a non-profit community association dedicated to preserving and protecting the neighborhood, community,
quality of life, and architectural heritage on and surrounding lower Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, Florida
The Savoy Hotel property consists of two historic three-story hotels — the former Savoy Plaza, a pure Art Deco structure at 425 Ocean Drive designed by architect V.H. Nellenbogen in 1935, and the Hotel Arlington, a Classical Revival Art Deco structure at 455 Ocean Drive designed by renowned Miami Beach architect Albert Anis in the late 1930s. Anis was responsible for, among other Art Deco gems on South Beach, the Clevelander, the Leslie, the Waldorf Towers, the Avalon, and the Winter Haven. Nellenbogen designed, remodeled, or redesigned a number of buildings in South Beach, including the Sterling Building, the Franklin, the Alamac, the Primrose, and the Blackstone.
The Savoy property at 425-455 Ocean Drive is the last remaining set piece on the beach side of Ocean Drive showing what life was like in Miami Beach before World War II. In fact, other than the "Streamline Moderne" style Villa Luisa at 125 Ocean Drive and the pure Art Deco style Simone and Sorrento (now Ocean Walk) Hotels at 321 and 335 Ocean Drive, respectively, the Savoy property has the only pre-World War II beachside hotels left in South Beach. The Savoy was recently purchased by a group of out-of-town developers hell-bent on destroying this beautiful piece of property in order to line their already flush pockets. Toward this end, they are proposing to shoehorn a modern, ten-story structure into the miniscule lot in between the Arlington and the Savoy Plaza, forever destroying the character of this unique parcel. These developers must be stopped, and the City of Miami Beach must realize once and for that its residents and patrimony must come before developers.
On March 26, 2002, the Miami Beach Planning Board will conduct a hearing on the amendment to section 142.696 of the City of Miami Beach Code that was proposed by ODPA attorney Kent Harrison Robbins and was referred to the Planning Board by the City Commission by a 6-1 vote on February 20. This amendment will ensure a consistent maximum building height throughout the Ocean Beach Historic District by extending the maximum building height of 35 feet on a lot with a contributing structure for which no certificate of appropriateness for demolition has been obtained to the entire Ocean Beach Historic District. Currently, this height restriction pertainss only to RPS-1, RPS-2, and RPS-3 lots in the historic district. RPS-4 lots — which exist only on the ocean side of Ocean Drive — are currently exempt. If the Planning Board approves the amendment and initiates "zoning in progress," the greedy, anti-preservation Savoy developers will either have to comply with the proposed amendment, hope to defeat it when it goes before the entire City Commission, or give up.
We need you to attend the Planning Board meeting at 3:00 p.m. on March 26 to show your support for the ordinance amendment and your disgust at developers like Arden Savoy who care only about stuffing their pockets with money and care nothing about this beautiful city and its residents.
successful march 18 odpa protest makes the news!
On Monday evening, March 18, about 70 members of ODPA marched in protest in front of the Savoy Hotel instead of attending an "appeasement" meeting with residents arranged by Arden Savoy inside the hotel. ODPA members made it clear that they have no desire to engage in dialogue with get-rich-quick developers who care nothing about either the Art Deco beauty of Miami Beach or its residents. WPLG Channel 10's Mark Joyella did a story on the protest for Channel 10's 11:00 p.m. newscast. The protest was also prominently covered in the March 21 Miami Herald's Neighbors section.
Click here for photos of the protest. Thanks to everyone who turned out!!!
Click here to learn how ODPA is planning to stop these greedy developers and how you can help.
 The Ocean Drive facade of the former Hotel Arlington, now the northern building of the Savoy Hotel. |
 The courtyard of the Savoy Hotel -- which its owners plan to destroy and replace with a ten-story modern monster. The former Hotel Arlington building is in the background. |
 The Ocean Drive facade of the former Savoy Plaza, now the southern building of the Savoy Hotel. |
 Detail on the facade of the former Savoy Plaza, which was designed by V.H. Nellenbogen. |
© 2002 Ocean Drive Preservation Association, Inc.
A Florida non-profit corporation
odpa@odpa.net