Phase 1 - Survey of 1941-1981

In 1980, Miami Dade County conducted a survey of buildings built prior to 1940. The County has not undertaken a comprehensive historic resource survey since the completion of the 1980 survey. Today, there are approximately 200,000 buildings built after 1940 that had not been evaluated for potential recognition.

This resulted in the launch of Heritage at Risk as a first phase in identifying historically relevant places and structures built from 1941 to 1981. This progressive historic resource survey, funded by the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners, encompassed a more comprehensive approach, emphasizing the cultural and historical significance of our communities, in addition to assessing the architectural significance of local structures. Heritage at Risk applied planning and preservation principles to prioritize identifying resources under two broad categories:

• Resources at least 40 years old that are at most risk due to their location in areas susceptible to development and gentrification, climate change risks, and the shortage of affordable housing
• Resources at least 40 years old that are most at risk due to their association with the specific cultural heritage of a given community, and its exclusion from previous preservation efforts

The Heritage at Risk survey helped to establish a roadmap for the future of historic preservation in Miami-Dade – a future built on equity and inclusion of all our historic communities. Several additional phases have launched directly from the recommendations of Phase 1: Heritage at Risk.