History: The Suburbs – Part Three
As readers know, our discussions of the last several weeks have centered on Miami Beach’s suburbs, focusing, for the time being on Surfside, the story of which will be concluded in this article with coming columns discussing the other suburbs and their history.
The lower third of Surfside was platted and built by Henri (Henry) Levy, who came to America from France in 1900, moving to Cincinnati. In 1922, with older daughter Clemence suffering from the brutal winters, Levy moved the family to Miami Beach, where, over time, he built Normandy Isle, Normandy Beach (the lower third of what was not yet called Surfside) and Normandy Beach South, that part of Miami Beach extending from approximately 71st Street to approximately 74th Street, other than the block between 72nd and 73rd Streets which was owned by the U. S. Coast Guard and had formerly been the site of the Biscayne House of Refuge. (That story was told in previous columns).
The Town of Surfside was incorporated on May 8, 1935, when 35 people, all of whom were members of the Surf Club (still in existence and still a private club on Collins Avenue in Surfside) signed the incorporation papers.
Within just a few years of incorporation the town hall was completed, at 9550 Harding Avenue, west side of the street between 95th and 96th streets. The original building housed an eleven man police department and a three man fire department which would eventually reach a force of 39 full time paid and volunteer firefighters. The council chambers were on the second floor with a jail on the first floor, that building serving the town for close to 20 years. By the mid-1950s, though, it was obvious that the town had outgrown the facility.
In 1957 the new, modern government center at 9293 Harding Avenue, on the east side of the street, was opened. Fortunately for the town, the selling price of the old people, right in the middle of the town’s then and still very active business and commercial district, nearly covered the cost of the construction of the new facility.
Completely renovated in 2001, and updated since then, the hall serves as a hub of public services, its beautiful and modern interior including commission chambers, offices, the solid waste, water and sewer departments as well as the police department. (The fire department was turned over to Miami-Dade County some years ago and Surfside is now served by that jurisdiction’s Haulover Beach station.)
In 1962 Surfside built its community center at 93rd Street and Collins Avenue, that facility including recreation department offices, Olympic pool, kiddy pool, beach access, snack bar and auditorium. Several years ago, the town had the center torn down, it being, at that time, more than 40 years old, and had just embarked on the building of a magnificent new facility.
The business district—the two blocks of Harding Avenue between 94th and 96th Streets—contains a marvelous variety of shops, stores, dining spots and professional offices and many who shop at Bal Harbour also walk across the street to enjoy the additional spending opportunities in Surfside.
In March of this year, the town began the celebration of its 75th anniversary with a series of gala events culminated by a parade, historic exhibit, a series of craft and food booths and a grand bar-b-q on the beach behind the Bath Club. Suffice to say, Surfside has done itself proud and has held true to the ideals of the founders, which were to offer a wonderful resort/residence/business center as a great place to live, vacation or work. Surfside, today, is all of those things.
Category: HISTORY
