Miami Modern - a success story for "auto age" preservationists

To Miami residents, this is not news. For those of us in harsher climes, this relatively new historic district (as of 2006) may seem groundbreaking. Miami fought to get a swath of Biscayne Boulevard (BiBo to locals) preserved in order to save it from the wrecking ball. Sounds like a familiar preservation effort, right?

Well, the structures to be salvaged are mostly post World War II concoctions, in a style that locals have dubbed "Miami Modern." As a city that pioneered the first (and now widely loved) Art Deco historic district in the country, Miami again appears on the forefront of the preservation movement. Mid-century modernism just might have a fighting chance if word of Miami's spearhead catches on. Granted, "Miami Modern" is just a wee bit on the ornate side compared to the more subdued Mid-Century Modern ranches found up north. Still, it's worth noting that somewhere in our country, mid century architecture has been dubbed historic.

Other notables about the district? It's Miami's first historic commercial (as opposed to residential) district.

See pictures below of the Miami Modern (MiMo) / Biscayne Boulevard Historic District: