2007-26710 ResoRESOLUTION NO. 200-26~io
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COMMISSION
OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA, RECOGNIZING
THE FREEDOM TOWER IN MIAMI, FLORIDA AS A
VALUABLE LOCAL AND NATIONAL HISTORIC
RESOURCE OF GREAT IMPORTANCE DUE TO ITS ROLE
IN THE IMMIGRATION OF HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
OF CUBAN EXILES TO SOUTH FLORIDA AND URGING
ITS DESIGNATION AS A NATIONAL HISTORIC
LANDMARK.
WHEREAS, the Freedom Tower is located in the City of Miami, at 600 Biscayne
Boulevard, and is presently owned by the Miami-Dade College, which has filed an application to
nominate it as a National Historic Landmark; and
WHEREAS, construction of the Freedom Tower was completed in 1925, and it is a
premier example of the Spanish Renaissance style, adapted from Spanish Colonial architecture,
now known as Mediterranean Revival.
WHEREAS, the Freedom Tower is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and
is significant for its role in the immigration of hundreds of thousands of exiled Cubans who fled
their country in the late 1950's and 1960's; and
WHEREAS, Miami-Dade College's application explains that the "Freedom Tower, in its
role as a Cuban Assistance Center is of further national significance as it represents the
American ideal of inclusiveness and the firm belief that democracy should be available to all
who fight against tyranny and demagoguery;" and
WHERAS, the application further states that the "Freedom Tower stands as the most
significant structure in relation to Cuban immigration in the United States and is a symbol of
freedom and democracy, much as Ellis Island was to many European immigrants;" and
WHEREAS, for the reasons stated above and in the application, the Mayor and City
Commission of the City of Miami Beach support the nomination and designation of the Freedom
Tower as a National Historic Landmark, so its role in the lives of hundreds of thousands of
Cuban immigrants and others can be preserved and remembered for all time.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT DULY RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY
COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA that the Mayor and City
Commission hereby recognize the Freedom Tower in Miami, Florida as a valuable local and
national historic resource of great importance due to its role in the immigration of hundreds of
thousands of Cuban exiles to South Florida and urge its designation as a National Historic
Landmark.
Resolution Re: Freedom Tower of Miami, Florida
PASSED AND ADOPTED this 12th day of December 2007.
ATT T:
--__._~
CITY CLERK
Robert Parcher
MAYO
Approved as to form and
language and for execution
,~ '~ ! I - q t17
C N EY D ted
F:\atto\HELG\Resolutions\Freedom Tower\Freedom Tower reso.doc
Matti H. Bower
2
m MIAMIBEACH
OFFICE OF THE MAYOR AND COMMISSION MEMORANDUM
TO: Jorge M. Gonzalez, City Manager
Jose Smith, City Attorney
FROM: Richard L. Steinberg, Commissioner Q~~
DATE: October 31, 2007
SUBJECT: Agenda Item- Resolution Supporting the Designation of the Freedom Tower as a
National Historic Landmark
Please draft a resolution supporting the designation of the Freedom Tower as a National
Historic Landmark. Attached please find a letter from Miami-Dade College regarding their
application nominating the Freedom Tower for designation as a National Historic Landmark.
This resolution should be placed on the December 12, 2007 Commission Agenda for
discussion and action.
If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact my Aide, Ms. Marlene
Taylor at ext. 6087.
RLS/mt
._
___...
-,
h~9
Agenda Item ~~'~
ti;-~: ,~,F ~~r.,.~,;«~~ ~~, , ~;, Date /a-/~-U,Z
p.o '~iag excellent public sen~•ice cnd so{ery~ tc rill vrho live, work, pro ploy ir, rur vi
lf7/16/Z667 b9: 52 3652373109 COLLEGE PRE5IDENT PAGE 01/03
~.~~
• ',~r i
~,.i;,y:,;; ~: ~,;r.
Ortobet 25, 2007
Ricdtard Steinberg
Pr+estdent
Miami Oade League of Cities
226 £ Eiagler Street, Suite 204 .
Miami, Florida 33131
t3ear Commissioner Steinberg:
.. ::
~ . ~ ~~-
1 am delighted to report to you the National Park Service has completed its study of the Froodom Tower, end
Miami Dade College's application for the purpose of nominating the Freedom Tower for designation as a
National Historic Landmark.
The Landmarks Committee of the National Paris System Advisory Board will consider this nomination at its
next meeting, scheduled for early December in Washington, D.C. The Landmarks Committee will report on
this »omination ro the Advisory Board, which in turn will make a recommendation concerning this nomination
to the Secn*tary of Interior, based upon the criteria of the National Historic Landmarks Program,
Whik the Freedom Tower has been listed on the National Registry of Historic Pisces, the National Historic
Landmark designation would appropriately rgeognize its exceptional significance to this Nation's history.
With this designation, it would jo[n with only threw other sites designated as National Historic Landmarks in
Mist+ti-Dade County inciudittg Vizcaya, the Bikmore Hotel and the Ferdinand Msgalian US Car No. i (Gold
Coax Railroad Museum). Thee are 39 sites designated national historic landmarks in Florida and loan than
2500 throughout the United States.
At this paint in the review process, there is an opportunity for community leaders and interested pasties to
comment on the proposed nomination. As a respected organiution of our South Florida community, I am
invititt~ the Miami Dade Leagtu of Cities to express your support of this special designation for Miami's
Freedom Tower. A proeiamation ftrom the League would be mast appropriate. A}so, any personal stories your
members might want to share, In sepantte letters, regarding their own experience at cite Freedom Tower during
the mse it served as the home of the Miami Daily News, Cuban Assistance Center "EI Relttgio", or the times
in between is appreciated. l enclose an infotntation sheet which includes excerpts $om our landmark
deslgrration application and impottan! points of reference.
Please address your letter to J, Paul ioether, Chief, Narional Historic Landmarks Progfam, United States
Depaetraent of interior, National Park Service, 1849 C Street, N.W., N34(2280), Washington, D.C. 20240. i
eskyat tot~vttrd your letter to the no kter thaw Wednesdsy, November 2! wed ire w~iiJ sand oa to the
De~pt`trnent of itoterior.
For additional information, please contact MDC's Director of Federal Relations, Joe Pena at 345.237.3959.
Thank you for your consideration.
Si ly,
.1. Padrdn
.,; Vii' ~i i' .."!'S~1 'i?~ :~'.'l'l~~~lii• a. ~a~.r;r, 1i:R. ?~~~"~j.i,a ~:?i; ~ 7'~'i41...
1 `...._,
1b7[br'Lbbr b9: 52 30523731b9 COLLEGE PRESIDENT PAGE 02/03
Fatcerpts hem the MDC Frsedom Tower National Sbtoric Landmark Nomination
*~'Miami Daily News Tower, The Freedom Tower, Cuban Assistance Center, Cuban Refugee
Center, "EI RefuBio"
**Described in contemporary newspaper accounts as "Spanish Renaissance," the design of the
building is a promiar example of the adaptation of Spanish Colonial architecture that occurs in
South Flarlda, which has beoome know as Mediterranean Revival. Tha style is an eclectic mix of
a Spanish and Iffilian atchitectural vocabulary that is frequently embellished with Moorish
ornament ...............Thc tower, based on the design of the Gfralda Tower of the Cathedral in
Seville, is eleven stories in height and three bays detp.
*'Constructian of the Miami Daily News Tower began on Tune l 1, 1924. The cost of the
building was, for the timq a phenomenal S2 million..........At seventeen stories, the shear height
of the building, tneeauring 283 fact, was a significant achievement. Located at the foot of
Biscayne Bay(it was built before the land was extended eastward by the filling of Bayfront Park),
it sat the s~rdard for the tiraure high rises that hugged the shoreline....The Miami Daily News
Tower opened on July 26,1925, during the zenith of fire Florida real estate boom.
**At the height of the Cold War, United States foreign policy stressed the containment of
communism artd as a resuh; the Cuban exodus was viewed unlike any previous wave of
immigration.......Evon so, the Freedom Tower is viewed by many as the "Ellis Island of the
South:' The Freedom Tower is sigai8caat for its role in the noprecedeated immigration of
haadeeda of tiroaaaada of exiled Cabana .vtto !kd the country ~vhea Fidel Caatro asanmed
power in 1959, During a threw year period between 1959 and 1962, the first wave of immigrants
sought asylum in Miami. It wan also during those throe intense years t3rat the ill-fated Bay of Pigs
invasion occurred, and the world was brought to the brink of war during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Flights out of Cuba would not resume until 1965 and continued, with only a brief hiatus, until
Apri16, 1973. in over three thousand "Freedom Flights," another 175,000 Cubans arrived in
Miaml.......The Cuban exile community has made significant contributions to the United States
i~ genarat, and Miami has become a major imemational community in large part due to its
transformation as a rcault of the influx of Cuban refugees.
~*Tha Freedom Tower, in id role as a Cuban A,aeistnace Center is of fiirther national
si8niticaace as it represent the AmeMcaa idea! of inclnaiveaess and the firm belief that
democracy ahoald be avaiisrble to aU who tight agaiaat tyranny and demagoguery. The sheer
numbers of Cabana who were welcomed into the United States within a short span of years,
estimated at 650,000, evidences die magnanimity ofthe American people.....The welcoming of
the Cuban exile community was a matter of national policy begun u»der Presidem Dwight D.
Eisenhower, oorrtlnued thtoagh the administration of President John F. Kennedy, and culminated
during President Richard Nixon's administration.
**Although the Freedom Tower as a ReRigee Processing Center and the events that transpited
within its wnfines occurred leas than fifty years ago, the building Is exceptionaiiy signifcant.
The center was established as s result of differences in political ideologies between communism
and democracy. Ntoreover, the center was born from a need by the United States to aid those who
where seeking asylum from a communist regime that took root only ninety miles away from its
whores, hence reinforcing the Uaitcd States' ideological struggle against communism, Tha
Freedom Tower stands as the most siguiBcant atructare to reladaa to Cabaa immigration
id the United Staten wad is a symbol of tireedum and democracy, mach as EIHs Ielrtsrd was to
many European immigrants. (oyar) --,..._,.-.
~~~
lb/L6/2dd% by: 52 3d5"13731dy COLLEGE PRESIDENT PAGE 03/03
*''ln 2003, the Mas Family sold the Fnyedom Tower to another well respected Cuban American
family residing in South Florida, the Pedro MaRin Family. The Martins subsequently announced
the donation of the Freedom Tower to Miami Dada t;ollege (MDC) in 2005.
**Servinl; as abewytrd of the Freedom ?over is a fitting development for Miiami Dade
College ss it earol~ more Hispanic students than any outer college la the nation. Even
more appropriately. through it doors have posed thousands of Cuban Americans many of
wbich nerve in kadenbip roles today. Tha Prasidtnt of the College, Dr. Eduardo J. padron, a
Cuban American himself passed through "El R,efugio" in 1961 alongside his family. He refers to
the Freedom Power as his "first stop itt America." Today, he is considered among one ofthe
most influential Hispanics in the U.3., rccogniud for his vision and years of ltadacship at MDC.
"*Serviwlg as an eduwtioaal, cultural sad ~minanity center, the Freedom Toyer ie once
again a de_stinatlon for stgdeats and reeidenb of Miami Dade apd beyond. Recently, it
served as the site for several art exhibitions including an exhibit of the works of Carlos Alfonm, a
renowned Cuban American contemporary artist, as weft as an exhibit showcasing the work of the
students of the New World School of the Arts. Other cultural and community events have takon
place at the Freedom Tower including tits opening night of the Miami Tntemational Film Festival
and an Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) press conference, announcing the
construction of new immigrant processing etnters.
**Included•in the College's longterm plans for the Freedom'Tower is its conversion into a Cuban
American Historical Museum. This museum wiU feature the story of the Cuban exodus and the
community's dynamic experience in the United States, and their broad contributions to the nation.
As the only museum dedicated to the hisWry of the Cuban•American experience, it will ftaturo
interactive historical databases, research facilities, a conference area for symposia and
conferences, classrooms for lectures and undergraduate student learning, and exhibit and gallery
space.
•*Tise Freedom Tover's role ......, first as au impreaafve monomeut to the real estate boom
pbeoomertoo of tLe 1920's and later as a symbol of hope to hgndreda of thousaads, still
enric>bea the community today.
~.~..._.
Freedom Tower (Miami) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Page 1 of 2
The Freedom Tower is a building in Miami, Florida, that serves as a memorial to Cuban immigration to
the United States. It is located at 600 Biscayne Boulevard. On September 10, 1979, it was added to the
U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This tower is not to be confused with the Freedom Tower in
New York expected to be completed in 2010 and open in 2011.
Contents
^ 1 History
^ 2 Trivia
^ 3 References
^ 4 External links
History
Originally completed in 1925
as the headquarters and
printing facility of the Miami
News & Metropolis newspaper,
it is an example of
Mediterranean Revival style
with design elements borrowed
from the Giralda Tower in
Seville, Spain. Its cupola on a
255 foot (78 m) tower
contained a decorative beacon.
In the 1950s the Miami News vacated the building to share facilities
with the rival Miami Herald. As refugees from the Castro regime
f
~_ ,_ ~~,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom Tower %28Miami%29 11/01/2007
View from Port Blvd Bridge - Apri122, 2007 by Tom Schaefer
Westside -Backside '
Freedom Tower (Miami) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Page 2 of 2
arrived in Miami, the federal government used the facility to
process, document and provide medical and dental services for the Miami Freedom Tower's cupola
immigrants. After the first major wave of immigration had passed,
the government sold the building in the 1970s. Passing through several owners, the dilapidated building
was eventually abandoned until 1997 when a prominent and controversial member of the Cuban-
American community, Jorge Mas Canosa, purchased the building for $4.1 million US.
The building was restored and converted into a monument for the refugees who fled to the United States
from communist Cuba. It houses a museum, library, meeting hall, and the offices of the Cuban
American National Foundation.
Recently the Freedom Tower was purchased by developer Terra who wished to demolish 75 feet (23 m)
of the original tower and develop 683 condominium units. A group of preservationist organized and
successfullly stopped the demolition, Miami Dade County Preservationists included Armando Gutierrez
Jr, Rafael Penalver, Richard Heisenbottle and Dade Heritage Trust. The developers were unable to gain
approval. The developers then donated the Freedom tower to Miami-Dade College, which plans to use it
as a monument to the Cuban community. The city later granted approval to the developers to build on
the back of the property without demolishing the original tower.
Trivia
^ The Freedom Tower was used as a sniper's post in "Hit List", a season one episode from Miami
Vice, where a hitman attempted to kill Crockett.
References
^ a b c Freedom Tower (http://www.flheritage.com/services/sites/fht/record t.cfin?
ID=189&type=c&index=l3). Florida Heritage Tourism Interactive Catalog. Florida's Office of Cultural and
Historical Programs (2007-06-24).
^ a b National Register of Historical Places -Florida (FL), Miami-Dade County
(http://www.nationalregisterofllistoricplaces.com/FL/Dade/state2.htm1). National Register of Historic Places.
National Park Service (2007-06-24).
External links
^ Florida's Office of Cultural and Historical Programs (http://www.flheritage.corn/)
^ Dade County listings (http://www.flheritage.com/facts/reports/places/index.cfin?
fuseaction=ListAreas&county=dade)
^ Great Floridians of Miami (http://www.flheritage.com/services/sites/floridians/?
section=in#Miami)
^ Cuban American National Foundation (http://www.canf.org/principal-ingles.htm)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom Tower %28Miami%29"
Categories: 1925 architecture ~ Registered Historic Places in Miami, Florida ~ Skyscrapers in Miami ~
Miami-Dade County, Florida ~ Visitor attractions in Greater Miami ~ Museums in Miami-Dade County,
Florida
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Tower %28Miami%29 11/01/2007
Freedom Tower (Miami) - Wikipedia, the, free encyclopedia
The Freedom Tower is a building in Miami, Florida, that
serves as a memorial to Cuban immigration to the United
States. It is located
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom Tower %28Miami%29
Page 1 of 1
of February 2007.
'Location: Miami, Florida, USA
Built/Founded: 1925 ~ 11
'Architect: George A. Fuller,
Schultze & Weaver~ll[21
',Architectural style Spanish Renaissance
~s)~ Revival~l~
',Added to NRHP: September 10, 1979
NRHP 79000665~2~
Reference#:
Governing body: Private
11 /O1 /2007
The Freedom Tower in downtown Miami as
National Register of Historical Places - FLORIDA (FL), Dade County ~ Page 1 of 1
Freedom Tower ~ * * (added 1979 -Building - #79000665)
600 Biscayne Blvd, Miami
Historic Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Architect, builder, or engineer: Fu11er,George A., Schultze & Weaver
Architectural Style: Other, Late 19th And 20th Century Revivals
Area of Significance: Communications, Social History, Hispanic, Architecture
Period of Significance: 1925-1949
Owner: Private
Historic Function: Commerce/Trade, Government
Historic Sub-function: Business, Government Office
Current Function: Vacant/Not In Use
http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/FL/Dade/state2.htm1 11/01/2007
Services -Office of Cultural & Historical Programs
• Page 1 of 1
Florida Heritage Tourism Interactive Catalog
Site detail:
Freedom Tower
Themes: Commercial and Industrial
600 Biscayne Blvd
Miami, FL 33132
Miami-Dade County
Private/ Restricted Access
On the Florida Cuban Heritage Trail
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places
DA00372
More info/Directions:
1925. Spanish Renaissance Revival. Schutze and Weaver, architects. 14-story building surmounted by
tower with Spanish Plateresque detail. Formerly the home of the Miami News, the city's oldest newspaF
1962 until 1974 a reception center for Cuban refugees. Design was inspired by the Giralda Tower in Se'
http://www.flheritage.com/services/sites/fht/record t.cfin?ID=189&type=c&index=l3 11/01/2007