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www.ambiente.us NOVEMBER | NOVIEMBRE 2008
NOSTALGIC NEIGHBORHOODS| Deco to MiMo in Miami
by Nancy Liebman
Art Deco had eyebrows, spires, flora, fauna and
sunshine relief. MiMo enjoys Swiss cheese holes,
accordion walls, jutting concrete slabs, streamline
surfaces, porthole windows and glitz. Both styles
extract fond old memories. Both styles with their
nostalgic architecture have served as the impetus
for bringing blighted neighborhoods out of their
depression and have created a mood swing in
public planning.
Across the country citizens yearned for revitalized
downtowns and human scale architecture that
relates to their sub-tropical environment - rather
than the cookie cutter communities and concrete
jungles that serve to diminish their quality of life in
Miami-Dade County. Historic and Preservation
have finally become acceptable terms in
bureaucratic jargon. Throw-away neighborhoods
are now coveted places to live. And, they are all
inner city neighborhoods – close to employment,
transportation, schools and vital infrastructure.
Miami’s two historic architectural designs are being
preserved because of this new “back to the city” movement. Miami’s Deco grew during the Great Depression
and was considered the modern style of that period. The deco buildings were modest structures
embellished with fanciful features that told the story of their environment – sun, sand, tropical seaside living.
Two decades later, Miami’s Modern architecture (MiMo) was constructed during the post World War 11 era.
MiMo was considered the new style of that era, celebrating the end of the war and a glamorous new
beginning for prosperity in South Florida. The sleek, new buildings were simple, but adored with streamline,
modern facades full of energy, space age embellishments and as in the Deco period, the architects
respected and incorporated the natural environment into their designs.
By the early 1980’s South Florida had abandoned its historic roots. The government’s craving for “community
redevelopment” projects planned to purge those simple little Deco and MiMo neighborhoods. Magnificent
examples of both styles were lost. Fortunately, most “community redevelopment” schemes died on the
bureaucratic shelves, and neighborhood activists began to rally to protect, preserve and promote
neighborhoods worth saving. Deco enthusiasts, The Miami Design Preservation League, began their fight in
the early 80’s. By the year 2000, MiMo enthusiasts rallied to protect the Post War Miami Modern. By 2006, the
MiMo Biscayne Association organized to educate the public and the governing bodies as to the worth of
saving Biscayne Boulevard, the entryway to Miami with its kitchy little modest sub-tropical motels in typical
modern Miami design.
Both the MiMo and Deco styles were “modern interpretations” of their time, adapted to their sub-tropical
environment creating place-making neighborhoods. Both are the essence of Miami’s history as a tourist
mecca. Thus, preserving those neighborhoods will now leave a visual example of Miami’s history and will
give the present and future citizens the roots they need to grow into a well-planned world-class city.
The MiMo Biscayne Association modeled itself from the experience of the Deco enthusiasts. The Association
formed in 2007 and began its own struggle to protect, promote and invigorate Biscayne Boulevard from 50th
to 77th Streets. There was luke-warm support for the historic designation of those 27 blocks. Property
owners said it could not work since the neighborhood was not on the ocean. Others thought there was no
piece of architecture worth saving. The surrounding residents thought preservation meant saving the
streetwalkers and their habitats in the neglected motels. Many still thought highest and best use of the
property was the way to go.
It was difficult to educate and encourage the citizens and elected officials that they had a unique opportunity to
upgrade their neighborhood. The Association branded MiMo Boulevard as a treasured place-maker in Miami
and the world. They have since worked to change attitudes, and put incentives in place to encourage
business and property owners to reinvest in their properties. The City of Miami has approved tax abatements,
parking reductions, easements for liquor licenses, changes of uses to encourage mixed use developments,
and a revolutionary new law that calls for tax assessments to be levied not based on “highest and best use”,
but on the fact that the MiMo buildings have a special set of rules being in an historic neighborhood.
Of course, there have been the fun moments during the
struggle to spotlight the MiMo image on the horizon. The
Association produced a map and brochure of the many
restaurants, boutiques and businesses on the Boulevard.
They instituted walking tours of the historic neighborhood.
They hung MiMo banners along the Boulevard, supported
having a Fresh Farmer’s Market on the Boulevard, had a
gallery walk during Art Basel and a Cinco de MiMo Street
Festival complete with a hula hoop contest, a sock hop
and tours of the historic district. They brought one of the
icons of era back to Biscayne Boulevard, a circa 1950’s
little girl and her dog Coppertone sign. The MiMo
Association inherited the sign from Dade Heritage Trust
who, in the 1980’s, rescued that sign from a soon-to-be
demolished building. The Association raised the funds from
Shearling Plow, restored the sign and re-hung it back on the
Boulevard.
Keep watching the Boulevard rise from the dust. Visit the
many restaurants such as UVA, Michy, Redlight Dining, Café
Toscana Ristorante, Dogma, Le Café, Soyka, Andiamo Brick
Oven Pizza, Karma Carwash Café, Kingdom Restaurant Sports
Bar, Moonchine, Moshi 2, Jimmy’s Diner and Che Soprano.
Take a walking tour. Visit the growing number of shops and
galleries, or just stroll down the Boulevard to savoir a
nostalgic moment from the past and enjoy coming back to the city.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nancy Liebman is nationally recognized preservationist and outspoken advocate for sound urban planning,
art & architecture. As a former Miami Beach Commissioner and lifelong community activist, Liebman was
instrumental in the protection, preservation & promotion of Miami Beach's Art Deco Historic District, bringing
ArtBasel to Miami Beach, active in the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and currently focuses her
efforts & expertise to Miami's Urban Environment League and the MiMo Historic District & preservation group.
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing these sources.
NOSTALGIC NEIGHBORHOODS| Deco to MiMo in Miami
by Nancy Liebman
Art Deco had eyebrows, spires, flora, fauna and
sunshine relief. MiMo enjoys Swiss cheese holes,
accordion walls, jutting concrete slabs, streamline
surfaces, porthole windows and glitz. Both styles
extract fond old memories. Both styles with their
nostalgic architecture have served as the impetus
for bringing blighted neighborhoods out of their
depression and have created a mood swing in
public planning.
Across the country citizens yearned for revitalized
downtowns and human scale architecture that
relates to their sub-tropical environment - rather
than the cookie cutter communities and concrete
jungles that serve to diminish their quality of life in
Miami-Dade County. Historic and Preservation
have finally become acceptable terms in
bureaucratic jargon. Throw-away neighborhoods
are now coveted places to live. And, they are all
inner city neighborhoods – close to employment,
transportation, schools and vital infrastructure.
Miami’s two historic architectural designs are being
preserved because of this new “back to the city” movement. Miami’s Deco grew during the Great Depression
and was considered the modern style of that period. The deco buildings were modest structures
embellished with fanciful features that told the story of their environment – sun, sand, tropical seaside living.
Two decades later, Miami’s Modern architecture (MiMo) was constructed during the post World War 11 era.
MiMo was considered the new style of that era, celebrating the end of the war and a glamorous new
beginning for prosperity in South Florida. The sleek, new buildings were simple, but adored with streamline,
modern facades full of energy, space age embellishments and as in the Deco period, the architects
respected and incorporated the natural environment into their designs.
By the early 1980’s South Florida had abandoned its historic roots. The government’s craving for “community
redevelopment” projects planned to purge those simple little Deco and MiMo neighborhoods. Magnificent
examples of both styles were lost. Fortunately, most “community redevelopment” schemes died on the
bureaucratic shelves, and neighborhood activists began to rally to protect, preserve and promote
neighborhoods worth saving. Deco enthusiasts, The Miami Design Preservation League, began their fight in
the early 80’s. By the year 2000, MiMo enthusiasts rallied to protect the Post War Miami Modern. By 2006, the
MiMo Biscayne Association organized to educate the public and the governing bodies as to the worth of
saving Biscayne Boulevard, the entryway to Miami with its kitchy little modest sub-tropical motels in typical
modern Miami design.
Both the MiMo and Deco styles were “modern interpretations” of their time, adapted to their sub-tropical
environment creating place-making neighborhoods. Both are the essence of Miami’s history as a tourist
mecca. Thus, preserving those neighborhoods will now leave a visual example of Miami’s history and will
give the present and future citizens the roots they need to grow into a well-planned world-class city.
The MiMo Biscayne Association modeled itself from the experience of the Deco enthusiasts. The Association
formed in 2007 and began its own struggle to protect, promote and invigorate Biscayne Boulevard from 50th
to 77th Streets. There was luke-warm support for the historic designation of those 27 blocks. Property
owners said it could not work since the neighborhood was not on the ocean. Others thought there was no
piece of architecture worth saving. The surrounding residents thought preservation meant saving the
streetwalkers and their habitats in the neglected motels. Many still thought highest and best use of the
property was the way to go.
It was difficult to educate and encourage the citizens and elected officials that they had a unique opportunity to
upgrade their neighborhood. The Association branded MiMo Boulevard as a treasured place-maker in Miami
and the world. They have since worked to change attitudes, and put incentives in place to encourage
business and property owners to reinvest in their properties. The City of Miami has approved tax abatements,
parking reductions, easements for liquor licenses, changes of uses to encourage mixed use developments,
and a revolutionary new law that calls for tax assessments to be levied not based on “highest and best use”,
but on the fact that the MiMo buildings have a special set of rules being in an historic neighborhood.
Of course, there have been the fun moments during the
struggle to spotlight the MiMo image on the horizon. The
Association produced a map and brochure of the many
restaurants, boutiques and businesses on the Boulevard.
They instituted walking tours of the historic neighborhood.
They hung MiMo banners along the Boulevard, supported
having a Fresh Farmer’s Market on the Boulevard, had a
gallery walk during Art Basel and a Cinco de MiMo Street
Festival complete with a hula hoop contest, a sock hop
and tours of the historic district. They brought one of the
icons of era back to Biscayne Boulevard, a circa 1950’s
little girl and her dog Coppertone sign. The MiMo
Association inherited the sign from Dade Heritage Trust
who, in the 1980’s, rescued that sign from a soon-to-be
demolished building. The Association raised the funds from
Shearling Plow, restored the sign and re-hung it back on the
Boulevard.
Keep watching the Boulevard rise from the dust. Visit the
many restaurants such as UVA, Michy, Redlight Dining, Café
Toscana Ristorante, Dogma, Le Café, Soyka, Andiamo Brick
Oven Pizza, Karma Carwash Café, Kingdom Restaurant Sports
Bar, Moonchine, Moshi 2, Jimmy’s Diner and Che Soprano.
Take a walking tour. Visit the growing number of shops and
galleries, or just stroll down the Boulevard to savoir a
nostalgic moment from the past and enjoy coming back to the city.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nancy Liebman is nationally recognized preservationist and outspoken advocate for sound urban planning,
art & architecture. As a former Miami Beach Commissioner and lifelong community activist, Liebman was
instrumental in the protection, preservation & promotion of Miami Beach's Art Deco Historic District, bringing
ArtBasel to Miami Beach, active in the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and currently focuses her
efforts & expertise to Miami's Urban Environment League and the MiMo Historic District & preservation group.
Copyright © AMBIENTE MAGAZINE. Do not reproduce without citing these sources.
| GAY & LESBIAN ALLIANCE AGAINST DEFAMATION WWW.GLAAD.ORG |
| Gay American Heroes Foundation Honoring LGBT persons who died because of their sexual orientation and gender identity www.gayamericanheroes.com |
| Web resource for LGBTQ youth www.matthewsplace.com |
| .Fresh-Squeezed Paradise MIAMI RIVER INN miamiriverinn.com |
| . 70's Inspired Purses & accessories GLOSSgear.com |
| Miami Modern (MiMo) Style|Garden/Catwalk buildings; Miami's Coppertone Girl (Miami Courthouse in the background), Fontainebleau Hotel; Davis Motel. |
| Miami Modern (MiMo) Style| Bacardi World headquarters - Biscayne Boulevard. |
