The Coral Rock House in Miami Beach is an architectural gem, a historic landmark and home to the Miami Beach Hispanic Community Center. But it's in need of renovations.
To that end, developer David Martin, CEO of Terra Group, is leading a charge to raise funds to restore the property.
Martin and his family are donating $50K to kick off a campaign to renovate the project at 1701 Normandy Drive.
The Coral Rock House was designed by architect George L. Pfeiffer and built in 1934. It was designated as a protected historic site by the City of Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board and relocated to North Beach in 1995. It began housing the Miami Beach Hispanic Community Center, which offers bilingual programming for residents, in 1997. The Center’s owner and operator is UNIDAD of Miami Beach Inc.
The material known as "coral rock" is oolitic limestone, a porous, sedimentary rock composed of tiny fossils and shell fragments. Coral Rock has been used to add special architectural touches to iconic Miami buildings like the Coconut Grove Women's Club, Vizcaya, the Venetian Pool and the Biscayne Bay Yacht Club.
Historic preservationists saved a coral rock house at 900 Collins Ave. that had been a doctor's office for decades but was slated for demolition. Coral Castle, a compound built single-handedly by an eccentric man over three decades in a still-mysterious process, is one of Miami's top tourist attractions.
Terra's major projects include Eighty Seven Park in North Beach, the Miami Beach Convention Center Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mid Beach, the GLASS condominium in the South of Fifth neighborhood and the Grove at Grand Bay in Coconut Grove. Martin is also currently seeking to redevelop the Miami Beach Marina. The Martin family donated the Freedom Tower, a historic landmark, to Miami-Dade College in 2005.
“When it comes to preserving South Florida’s architectural past, Miami Beach is among the most respectful and forward-looking communities in our region," Martin said in a statement. "The Coral Rock House is a landmark and critical resource for our City’s Hispanic community. Our donation and the funds we raise through this campaign will secure the Miami Beach Hispanic Community Center’s future and ensure this historic building can continue serving our neighbors for decades to come.”
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