Eight months ago Bay Harbor's east island was listed as one of the eleven of most endangered historic sites in the US by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, and since then the battle cry for the preservation of its large concentration of MiMo architecture has only gotten louder. While the island has seen a spike in new developments there has also been at least one pretty symbolic preservation win. One of the owners of the Bay Harbor Continental, a classic condominium building designed by architect Charles McKirahan and built in 1958, has restarted an application for the Continental's local historic designation. If successful, it would be the first historically designated building on any level (local, national, etc...) in Bay Harbor Islands.
The Continental is architecturally notable for its swinging midcentury details, including multicolored glass block screens, "decorative railings, lush ornamentation, tray balconies, louver windows, original entry doors, decorative concrete blocks of various sizes used to provide visual interest, and exposed cantilevered exterior walkways, among other elements" according to the historic designation report. The county preservation board will hear the application next month.
UPDATE: According to a source from the county preservation department, the application won't be heard until at least April.
· Bay Harbor's MiMo is 1 of 11 Most Endangered Sites [Curbed Miami]
· Bay Harbor Islands coverage [Curbed Miami]
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