Category Archives: MiMo District
MiMo District Adaptive Reuse: Uva 69
Uva 69 is a quaint euro-style cafe located on Biscayne Boulevard and 69th street. The popular cafe’s interior is modern and gives little sense of the origin of the building it resides in, which is a Mediterranean style structure built in the 1920′s. Although the building is not MiMo per say, it is located in the Upper East Side’s MiMo District and is a fine example of adaptive reuse. The building’s main (lower) space is where the restaurant is situated.
The construction on Biscayne Boulevard and unsightliness of its surrounding is covered by a banner ad and blinds surrounding the dining area. Once inside, the cafe’s decor and ambiance captures the attention–not what’s outside. In addition to the restaurant below, there is office and gallery space upstairs. The unassuming old structure has been excellently adapted to suit rather than hinder the evolution of the Upper East Side. Importantly, it serves as an example of use-innovation in area now designated to preserve and adapt the use of MiMo-era motels.
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Filed under Biz Buzz, MiMo District
MiMo Motel Adaptive Reuse: The Vagabond Motel
Image: Vagabond Motel with Transit Shop clothing store (right side)
With the Mimo designation now intended to preserve the strip of funky motels along Biscayne Boulevard, the potential of adaptive reuse has been brought to question. It has been reported that motel owners are getting innovative with their properties. The motel use has become incompatible with development/economic conditions on the ground. Increasingly, restaurants and new businesses are popping up in and around the Boulevard along the Mimo corridor. Not long ago, it was discussed here that retail may be one of the likely reuses–following in the track of the Collins Avenue shopping district where Art Deco apartment complexes and hotels have been transformed into retail stores. On 74th street and Biscayne Boulevard there is what may be one of the first examples of reuse in the form of retail with the Vagabond Motel. Continue reading
Filed under BoB Articles, MiMo District
MiMo District Motel Owners Think Different
Last year, I did a brief report on the newly designated MiMo District (On Biscayne Blvd. from 50th to 77th street). Today, the Miami Herald reports on motel owners in the district changing plans for their properties. The article cites … Continue reading
Filed under MiMo District, News
MIMO Money
Mimo (My-Moe), short for Miami Modern architecture, is becoming quite the alluring architectural style for new construction. In fact, when looking at Miami Beach’s most well known Mimo buildings, one easily realizes that almost all of them are undergoing impressive and expensive transformations. Continue reading
Filed under Bal Harbour, BoB Articles, History, MiMo District, Sunny Isles, Surfside
MiMo District Motels
I have always noticed the long string of old motels on Biscayne Boulevard between 36th street and Miami Shores. I just never imagined that they would have architectural value. According to Miami 21 officials they do. And, their value is … Continue reading
Filed under MiMo District
What’s Mimo?
What makes Mimo different from Art Deco and why is it important to preserve? This article coming from South Beach Magazine does a great job explaining the architectural style. There is a growing Mimo preservation movement. It is important to preserve elements of the city’s past architecture in order to maintain the city’s urban integrity. The Miami 21 plan involves a Mimo district along a portion of Biscayne boulevard. Miami21.org states that “The MiMo district would protect what proponents say is the largest collection of funky, neon-lit 1950s motels in South Florida, as well as older Mediterranean Revival and Art Deco buildings, from 50th Street north to the Little River.” such preservation combined with new developments creates a more integrated and multi-faceted cityscape. I consider myself to be a proponent of such initiatives. The greatest urban centers protect their architectural past. Miami should not be an exception if we are to vie for such a role. Continue reading for the South Beach Magazine article. Continue reading
Filed under MiMo District
