An alert reader (yes, we do have some) reported: "Tuesday the East Coast Fisheries, one of the last architectural remnants of the old Miami River area, came down, in spite of some talk about preserving it. I was driving by when I saw the wrecking ball, around 2 p.m."
With the report, the reader also sent the photo. This is living, why don't you all do that?
2:29 pm I was told that the demolition crew got debris in the Miami River. They did not protect the area from spilling over into the river, which has just been dredged. Who do we blame? Who gave them the permit?
8 comments:
EastCoast was the #1 funky-joint for seafood for years. Then it was Garcia's down the street, but today a fish sandwich will set you back 20 bucks. Follow that fishy smell downtown, it leads to county bldgs.
Geez, I've only lived here 16 years and I feel like such an old-timer as I recount all the funky places that have gone the wayside..to be replaced with what? More tacky that will be torn down 20years down the road? Sad.
I was absolutely horrified to look out my window at work yesterday to see the building being torn down!
Just monday I had driven by it and told myself that I needed to get a picture of the building with its rooftop Male Genitalia (painted 2 shades of pink) before it was gone forever.
Fot those of you unfamiliar with the ahem, "third leg" on the roof, it was erected by the owner after having been cited for multiple violations on the building by the City of Miami, Sort of a final "salute". It never failed to make me laugh.
I don't suppose your photog got a pic of the roof too?
There goes the great fish spread and crackers!
What is seriously wrong with the people here that we can't preserve and respect history in this county?
I find it heartbreaking.
You're right: that was a great Miami landmark. I guess if it had a wealthy architect developer behind it, it would have gotten saved like the Miami Stadium on Virginia Key. Really, Miami is just one long catalogue of loss. That's not a view the Chamber of Commerce endorses, for sure.
It would be interesting to hear what Cedric Mar, the County's Director of Unsafe Structures, has to say about this. Seems that he hired the contractors who failed to take adequate precautions and bungled the job. I guess there will be a little more dredging to do.
As for East Coast Fisheries, it was reportedly in bad shape. Deliberate deterioration by neglect -- standard operating procedure for the City and County.
anonymous
Cedric works for the City not the County.
I too heard that there were problems-probably why the job looked shut down on Wednesday?
But I doubt that you could blame Cedric personally-better t condsider the bid process as the evil demon.
DERM shut the project down temporarily after demolition debris fell into the river during the demo work. The contractor had to remove it and take steps to prevent more of it entering the river before they were allowed to restart work. As for who to blame for the demolition, how about blaming all us citizens who don't insist that the City do a better job of protecting those few historic structures that are left in the downtown area? The demolition through neglect of the East Coast Fisheries building has been going on for years. If you care about such things, you need to speak up before it gets to the point where there is no alternative but to finish the job.
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