WRE News: Two Florida Bills Could Mean the End of Historic Ocean Drive

Miami Beach, FL – April 27, 2023 – The Art Deco charm of South Beach is under fire, as a pair of bills advance in Florida’s congress.

Sponsored by Republicans Sen. Bryan Avila and Rep. Spencer Roach, SB 1317 and HB 1346 threaten to bulldoze and redevelop many iconic areas throughout Florida, including Miami Beach’s Art Deco hotel row and Key West’s Old Town. The bills allow property owners and developers to bypass local regulations and demolish historic buildings within a half-mile of the coast, with the only regulation being that they meet flood- and storm-surge resistance standards. The bills also give property owners the right to demolish any building for any reason, without so much as a public hearing. Virtually all of Miami Beach sits within the zones affected by the bills, and city officials estimate the bills would expose as many as 2,600 Beach buildings that are now protected as historic landmarks to demolition with no appeal.