1628-19 Various Miami Beach Oct. 30, 2000
Interview with Seymour Gelber
Joe Allen' s Restaurant; lunch.
When became mayor, Daoud was in prison. I had no program, I
introduced no legislation. Things had to be calmed down.
I needed to help create a new image for Miami Beach. It was a new
city. It no longer was a Jewish city; it was Hispanic, Gay, Jewish.
My tenure was a passage of power.
There were transitions to be made. Miami Beach had terrible
accomodations. The hotels were run down. There were 30 years of
people sitting on their asses. I would expect that close to $1
billion in new money for Miami Beach can be attributed to the Loew' s
hotel. I was never a friend of the South Beach crowd but it did
create an ambiance we did not have.
Where would we be if it were not for Ocean Drive and Art Deco?
I didn' t go anything for the homeless. I had no social programs, no
housing authority. I was a mainstream mayor.
Chaired anti-casino drives. I loved ripping Kramer to shreds. If the
casinos has passed, the traffic alone would have paralyzed Miami
Beach.
The problems: parking and zoning. I doubt they will get any better.
Hispanics on comission: They are not exile-minded. They work for the
city. Maybe 1/3 of the commission is not Cuban.
Dermer amendment curtailing building on waterfront without a public
vote. State law, case law support builder.
( I ask about building height and density. ) Gelber says Miami Beach
will build up. (I ask if MBeach will someday not look like central
park and Manhatten; all built high with Art Deco in the middle. ) He
says, if that ' s what it takes.
No one understands Miami Beach history; all from somewhere else. I
should have battled MDPL on history museum. I wasn't strong enough.
MDPL thinks nothing every happened here before Barbara Capitman and
Nancy Liebman.
Where progress made: Upgrading hotels, economy. Lincoln Road
important. Got involved in several private/public co-ventures .
Lincoln Road $18 million; hotels were criticized; city put up $50
million; $10 million for black-owned hotel. The issues overwhelmed a
small city. We miscalculated the complexity of the issues.
Roger Carlton: Lockheed. Lucky we had Arthur Courshon; pro bono.
Muss Convention Center; took name off, lost Muss.
Hank Meyer dies; he was too close to power structure. He thought he
was the power structure.
7
Some names:
Lapidus
Craig Robbins (Robinson? )
Victor Diaz
Norman Braman
David Pearlman (ex-commissioner)
Mildred Falk
Gabrielle Nash