The future use and upkeep of South Miami’s historic Sylva Martin Building appeared on the Historic Preservation Board’s Oct. 26 agenda as the city considers redevelopment of its municipal campus.

The agenda listed a resolution advising the City Commission on the building’s use, administration and maintenance at 6130 Sunset Drive. It listed no Certificate of Appropriateness applications.

The city’s meeting archive includes an Oct. 26 recording, but no minutes or action summary were posted with that meeting when reviewed. A vote or specific board recommendation has not been independently verified for this article.

Redevelopment context

The building is part of the city-owned campus associated with the Link at SoMi redevelopment proposal by 13th Floor Investments.

The developer’s 2024 proposal filed with the city called for preserving the Sylva Martin Building in its existing location and adapting it as a gathering space serving food and beverages. The broader proposal included 670 apartments, retail space and new civic facilities.

Those details describe the 2024 proposal, not a construction schedule or a newly approved plan. The Oct. 26 preservation agenda does not establish a redevelopment approval or construction start.

A community landmark

The limestone building opened as a community center in 1936 with federal New Deal assistance, according to SOMI Magazine’s 2014 historical account. Over the years, it served as a meeting hall, hurricane shelter, polling place and public library.

The account describes two “Children at Play” bas-relief panels by Joan van Breeman above the central doorway. It says the building received local historic designation on March 17, 1989.

The building was named in 1979 for Sylva G. Martin, who became South Miami’s first woman city clerk in 1936 and served for more than 20 years.

Following the review

The city’s current meeting archive lists the next Historic Preservation Board meeting for Nov. 23 at 6 p.m. The Oct. 26 agenda had listed Nov. 30, so residents should consult the updated archive and meeting notice before attending.

Agendas, recordings and available minutes can be accessed through the city’s meeting records page.