Miami Beach is about to lose its last movie theater. Regal South Beach closes on September 30, leaving families with no place in our city to see a film. That means parents, children, and neighbors will have to drive 20–25 minutes to Aventura or downtown Miami just to catch a movie. Miami Beach will be the only major tourist city in Florida without a single theater. Residents deserve better than that.

What’s at stake is not just entertainment—it’s our history, our culture, and our community values. The Byron Carlyle, located in North Beach, is a 1968 Miami Modern landmark purchased by the City with public dollars. Residents have repeatedly called for its restoration as a movie theater and family entertainment hub. Yet City Hall is pushing another insider-driven redevelopment scheme that would demolish the building, replace it with housing and offices for handpicked groups, and cost taxpayers $55 million—plus $600,000 every year to operate. These aren’t affordable homes or community spaces; they’re subsidies and perks for developers and insiders, while families are left out once again.

Now is the time to act. Voters already approved $30 million in G.O. bond funds to restore the Byron Carlyle. With Regal shutting down, there is no excuse for delay and no justification for demolition. Residents have been clear: the Byron Carlyle should be restored as a historic theater and transformed into a family-friendly cultural destination—anchored by movies, with space for bowling, an arcade, or a live stage. If the City ignores this mandate, we risk repeating the tragedy of the Deauville: another irreplaceable landmark lost to neglect and insider politics.

Join us in demanding the City use bond funds as promised: to restore the Byron Carlyle, preserve our history, and create a theater and family destination for generations to come.