Miami Beach sits at an average elevation of approximately four feet above sea level and has already undertaken extensive experimentation with resiliency and climate-adaptation infrastructure. This vulnerability is underscored by the scale of economic exposure: beachfront property in Miami-Dade County is estimated at approximately $15 billion. This research analyzes the chronological development of historic preservation practices in Miami Beach as a case study to assess how past preservation frameworks, regulatory decisions, and design interventions can inform future approaches to citywide resiliency planning.

Current conditions and projected future constraints necessitate timely and proactive planning. Recent assessments indicate that approximately 28 percent of historic resources are at risk by 2050, increasing to 56 percent by 2100. A critical understanding of how municipal policies were previously implemented—including the compromises required and public responses to past challenges—can inform Miami Beach’s continued leadership in addressing the tensions between climate change resilience and historic resource protection.

Current conditions and projected future constraints necessitate timely and proactive planning. Recent assessments indicate that approximately 28 percent of historic resources are at risk by 2050, increasing to 56 percent by 2100. A critical understanding of how municipal policies were previously implemented—including the compromises required and public responses to past challenges—can inform Miami Beach’s continued leadership in addressing the tensions between climate change resilience and historic resource protection. The historical success of economic and architectural revitalization in Miami Beach through historic preservation provides a valuable framework that should be leveraged as a future societal benefit, particularly in advancing sustainability objectives amid the inevitability of sea-level rise. Accordingly, the City of Miami Beach should formally integrate historic preservation into its resiliency planning framework, enabling the adaptation of historic structures to be funded and executed as municipal capital improvement projects.

More information: https://www.lwassocinc.com/property-values-in-hd

The social and financial impacts of adaptive reuse, including detailed project-level analyses of means and methods within an affordable housing public–private partnership, are examined in the Open Source: 16 Corner report. Presented primarily from the perspective of the developer and builder, the project is particularly significant for its contribution of real-time empirical data that is not otherwise readily available within the Miami development marketplace.

The development comprises 44 affordable rental units across five buildings in Miami’s Historic Overtown neighborhood. The project includes a diverse unit mix and occupies three contiguous parcels totaling 29,400 square feet, with 20,312 square feet of two-story building area. Located along NW 1st Place, the site forms a critical connective node between the Overtown and Omni Community Redevelopment Areas (CRAs). Published with full transparency, the accompanying report emphasizes informed decision-making, design strategies, and policy innovation to advance social resilience in affordable housing. It advocates for public–private partnerships as a mechanism for improving housing quality, residential health, and long-term financial stability. Notably, this project represents the first allocation of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) from the Omni CRA toward its affordable housing mandate. As a case study, its success was defined by key outcomes, including no resident displacement, no rent increases for existing tenants, comprehensive historic restoration and system upgrades, use of local labor, and sustained community engagement, demonstrating the potential of equitable, community-centered development.

More information: https://www.lwassocinc.com/affordable

Coconut Grove is one of the largest continuous communities in Miami and the first black settlement in the city. It’s also home to a number of Shotgun houses, a style of wood frame vernacular home that reinforces the neighborhood’s unique identity—narrow, rectangular one-story structures built by the same community of Bahamian immigrants who have lived in Coconut Grove since its inception, over 140 years ago.

A distinctive vernacular architectural tradition in Key West and South Florida is the Bahamian, or “Conch,” house, introduced by Bahamian migrants who settled in the region during the nineteenth century. Adapted to tropical conditions, these structures were elevated on wood posts or stone piers to mitigate flooding and high winds and typically employed post-and-beam construction with mortise-and-tenon joinery. Characteristic features included two-story forms, wraparound or full-width porches, gable roofs, shutters, and ornamental detailing.

In Coconut Grove, this tradition was adapted to local economic conditions through the use of simplified balloon-frame construction and minimal ornamentation, resulting in more restrained expressions of the Conch vernacular. Also prevalent in Coconut Grove was the shotgun house, a narrow, linear dwelling type with origins in West African and Caribbean building traditions. Common throughout the post–Civil War American South, shotgun houses featured one-room-wide plans, steep front-gable roofs, full-width porches, and sequential interior rooms, reflecting both cultural continuity and economic necessity.

More information: https://www.lwassocinc.com/west-grove

The Key Biscayne Tennis Association (KBTA) is a historic landmark situated on the barrier island of Key Biscayne within the landscape of Crandon Park. Established in 1978, the nonprofit facility was constructed largely by hand by 150 charter member families in partnership with Miami-Dade County. Founded to promote the sport of tennis, KBTA’s charter established an inclusive membership policy open to all individuals regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, sex, or age, with courts accessible to the general public. The facility includes a clubhouse designed in the South Florida Vernacular architectural style, a large wood patio with shaded gathering areas, and ten tennis courts set within a tropical environment of palm trees and native landscaping.

In 1977, a community-led fundraising initiative to establish open, public tennis facilities on Key Biscayne was spearheaded by residents Ed Easton and Ed Smith. Since its founding, the Key Biscayne Tennis Association (KBTA) has operated as a nonprofit organization managing the facilities and advancing a philanthropic, community-centered mission. KBTA has long served as a training ground for elite athletes, hosting former ATP and WTA players, distinguished coaches, and international competitors. The association hosts two annual tournaments—the All Island Tournament (est. 1981) and the F’all Island Tournament (est. 2005)—each attracting more than 400 participants. From 1987 to 2018, KBTA also functioned as a practice venue for the Miami Open, supporting professional preparation for the clay-court season. Committed to accessibility and youth engagement, KBTA annually hosts Miami-Dade Inner City and Liberty City Kids Day, introducing more than 200 children to tennis. Grounded in a grassroots ethos, KBTA remains a testament to community-driven efforts to ensure equitable access to sport for future generations.

More information: https://www.lwassocinc.com/key-biscayne-tennis-association

As the development trends of Greater Miami advanced during the mid-twentieth century, MiMo architecture along the Biscayne Boulevard corridor became noteworthy for incorporating elements which reflected the post-World War II automobile culture. Gold Dust is one of the most important examples of a 1950’s MiMo motor courtyard motel on Biscayne Boulevard.

The Gold Dust is architecturally and culturally significant as an exemplary 1950s MiMo (Miami Modern) motel and as a prominent work by profilic Miami architect Maurice S. Weintraub. As the development trends of Greater Miami advanced during the mid-twentieth century, MiMo architecture along the Biscayne Boulevard corridor became noteworthy for incorporating elements which reflected the post-World War II automobile culture. It is also notable for its details, materials and craftsmanship, as reflected in its U-shaped building footprint, open-air verandas with catwalks, roman brick detailing, elevated trapezoidal pool deck, jet-age porte-cochère, and distinctive monument signage. Gold Dust is one of the most important examples of a 1950’s MiMo motor courtyard motel on Biscayne Boulevard.

More information: https://www.lwassocinc.com/gold-dust

Historic preservation is an essential component for future development strategies as they provide a sense of place, property value protection and enhancement, and contribute positively to wider sustainability and resiliency goals.

The Economic Benefits of Historic Preservation Designation

This summary reviews the most effective economic incentives for historic preservation designation at the federal, county, and municipal levels. Historic resources are viewed as “public benefits” to our neighborhoods and are therefore eligible for fiscal benefits to counterbalance their assumed burden to property owners.

FEDERAL - HISTORIC INCENTIVES

20% Historic Tax Credit

For more than three decades, the federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) has successfully implemented a national policy of preserving our historic resources. It is the most significant investment the federal government makes toward the preservation of our historic buildings. Since the program’s inception in 1976, the National Park Service has certified the rehabilitation of more than 42,000 historic properties throughout the United States.

• WHO: The building must be certified as a historic structure by the National Park Service. The tax credit is only available to properties that will be used for a business or other income–producing purpose, and a “substantial” amount must be spent rehabilitating the historic building. The tax incentives program is administered by the National Park Service (NPS) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in partnership with the State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPOs).

• WHAT: Rehabilitation work has to meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation, as determined by the National Park Service. The amount of credit available under this program equals 20% of the qualifying expenses of your rehabilitation.

• WHEN: The recent tax bill (115th Congress) retains and modifies the 20% credit for rehabilitation expenditures for certified historic structures. For the five-year period beginning in the year in which a qualified rehabilitated building is placed in service, the credit is equal to the ratable share for each year, which is 20% of the qualified rehabilitation expenditures with respect to the building, as allocated ratably to each year during the period.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY - HISTORIC INCENTIVES

Ad Valorem Tax Exemption

The Ad-Valorem Tax Exemption is an incentive that is provided by state and County law that is intended to encourage the rehabilitation and maintenance of historic structures. It is an exemption only on the amount that the taxes would have increased, due to the improvements made to a historic property.

• WHO: In order to be eligible for the tax exemption, properties must be listed in the National Register of Historic Places, or a locally designated historic structure (designated by the County’s historic preservation board or by a local municipality’s preservation board) and must be about to undergo restoration and/or rehabilitation.

• WHAT: The Ad-Valorem Tax Exemption is a financial incentive that is intended to encourage the rehabilitation and maintenance of historic properties and provides a 10-year abatement of property taxes on the improvements. The Ad-Valorem Tax Exemption does not give the property owner a total exemption from all of their taxes. It is an exemption only on the amount that the taxes would have increased, due to the improvements made to a historic property.

• WHEN: Miami-Dade County offers the ad valorem property tax exemption, which exempts 100% of the assessed value of all qualified improvements to historic properties for a period of 10 years.

• WHERE: If you are filing for a municipal tax exemption as well, a separate application must be filed with that municipality. Currently Miami, Miami Beach, Coral Gables and South Miami offer tax exemptions on the municipal portion of the taxes.

• WHY: The rehabilitation of Miami-Dade County’s historic resources require considerable time, effort and expenses to maintain and enhance their historic character. Through tax exemptions, the financial burden is lessened for property owners, incentivizing investment in historic rehabilitations and restorations.

“Actual Use” Tax Assessments

Owners of historic buildings may also be eligible for an alternative method of assessment by the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser. This alternative method allows the property to be assessed based on the actual use rather than highest and best use, which may have an effect in lowering property taxes.

• WHO: To be eligible the property must be officially designated as historic either by local ordinance or listing on the National Register of Historic Places. It also must be commercial in nature (apartment buildings are not included) and be open to the public at least 40 hours per week for 45 weeks per year or the equivalent of 1,800 hours per year.

• WHAT: This alternative method allows the property to be assessed based on the actual use rather than highest and best use, which may have an effect in lowering property taxes.

• WHEN: To claim this benefit, property owners of qualifying properties must file an application with the Miami-Dade County Department of Property Appraisal by March 1 of each year.

• WHERE: The benefit applies only to the Miami-Dade County portion of the tax bill.

• WHY: Many historic resources cannot utilize their “highest and best use” due to regulatory restrictions. This alternative allows those historic resources within compliance to remit a fairer tax payment based on actual use.

CITY OF MIAMI - HISTORIC INCENTIVES

Ad Valorem Tax Exemption

The Ad-Valorem Tax Exemption is an incentive that is provided by state law (Section 196.1997 and 196.1998 Florida Statutes) and county ordinance (Section 16A-18, Miami Dade County Code) that is intended to encourage the rehabilitation and maintenance of historic properties.

• WHO: This tax exemption is for both residential and commercial historic properties. A historic property must be: individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places, pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act (1966), identified as a “Contributing Resource” within a Historic District listed in the National Register of Historic Places, individually listed in the Miami Register of Historic Places, or identified as a “Contributing Resource” within a Historic District listed in the Miami Register of Historic Places.

• WHAT: This ordinance gives the City of Miami the authority to exempt up to 100% of the City’s ad valorem portion of a property tax bill, strictly for the value of the improvements applied for, to eligible historic properties.

• WHEN: In the year the exemption is desired to take effect, property owners must file a completed application on the appropriate forms obtained from the city historic preservation officer. The Part I application must be approved preconstruction, and Part II is submitted upon construction completion. The City Commission provides final approval of the tax exemption, which goes into effect over a 10-year period.

• WHERE: In addition to completing the Miami-Dade County Ad Valorem Tax Exemption, property owners may apply for the City of Miami program.

• WHY: The rehabilitation of the City of Miami’s historic resources require considerable time, effort and expenses to maintain and enhance their historic character. Through tax exemptions, the financial burden is lessened for property owners, incentivizing investment in historic rehabilitations and restorations.

Transfer of Development Rights (TDR)

TDRs allow Eligible Historic Resources located in transects zoned T4O and higher to preserve their historic properties while still obtaining a fair market value for their unused base development rights (usually in the form of additional stories or square footage) by selling these rights to another property in a T6 zone.

• WHO: The program allows the owner of a locally or nationally designated historic property located in the general urban zoning districts to sell unused development potential that can be assigned to properties located within the urban core.

• WHAT: The TDR program involve yielding some or all of the right to develop or use a parcel of land that contains an historic resource (“Sending Area”) in exchange for a right to develop or use another parcel of land more intensively (“Receiving Area”).

• WHEN: Owners of eligible properties shall be issued a “certificate of eligibility” following confirmation that the property meets the criteria established. For those properties deemed eligible to participate in the TDR program under the terms of section 23-6, the zoning administrator or their designee shall calculate the unused development potential (base development rights) that may be transferred to a receiving property at 100 percent of the available square feet permitted by the underlying transect, thereby recognizing the additional requirements associated with the rehabilitation of a historic property.

• WHERE: The transfer of unusable development rights for historic resources may be converted into an asset that may be sold to a receiving site located within a T-6 transect, where a public benefits bonus may be used.

WHY: Since proceeds derived from the TDR sale must be used for future improvements and maintenance of the historic property, it incentivizes property owners to undertake rehabilitation and restoration of their historic resource.

More information: https://www.lwassocinc.com/dht

The City of Fort Lauderdale Intensive-Level Architectural Resource Survey was conducted to identify potential historic resources and document their existing conditions. Based on the findings of this survey, Florida Master Site File (FMSF) forms for individual structures and resource groups were compiled and submitted to the State of Florida for inclusion in the official state database.

For this Intensive-Level Architectural Resource Survey, the City of Fort Lauderdale provided LW Associates, Inc. with preliminary survey areas, informed by a 2018 review of neighborhoods and prior surveys to prioritize future efforts. The selected focus areas were Croissant Park and Poinciana Park. Survey boundaries extended north beyond neighborhood association limits to include structures south of the Tarpon River. A portion of Poinciana Park south of 24th Street was excluded due to a limited number of structures over 50 years of age. Architectural resource surveys serve both as a planning tool to inform decision-making and as a mechanism to document the city’s history, contributing critical information to historic resource repositories. As a Certified Local Government (CLG), the City is committed to the protection of its historic resources.

The objective of this survey was to conduct an intensive-level evaluation of the Croissant Park and Poinciana Park neighborhoods and to complete Florida Master Site File (FMSF) forms for historically significant structures and districts. Initial construction-date analysis identified 1,381 properties built in 1973 or earlier, with additional archival research expected to further define potential historic districts and individual resources. Evaluation of five additional potential historic districts indicated their eligibility for designation. Within these districts, 243 contributing resources and 63 non-contributing resources were documented, along with 23 individually significant resources and 3 structures listed as historic landmarks on the National Register of Historic Places.

More information: https://www.lwassocinc.com/croissant

The Downtown Miami Multiple Resource Area encompasses commercial, governmental, religious, institutional, and residential buildings that document the city’s growth from the pioneer era through the 1920s boom to World War II. Architectural styles include vernacular, Mediterranean Revival, Neo-Classical, Art Deco, and Moderne. Contributing properties may be eligible for Federal Historic Tax Credits as well as City of Miami entitlements such as Transfer of Development Rights (TDRs) and Transfer of Development Density (TDDs).

Historic preservation provides a sense of place, protects and enhances property values, and supports sustainability and resiliency objectives. Recognized as public goods, historic resources can receive fiscal incentives to offset costs to property owners. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988, the district is bounded by 20th Street to the north, the FEC right-of-way, I-95, and the Miami River to the west, 15th Road to the south, and Biscayne Bay to the east. These boundaries include the historic downtown core and adjacent areas functionally linked to the city center.

Miami’s historic resources reflect the rapid transformation from a frontier settlement to a major metropolitan and resort city in the twentieth century. Commercial, institutional, and residential buildings within the district represent key periods of development and continue to signify the city’s cultural and economic evolution.

More information: https://www.lwassocinc.com/downtown-miami

A critical yet often overlooked aspect of planning initiatives and capital improvement projects is the potential for historic preservation to advance sustainable development. The Center for Resiliency & Sustainability (CRS) seeks to highlight historic resources as integral contributors to the triple bottom line—encompassing people, profit, and planet—by demonstrating how preservation can simultaneously promote social equity, economic resilience, and environmental sustainability.

Miami Beach is home to a significant stock of historic resources, with up to 30% of buildings located within local historic districts, a figure that will increase with the addition of North Beach. This has implications for property tax revenue, tourism, adaptive reuse, and local employment, while offering a framework for sustainable development. Incorporated in 1915, Miami Beach is a barrier island composed of porous oolitic limestone, with a population of 92,312 (2015). Historic preservation regulations currently cover 29.81% of building stock and 25.02% of land area, and federal tax credits between 1987 and 2010 supported projects exceeding $551 million in total cost, with a value of over $110 million. The city’s tourism-dependent economy employs 44% of residents in hospitality, generating $1.6 billion in sales revenue from accommodations and food services (2008).

The Miami Design Preservation League (MDPL), founded in 1976 by Barbara Baer Capitman and colleagues, has long recognized the intersection of architectural, cultural, social, and environmental integrity. Its mission, now advanced through the Center for Resiliency & Sustainability (CRS) launched in 2017, emphasizes the integration of historic preservation with resilience and sustainability education, advocacy, and research. Historic preservation in Miami Beach has deep roots in the broader conservation movement, shaped by legislation such as the Antiquities Act of 1906 and the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.

Sea-level rise presents a critical challenge, with projections indicating that over 28% of historic resources may be affected by 2050, and more than 20% of resources within the Art Deco Historic District vulnerable at a two-foot rise. Adopting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) framework highlights the sustainability benefits of adaptive reuse over new construction, preserving embodied energy and reducing operational energy consumption. Research demonstrates that the greenest buildings are often those already built, with energy savings ranging from 4–46% and new construction potentially taking decades to offset initial environmental impacts.

Miami Beach has demonstrated historic resilience, from rebuilding after the 1926 hurricane to reinventing itself as an Art Deco and cultural destination in the late 20th century, culminating in events such as Art Basel Miami Beach. Through historic preservation, the city has maintained architectural and cultural integrity while supporting economic and social vitality. Looking forward, integrating preservation with sustainability initiatives is essential for balancing existing resources with future development, positioning Miami Beach as a model for resilient and environmentally responsible urban growth.

More information: https://www.lwassocinc.com/green