Beach, Building Department, Building Records.
41
of the State Board of Architecture, and a member of the Miami Zoning Board of
Appeals. Reeder was a partner in the architectural firm Coda Associates when he died
at the age of 54 on February 21, 1963. He was survived by his wife, Ruth.BO
60 "Greater Miami Deaths." The Miami News, 21 February 1963, p. 88.
42
X. PLANNING DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
1 . Criteria for Designation: The Planning Department finds the proposed Historic
69th Street Fire Station to be in compliance with the Criteria for Designation
listed in Section 118-592 in the Land Development Regulations of the City
Code.
2. Site Boundaries: On May 8, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board reviewed the
preliminary evaluation report and adopted the boundaries as recommended by
the Planning Department for the proposed designation of the 69th Street Fire
Station as an historic site. (Refer to Section IV, Description of Boundaries, for
more information.)
On September 1 2, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board continued the public
hearing of the proposed Historic 69th Street Fire Station until the October 9,
2001, meeting in order to allow the City Administration to explore options
relative to the siting of the new fire fighting facility or possible addition to the
existing 69th Street Fire Station.
On October 9, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board continued the public
hearing of the proposed Historic 69th Street Fire Station until the December 11,
2001, meeting in order to allow the City Administration to explore options
relative to the siting of the new fire fighting facility or possible addition to the
existing 69th Street Fire Station.
On December 11, 2001, the Historic Preservation Board unanimously approved
a motion (7 to 0) to recommend approval of the designation of the 69th Street
Fire Station as an historic site in accordance with staff recommendations, as
reflected in this designation report.
On January 22, 2002, the Planning Board unanimously approved a motion (7
to 0) to recommend approval of the designation of the 69th Street Fire Station
as an historic site.
3. Areas Subject to Review: The Planning Department recommends that the
following areas within the boundaries of the proposed historic site shall be
subject to review by the Historic Preservation Board: all exterior building
elevations of the original fire station as well as its later additions, the ground
floor public interior spaces of the original fire station, the exterior elevations of
the Miami Beach North Shore Police Substation, the above grade pumping
station elevations, the western street end of 69th Street, the parking lot at the
south end of the historic site, the Atlantic Heights Park site and its landscape
43
features, and all new construction on the historic site.
4. Review Guidelines: The Planning Department recommends that a decision on
an application for a Certificate of Appropriateness shall be based upon
compatibility of the physical alteration or improvement with surrounding
properties and where deemed applicable in substantial compliance with the
following:
a. The Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines
for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings, as revised from time to time;
b. Other guidelines/policies/plans adopted or approved by resolution or
ordinance by the City Commission;
c. All additional criteria as listed under Sections 118-564(b) and 118-564(c)
in the land Development Regulations of the City Code;
d. City of Miami Beach Design Guidelines as adopted by the Joint Design
Review/Historic Preservation Board on October 12, 1993, amended June
7, 1994, as may be revised from time to time.
44
XI. FIGURE INDEX
Figure 1: City of Miami Beach Archives. City Hall and Fire Station, 617 Collins
Avenue, photograph, 1928.
Figure 2: Miami Public Library, Florida Room. Florida Architecture Journal. "69th
Street Fire Station, Miami Beach Municipal Project," 1940, p. 54.
Figure 3: Metropolitan Dade County. From Wilderness to Metropolis. Second
Edition, Metropolitan Dade County, Florida, Office of Community
Development, Historic Preservation Division, 1992, p. 88.
Figure 4: Kennedy, Patricia. Miami Beach in Vintage Postcards. Charleston, South
Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2000, p.36.
Figure 5: City of Miami Beach Archives. Lipp, Morris N. The American City. "Fire
Loss Low at Miami Beach," September 1957, p. 122.
Figure 6: Miami Public Library, Florida Room. Florida Architecture and Allied Arts.
"Dade Boulevard Fire Station, P.W.A. Project," 1940.
Figure 7: City of Miami Beach, Fire Department. Miami Beach Fire Department
(1917-1992), Taylor Publishing Company, 1992, p. 7.
Figure 8: City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. Fire Station No.1, 1051
Jefferson Avenue, photograph, circa 1987.
Figure 9: City of Miami Beach, Fire Department. Miami Beach Fire Department
(1917-1992), Taylor Publishing Company, 1992, p. 61.
Figure 10: City of Miami Beach, Fire Department. Miami Beach Fire Department
(1917-1992), Taylor Publishing Company, 1992, p. 33.
Figure 11: City of Miami Beach, Fire Department. Miami Beach Fire Department
(1917-1992), Taylor Publishing Company, 1992, p. 11.
Figure 12: City of Miami Beach, Public Works Department. Hoit, Richard B. Aerial
Survey of Miami Beach. Florida. Miami, Florida: Richard B. Hoit, 17
February 1927, sheet 93A.
Figure 13: City of Miami Beach, Public Works Department. Abrams Aerial Survey
Corporation. Aerial Survev of Miami Beach. Florida. Lansing, Michigan:
Abrams Aerial Survey Corporation, 1941, sheet 129.
Figure 14: Miami Memorabilia Collectors Club. Dolph, Frank B. Atlas of Miami
Beach to Golden Beach. Florida. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida: Frank B. Dolph,
1944, plate 14.
Figure 15: City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. City of Miami Beach Property
Atlas. 1985, sheet 79.
Figure 16: Miami Public Library, Florida Room. Florida Architecture Journal. "69th
Street Fire Station, Miami Beach Municipal Project," 1940, p. 54.
Figure 17: McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New
York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984, pp. 346-347, figure 7.
Figure 18: City of Miami Beach, Building Department. Building Permit Card No. 176:
6860 Indian Creek Drive. Permit No.1 0169, 10 August 1937.
45
Figure 19: City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. 69th Street Fire Station,
6860 Indian Creek Drive, photograph, 16 April 2001.
Figure 20: Miami Herald. "Future Must Bring Thrift in Building," 13 June 1948, p.
1-C.
Figure 21: Miami Public Library, Florida Room. Weed, Robert Law and Edwin T.
Reeder. Architecture and Design. New York City: Architectural Catalog
Company, Inc., copyright 1937, published circa 1940.
Figure 22: Hoffman, Joel M. The Wolfsonian/Florida International University Journal
of Decorative and Propaganda Arts. "From Augustine to Tangerine:
Florida at the U.S. World's Fairs," volume 23, 1998, p. 65.
Figure 23: The Society Pictorial. "Something New Under Sunny Skies," 19 January
1935, p. 25.
Figure 24: Photo: Miami Public Library, Florida Room. Weed, Robert Law and
Edwin T. Reeder. Architecture and Design. New York City: Architectural
Catalog Company, Inc., copyright 1937, published circa 1940.
Text: Kinerk, Michael D. and Dennis W. Wilhelm. The Wolfsonian/Florida
International University Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts.
"Dream Palaces: The Motion Picture Playhouse in the Sunshine State,"
volume 23, 1998, pp. 227-228.
Figure 25: Photo: Miami Public Library, Florida Room. Weed, Robert Law and
Edwin T. Reeder. Architecture and Design. New York City: Architectural
Catalog Company, Inc., copyright 1937, published circa 1940.
Text: Kinerk, Michael D. and Dennis W. Wilhelm. The Wolfsonian/Florida
International University Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts.
"Dream Palaces: The Motion Picture Playhouse in the Sunshine State,"
volume 23, 1998, pp. 234-235.
Figure 26: Photo: Miami Public Library, Florida Room. Weed, Robert Law and
Edwin T. Reeder. Architecture and Design. New York City: Architectural
Catalog Company, Inc., copyright 1937, published circa 1940.
Text: Kinerk, Michael D. and Dennis W. Wilhelm. The Wolfsonian/Florida
International University Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts.
"Dream Palaces: The Motion Picture Playhouse in the Sunshine State,"
volume 23, 1998, pp. 235-236.
Figure 27: Miami Herald. "Public Relations Warm-Up Is Architects' Institute Goal,"
8 November 1953, p. 2-G.
Figure 28: City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. 401 Lincoln Road,
photograph, 10 January 1990.
46
XII. BIBLIOGRAPHY
American Institute of Architects, Miami Chapter. Office Records, Edwin T. Reeder.
American Institute of Architects, Miami Chapter. Office Records, Robert Law Weed.
American Institute of Architects, Miami Chapter. Office Records, Robert Law Weed,
Junior.
Biscayne Engineering Company. Corrected Plat of Atlantic Heights. 10 March 1923,
plat 9-14.
Biscayne Engineering Company. Plat of Atlantic Hei9hts. 21 February 1919, plat 4-
146.
Biscayne Engineering Company. Plat of Normandy Beach South. 7 October 1925, plat
12-54.
Carson, Ruby Leach. Tequesta. "Forty Years of Miami Beach," volume XV, 1955,
p. 16.
City of Miami Beach Archives. City of Miami Beach Annual Report. 30 November
1926, pp. 33-34.
City of Miami Beach Archives. Lipp, Morris N. The American City. "Fire Loss Low
at Miami Beach," September 1957, pp. 120-123.
City of Miami Beach Archives. National Board of Underwriters Report on the City of
Miami Beach. Florida. August 1951, file no. 438, pp.5-11.
City of Miami Beach, Building Department. Building Permit Records.
City of Miami Beach, City Clerk's Office. 69th Street Fire Station. File No. WD-22,
Warranty Deed from Helen Pearson, recorded 17 June 1935, book 1634, p.
476.
City of Miami Beach, Fire Department. Miami Beach Fire Department (1917-1992),
Taylor Publishing Company, 1992.
City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. Dade Boulevard Fire Station Desi9nation
Report. 1999.
City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. Franklin Survey Company. Property Atlas
of Miami Beach to Golden Beach. Florida. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Franklin
Survey Company, 1935, plate 14.
City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. G.M. Hopkins Company. Plat Book of
Miami Beach to Golden Beach. Florida. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: G.M.
Hopkins Company, 1952, plate 20.
City of Miami Beach, Planning Department. Old City Hall Desi9nation Reoort. 1983.
City of Miami Beach, Public Works Department. Abrams Aerial Survey Corporation.
Aerial Survey of Miami Beach. Florida. Lansing, Michigan: Abrams Aerial
Survey Corporation, 1941, sheet 129.
City of Miami Beach, Public Works Department. Hoit, Richard B. Aerial Survey of
Miami Beach. Florida. Miami, Florida: Richard B. Hoit, 17 February 1927, sheet
93A.
47
Historical Museum of Southern Florida. The Beach Beacon. "Public Improvements,"
Progress Edition, 1937, p. 6.
Hoffman, Joel M. The Wolfsonian/Florida International University Journal of
Decorative and Propaganda Arts. "From Augustine to Tangerine: Florida at the
U.S. World's Fairs," volume 23, 1998, pp. 64-66.
Kinerk, Michael D. and Dennis W. Wilhelm. The Wolfsonian/Florida International
University Journal of Decorative and Propaganda Arts. "Dream Palaces: The
Motion Picture Playhouse in the Sunshine State," volume 23, 1998, pp. 227-
228 and 234-236.
Kleinberg, Howard. Miami Beach: A History. Miami, Florida: Centennial Press, 1994.
McAlester, Virginia and Lee. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred
A. Knopf, 1984, pp. 344-345.
Miami Beach Public Library, Florida Reference. Hollingsworth, Tracy. History of Dade
County. Florida. 1949, pp. 179-180.
Miami Herald. "Future Must Bring Thrift in Building," 13 June 1948, pp. 1-C and 3-C.
Miami Herald. "Three Miamians Get High Honor," 28 February 1960.
Miami Memorabilia Collectors Club. Dolph, Frank B. Atlas of Miami Beach to Golden
Beach. Florida. Ft. Lauderdale, Florida: Frank B. Dolph, 1944, plate 14.
Miami Metropolis. "Vote Tonight on Incorporating Miami Beach," 26 March 1915.
The Miami News. "Greater Miami Deaths," 21 February 1963, p. 8B.
Miami Public Library, Florida Room. Florida Architecture Journal. "69th Street Fire
Station, Miami Beach Municipal Project," 1940, p. 54.
Raley, H. Michael, Linda A. Polansky, and Aristides J. Millas. Old Miami Beach. Miami
Beach, Florida: Miami Design Preservation League, 1994, p. 8.
The Society Pictorial. "Something New Under Sunny Skies," 19 January 1935, p. 25.
Web Site of the City of Miami Beach. Commissioner Luis R. Garcia, Jr.,
Commissioner's Biography.
Web Site of the City of Miami Beach Fire Fighters. The City of Miami Beach Fire/
Rescue Department, copyright 2000.
Wilhelm, Dennis W. Official Program of the Miami Design Preservation League Art
Deco Weekend. "Art Deco Architecture at the World's Fairs," 19-21 January
2001, pp. 9-10.
48