Save the courthouse
Re Miami-Dade Commissioner Sally Heyman’s Jan. 5 article Forget the repairs, Miami-Dade needs a new courthouse: The 1926 Dade County Courthouse is listed in the National Register, which does not prevent demolition. But it is also designated in the City of Miami, which does prevent demolition. There is an appeal process but it is subject to vry strict guidelines and standards, making it difficult to demolish landmarks.
As a local preservation activist, I am glad that a task force of architects, engineers, preservationists, historians and financial experts has been created to develop a master plan for the restoration of the historic courthouse. Its future use may change, but the bricks and mortar must remain.
History repeats itself. Help preserve it.
Karelia Martinez Carbonell,
Coral Gables
This story was originally published January 8, 2016 at 6:21 PM with the headline "Save the courthouse."