1920s to 1940s houses on the water
The city describes Spring Garden's houses as frame and masonry vernacular, with Craftsman, Mission and Streamline Moderne examples, built from the 1920s through the 1940s. It was marketed as "the most exclusive subdivision in Miami," and the city credits deed restrictions with helping keep its character.
One of its designated buildings is the 1920 house at 870 NW 11th Street designed by August Geiger. Just north, Halissee Hall, built of rough-cut oolitic limestone, stands on what the city calls "the highest point in the city."
Houses this age often hide original drains, supply lines and wiring. Plan on finding some of it when the old kitchen or bath comes out.
If you own a unit or a rental near the hospitals. The rest of the Health District is mostly Jackson Memorial, the University of Miami medical campus and related buildings. In ZIP 33136, which also takes in Overtown, 41% of homes are in buildings of 50 or more units and just 11% are owner-occupied. If your condo is three or more habitable stories, it falls under the state's milestone inspection law, and Miami-Dade's recertification applies at 25 or 30 years depending on location and age. Your association's rules decide what you can change inside the unit. The Arts & Entertainment District page goes deeper on remodeling a condo.
Two approvals for outside work
Permits come from the City of Miami Building Department through iBuild. For a house in the district, exterior work also needs a Certificate of Appropriateness.
- Standard COA: reviewed by city staff, for repairs and minor changes.
- Special COA: heard by the Historic and Environmental Preservation Board, for additions, demolition and bigger alterations.
The city publishes a designation report and design guidelines for Spring Garden. Read them before you choose windows, doors or exterior materials. The city's older preservation FAQ says interior alterations to most properties don't need approval, but its current permit page says "any work," so call the Preservation Office to confirm before you start.
AE along the river and canal
Spring Garden's riverside location shows up on the flood map. FEMA's map puts parts of the district in zone AE, with a base flood elevation of 9 feet at the NW 11th Street and NW 9th Avenue sample, and NW North River Drive at NW 12th Avenue sampled AE too. Up by Jackson Memorial and NW 20th Street, the points came back as zone X. Type your street address into FEMA's map to see where your lot falls.
For a house in AE, a remodel costing half or more of the building's market value, with the land left out, means the house has to be brought up to current flood code. On a 1920s house with a big project planned, that question comes before the design does.
What's unique to Spring Garden
- Water on two sides. The subdivision was sold with Seybold Canal and Miami River frontage, which is part of why parts of it map as AE.
- Deed restrictions and design guidelines. Its character was protected by private restrictions long before the 1997 designation, and the city now has written guidelines for exterior work.
- Landmarks next door. The Alamo, from 1916 to 1918, is described by the city as Miami's oldest surviving hospital building, and Halissee Hall sits on the city's high point. Neither is a home, but both shape the setting.
- A house pocket in a rental area. Owner-occupancy is 11% across 33136, and Spring Garden is the main pocket of single-family houses near the medical campus.
North of the expressway, Allapattah is mostly postwar houses with no historic district.
Work in an old house or a nearby unit
- Kitchen remodeling: a new kitchen inside a 1920s or 1930s house, with exterior changes kept to what the COA allows.
- Bathroom remodeling: replacing an old bath in a frame or masonry house.
- Home remodeling: larger projects, including additions that go before the preservation board.
- Countertops: tops that suit a Mission or Streamline Moderne kitchen.
- Kitchen cabinets: cabinets for a period house or a condo near the campus.
- Flooring: wood or tile for an old house, or a condo floor after the board approves it.
Questions people ask
Do I need historic approval to redo my kitchen in Spring Garden?
Interior work on most designated properties hasn't needed approval under the city's older guidance, but the current permit page is broader. Call the Preservation Office with your plan before you start. Anything on the outside of the house needs a COA.
Why can't my kitchen permit go through Walk-Thru Express?
The city excludes homes in historic districts from Walk-Thru Express. Spring Garden is a historic district, so your kitchen or bath permit goes through regular review.
Does being by the Seybold Canal put my house in a flood zone?
Parts of Spring Garden map as AE because of the river and the Seybold Canal. Look up your address on FEMA's map before planning a large job.
I own a condo near Jackson. What should I check before remodeling?
Start with your association's alteration rules. Then find out when your building's milestone inspection or county recertification is due, since that can bring an assessment.
Plan the outside around the COA and the inside around your budget
Call (786) 627-5048 and we'll connect you with a remodeler who works in Miami. Press 1, then choose kitchen or bathroom and enter your ZIP code. Have your district guidelines handy when the remodeler visits.