Miami Design Preservation League has been a steward of the Art Deco Welcome Center on Ocean Drive since 1993. The center serves nearly 120,000 visitors and residents annually, and is the most visited tourism information center in South Florida. Programs include the Art Deco Walking Tours, Visitor Center, Art Deco Museum, and Art Deco Gift Shop. On June 1st, MDPL became the first local cultural institution to reopen to the public after the COVID-19 shutdown.

In December 2019, MDPL's current contract with the city to manage the center was set to expire before the planned 5-year renewal was executed. The administration asked for a month-to-month extension in order to have more time to make the renewal agreement. 

The expected renewal period is for 5 years, per the existing management agreement with the city. However, the city administration is currently recommending only a 1-year renewal.

MDPL is a leading voice in historic preservation and the Art Deco Welcome Center is a community hub that services our visitors and residents. In addition, the Miami Beach voters allocated $2MM in GO Bond funding for the Art Deco Museum expansion, which is funded in Tranche 2 of the GO Bond. 

I support MDPL's continued stewardship of the Art Deco Welcome Center for a 5-year renewal. This will allow ample time for MDPL to continue its operations planning, fundraising, preparations for the GO Bond project, and to provide ongoing quality arts & culture programming on Ocean Drive.

In this period of uncertainty and challenge, it is important to have the City's ongoing commitment to one of Miami Beach's leading non-profit community organizations, via a 5-year renewal.