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| Original Lapidus geometric feature as seen today |
By Jane Feehan
During the 1920s, early Miami Beach developer—and promoter—Carl
Fisher (1874-1939) envisioned east-west thoroughfare Lincoln Road as a shopping
area to rival New York City’s Fifth Avenue. Only a few decades later, Lincoln Road had devolved into an area overrun by automobile traffic and dimmed by urban
blight.
Seeds of another idea, a pedestrian mall, first surfaced in
the mid-1940s. By the 1950s, controversial Miami architect Morris Lapidus (1902-2001)
and firm Harle and Liebman were commissioned to design a pedestrian mall to
replace the ageing Lincoln Road shopping area. “I designed Lincoln Road Mall
for people, a car never bought anything,” said Lapidus, also the architect for the Ponce de Leon Shopping Center in St. Augustine, FL.
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| Original Lapidus design |
The proposed $600,000, mile-long mall featured fountains, shaded
walkways, lush landscaping, piped-in music and electric trams. The city and
merchants approved the design, but funding would come from mall merchants. Stakeholders
went to the polls Nov. 3, 1959 to vote in a special bond election. Merchants would
repay a $600,000 bond or face a lien on their business. A few objected to the
new plans citing limited accessibility with a ban on autos but there wasn’t
much of a dramatic showdown on election day. Unofficial vote tallies the next morning revealed
the proposal’s popularity: 2,993 for; 899 against.
In anticipation of increased business, merchants such as
Saks Fifth Avenue and Andrew Geller Shoe Salon began extensive improvements, renovating
interior and exterior displays and signage; prospects for the new mall also prompted lease extensions and attracted new merchants.
An official groundbreaking event for Lincoln Road Mall was
held August 1, 1960. On hand for festivities was elephant Rosie, Jr., who stood
patiently by with a shovel in her mouth. (The first Rosie was the elephant used
by Carl Fisher to help clear Miami Beach mangroves and appeared at several Fisher
hotel openings.) Among others at the
festivities were Pat Fisher, Miss Lincoln Road Mall, Mona Fillmore, Miss
Lincoln Road Mall Hospitality, and Marcie Lieberman, vice mayor of Miami Beach.
Work on the project,however, began July 11, 1960. The city of Miami Beach provided
most of the construction; the arrangement eliminated the need for a general contractor.
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| Lincoln Road before and after Florida State Archives |
Lincoln Road Mall opened a few months later, Nov. 28, 1960, with adjacent parking for 3,500 cars. Visitors described it as “glamorous and
beautiful.” Others touted it as one of the most picturesque streets in the
world. Interestingly, the new shopping area was not the first pedestrian mall
in America. That honor went to one in Kalamazoo, MI and was followed by one in Toledo,
OH. Both sites were unsuccessful—and temporary.
Like several areas of Miami Beach, the Lincoln Road Mall went
through years of decline after the 1960s. In 1997, a $16-million restoration
project brought it back to life. Landscape architect Martha Schwartz helped revive
the landmark with replanting of sabal palms and other flora. In 2010 one block
was added to the original eight-block thoroughfare by designer Raymond Jungles.
A resurgence of South Beach has also affected
the popularity of Lincoln Road Mall—as has environmental interest in
pedestrian-friendly shopping areas and central business districts. Today, the mall,
extending from the west side of Washington Avenue to the east side of Alton
Road, is home to a long list of stores, restaurants and other businesses (see www.lincolnroadmall.info for a directory).
Time has finally caught up with Lincoln Road Mall and its forward-thinking
architect, Morris Lapidus.
Sources:
Miami News, June
6, 1959
Miami News,
Sept. 16, 1959
Miami News,
Nov. 1, 1959
Miami News,
Nov. 2, 1959
Miami News,
Nov. 4, 1959
Miami News, June
19, 1960
Miami News,
July 25, 1960
Miami News, Aug.
1, 1960
Miami News,
Nov. 27, 1960
Miami News,
Nov. 28, 1960
Miami News,
Nov. 29, 1960
Miami News,
Dec. 24, 1961
Sun-Sentinel,
April 18, 1999
The Cultural Landscape Foundation at: https://tclf.org
Tags: Miami Beach History, Morris Lapidus, tourist attractions in Miami Beach, South Beach, Mi Mo architecture, Miami Beach in the 1950s, Miami Beach in the 1960s, Miami Beach in the 1990s, Carl Fisher, Miami Beach tourism, Jane Feehan