Quaint Buena Vista Building Becomes Unmitigated Historic Preservation Disaster
August 16, 2016 by Lucas Lechuga
Artist Oliver Sanchez's Instagram post summed it up perfectly. An historic Mediterranean Revival store with upstairs apartment in Buena Vista that kept its graceful original facade intact for almost a century has become an unmitigated disaster, losing its character entirely while gaining a sloppy new look, that frankly doesn't look like much. The result is an unmitigated disaster and historic preservation, if one dares even use that term here, at its very worst.
The worst part is, it was no secret this was happening. The redevelopment made the real estate blog/news website rounds when it was announced, with a big rendering that has turned into reality. It was there and nobody noticed. Nobody raised the issue. Called Upper Buena Vista, the project by BVM Development is going to be a 'mini urban village' of shops, apartments, and 'creative-class' types of stuff with an old warehouse aesthetic. This, ladies and gentlemen, is a case of a good old building being stripped of its authentic past and redone in an an entirely fake history.
[caption id="attachment_19581" align="alignnone" width="1720"] Upper Buena Vista[/caption]
Why would a designer turn a Neoclassic row house into a turn of the Century industrial warehouse ?? while the Buena Vista area is largely built up on old Miami “Bay homes” adopting Spanish and Dutch influence. This way side gem inspired redevelopment passively, non linear. Not to me mention one of the only row house still standing in Miami .
Disrespectful to Buena Vista and to Lemon City.
It’s nothing short of murder. Hideous. Can their license be pulled before they commit further atrocities?
They demolished my home and sued me because I withheld rent when 39 days passed with a leaky roof. They didn’t want to pay to fix it because they knew they were gonna demolish it.
Does anyone know the history of this building and the structures behind it?