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COVER STORY
tions."
SOUTH BEACH,FROM 27
His office is investigating pos- � &• �
isn't necessarily a protection,she sible solutions.For instance,the
says.That's because some low-in- city is considering building a ,
come people are having troubling "black box" theater on public - -,L'
li paying taxes on homes that have land that could be used by corn-
ruore than doubled in value. munity arts organizations.
"When this was a slum,I got And he's hoping to find fund-
involved to improve the quality ing for affordable housing, „ .
of life,"Bower says."Now we're although solutions are elusive.
battling overdevelopment." For instance,some government s , •
When rents were raised last fall grants are good only for aban- „,,,,,-.•-•,,....-"",-....„,,
at Morton Towers, a bayfront doned buildings. .a
high-rise, for instance, elderly "Today, you can't find an ,,le-,,,,
..;
tenants organized protests. uninhabited building on South '
g "The rents were jacked up in Beach,”Carlton says.
quite steep increments," says But another area of concern—
Paula Harper, a University of high commercial rents—isn't an
• iv',ami professor who had corn- area for government interfer- .
plained to management on behalf ence,he says.Although rents are ♦ ,- 0
of her neighbors."Part of that,it so high that even some real estate t 1,
. seems to me,was to get rid of the professionals are bracing for a
old folks. wave of failed businesses,"it's
But Len Abrams,general man- really a private-sector thing," I
ager at Morton Towers,says it's Carlton says.
unfair to castigate landlords for However, with the displace- . "P"
- T
charging market rates.They,too, ment of mom-and-pop shops in ,
stuck with South Beach through the tourist district,the city may -
its lean years,he points out. encourage development of shop — �
At the same time,he acknowl- ping areas for locals across the .. „"b
edges that South Beach's days as island,along the less-developed
a retirement community are lower west side,he says. AL DIAZ/Miami Herald Staff
likely over. His complex's pro- Where you live? A NEW SOUTH BEACH:Orlando Font of the Front Page boutique says many patrons are models.
can
-"Trtion of older people has y
dropped to about 15 percent, The reality is that,in today's expensive,too.Kay Statz,presi-
from 40 percent.The parking lot market,it isn't just low-income dent of Camp Development,says _
has more expensive cars than it households having trouble find- rents are so high that many ten-
did before,reflecting the influx ing affordable housing. Even ants want to buy.
of young professionals. some of the young professionals That's producing a second
"Where are the retirees going?" • are feeling squeezed. trend,where older buildings— �A'
he asks."They're moving out to Jack Schlossberg, a property both low-rises and huge high- yy ith real estate prices rising sharply
Century Village.Or they're mov- appraiser for Metro-Dade, rises—are being converted to
ing out of Dade County." endured sharp rent increases condominiums, taking more and
after moving to South Beach two apartments off the market. buildings going condo,
Looking for answers years ago.He began scouring for Even in the former nether-
One
many
One of those who doesn't want a condominium.But prices were world below Fifth Street, some
• to see them go is Roger Carlton, rising between 10 and 20 percent rehabbed units have sold for up
city manager of Miami Beach. annually before Hurricane to$285,000. the demand for affordable apartments
While gentrification's benefits Andrew. He estimates they've Nevertheless, Statz says he's
outweigh its costs, there's no risen another 30 percent since. concerned about real estate keep-
ii uestion
eep-qguestion that it"impacts nega- lie gave up and is moving ing its value.Some condos he's
'lively on the economically disad- away, to a townhouse several seen are poorly done, he says, i s soaring a s t h e supply dries up.
vantaged, marginal businesses, miles north of South Beach. and are going to require substan-
and arts and cultural organiza- Rentals are growing more tial maintenance. Some prices
aren't likely to be sustained in
the resale market,he says.
"Real estate in America is a CHANGES IN SOUTH BEACH.
' very funny thing,"says Statz,a
,.�,. native of Hamburg, Germany. Numbers don't tell the whole story,but they point to the eco-
"It comes up very fast,and goes , nomic and social changes under way.These figures are from a sta-
mdown very fast" tistical abstract provided by the city of Miami Beach,from studies
- And more attention needs to by the Census,the University of Florida and other sources.
be paid to affordable housing,he Property values rise
} i�"' ' ' �' " adds."We need housing for the P Y
{ � manager,and for the maid in throe Change,1992-93,for area below Dade Boulevard
# hotel,"he says."It's got to be a Condominiums up 21.6 percent
ov t,. ,,, good compromise." O trtieiGal.prOPerlY •uf41-4.perceft
r cc • ""' A different question Total 'up 27.1 percent
1. i. m While that may be,real estate
I,
-i w booms aren't noted for their rea- Median age falls
f <' soned give-and-take.Particularly
• `i' y I;'�' p in South Beach, whose history As young professionals have flooded in,the median age for
has been marked,alternately,by the city has fallen.Percentage of the population by age group:
ikrf Age group 1980 1985 1990 2000'
a LI booms •and disrepair.
j A decade ago,many were ask- 25-44 13.7% 19.9% 28.8% 21.5%
zi r ing if South Beach could be fl'landgidar 60.6% 41.3% 30.1 fq t 26.6%
r" saved. Today, the answer is Median age 65.3% 56.0% 49.5% 43.7%
l • clearlyes.
t O y 'Itolecied.
But in the process, another
't, q �,„ question has been raised:Did the Per capita income rises
cr
economic forces that led to South
w With the decline in the number of retirees,Miami Beach
I Beach's salvation also cost it part
'. of its soul? became more affluent.Per capita income:
,�a - "This happens around the 1980 1990 Chg.
Age wworld,"says Mark Hampton,a MtatmBeach $6,904 $16,504 +85.3%
= PE7EHANDNEWBOSCH/Miami Herald5laH Construction engineer who has Dade County $7,722 $13,686 +77.2%
I— worked in the area."Real estate
PRICED OUT OF THE MARKET:Dick and Daryle Prager of Prager values go up,and it starts chang-
r__.._, ino the neighborhood."