It’s hard these days to be shocked by something you read in the newspaper, but the front page of today’s Miami Herald did the trick for me. Apparently, there are two bills before the Florida legislature that propose removing protections for historic buildings and districts in coastal areas.
If passed – in a state that’s like catnip for developers – it could signal the end of St. Augustine as we know it, and the death of Ocean Drive, a street that, despite its struggles in recent years, is still one of the most beautiful in America. Ocean Drive was the catalyst for the revival of Miami Beach and its return as a glamorous destination; destroying its lineup of Art Deco hotels would turn South Beach into a subtropical Atlantic City.
