What to Know
- Preservationists, activists and City Commissioner Ken Russell championed the designation for the West Coconut Grove homes.
- The designation bars demolition of the wood-frame and shotgun-style homes, some over a century old.
Nearly four dozen homes in a historically black neighborhood have been declared historic landmarks by Miami's preservation board.
The Miami Herald reports that preservationists, activists and City Commissioner Ken Russell championed the designation for the West Coconut Grove homes in order to slow ongoing gentrification.
But several homeowners said they would appeal. Other homeowners and developers have asked the city to help pay for maintenance and renovations in the landmark homes.
The designation bars demolition of the wood-frame and shotgun-style homes. Some of the homes are a century old.
The West Grove is Miami's oldest surviving black neighborhood and was once legally segregated from the wealthier white village of Coconut Grove. It was originally settled by Bahamian immigrants who were later joined by blacks moving out of the Deep South.
