We have been business owners and operators in downtown Miami’s Omni neighborhood for more than 20 years. In that span, we have watched downtown Miami come alive with new residents, restaurants, hotels and world-class cultural arts institutions. Meanwhile, redevelopment of the Omni area has lagged behind the rest of Miami’s urban core.

Despite signs of an economic resurgence in recent years, The Miami Herald property stands as an obstacle to our neighborhood’s full-scale revitalization.

The Herald Building and its surrounding parking lots are the proverbial hole in the middle of the doughnut, rendering a large swath of our community off-limits and unsafe to the public as new development takes shape around it. Granting The Herald building historic status would prevent any efforts to revitalize this pivotal waterfront area; deny a much needed link to downtown and Museum Park along the bay; condemn the public to not having access to the all-important Biscayne Bay waterfront; and limit new economic opportunity for our businesses.

Preserving the building would turn back the clock on future progress in our area and deter additional investments. As key stakeholders in the area, we urge members of the City of Miami’s Historic Environmental Preservation Board to consider the implications of their vote on our neighborhood. This decision goes far beyond a single building; granting historic status will have an adverse effect on an entire neighborhood for generations.

Robert Lacle, DoubleTree, Miami

Steve Haas, City Hall Restaurant, Miami

Aaron Goldstein, Villa 221, Miami