The Flickr Olympiacenterapartmenthomes Image Generatr

The 88,180-square-foot city-owned property at 174 E Flagler St. has 79 apartments, four retail stores and the theater with 10 former apartments serving as dressing rooms.

Tucked into Miami’s contemporary skyline is an enchanting Mediterranean courtyard with shimmering stars and golden balconies. Majestic turrets and towers suggest another era when performances were events, and grand theaters provided a dreamlike escape from the modern world.

The Olympia Theater is not just a “venue” – it is the jewel of South Florida arts and entertainment facilities, affording South Florida’s diverse community and its international guests a unique cultural experience that defies comparison.

The Olympia Theater opened in 1926 as a silent movie palace and amazed the public with its stunning Moorish architecture, perfect acoustics and simulated night sky, complete with wafting clouds and twinkling stars. It also achieved fame as the first air-conditioned building in the South.

The “talkies” and Vaudeville soon arrived at the Olympia, and for more than 40 years the theater was the number one entertainment center in Miami. It was one of the last theaters in the country to showcase Vaudeville acts.

Throughout its history, the Olympia has been host to the world’s most exciting performers in the arts and entertainment community. Cultural icons such as Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Luciano Pavarotti and Etta James have provided memorable evenings under the Olympia Theater's stars. The theater has also hosted today’s best-known pop stars and is a favored venue for concerts.

In 1975, South Florida business tycoon and philanthropist Maurice Gusman saved the aging theater and adjacent Olympia Office Building from demolition then donated them to the City of Miami in 1975. Thanks to extensive restorations in the 1970s, overseen in part by famed architect Morris Lapidus, the theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Time continued to take its toll on the Olympia, however, and by the late 1980s virtually every structural system of the theater was in need of repair and replacement. The roof had several leaks that had damaged the theater’s historic paint and plaster as well as the seating and carpeting in the auditorium. The HVAC system had to be entirely replaced. Electrical, sound systems, and plumbing all required upgrades.

Noted restoration architect Richard J. Heisenbottle, AIA, was retained to develop an ambitious, multi-year plan for additional stabilization and restoration work. In order to minimize loss of income for the theater, construction was planned to occur during only the summer months, when bookings were normally at a minimum. Critical components were broken down into construction segments that could be completed in three months. During the rest of each year, the architectural and engineering team completed plans and theater management secured funds for the next round of work.

The theater owes its distinctive character to architect John Eberson, the master of “atmospheric” theater design, and it is one of the few Eberson theaters around the world still standing. Restoration of Eberson’s original design scheme, including original colors and finishes, was another top priority of the construction plan. Following detailed analysis, decorative painters restored the original, vibrant paint scheme to the decorative plasterwork throughout the theater. Seventies-vintage plastic seating was replaced with wood-and-brass seats boasting historically appropriate detailing. Even the new carpeting was custom loomed to match the 1926 original.

In 1975, Maurice Gusman donated the theater and adjacent Olympia Office Building to the city.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.olympiaarts.miami/olympia-theater.html
www.miamitodaynews.com/2021/01/12/historic-olympia-gusman...
www.miamidade.gov/Apps/PA/propertysearch/#/
www.miamitodaynews.com/2022/07/26/miami-may-ask-proposals...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

Miami is a seaport city at the southeastern corner of the U.S. state of Florida and its Atlantic coast. As the seat of Miami-Dade County, the municipality is the principal, central, and the most populous city of the Miami metropolitan area and part of the second-most populous metropolis in the southeastern United States.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Miami's metro area is the eighth-most populous and fourth-largest urban area in the U.S., with a population of around 5.5 million.

Miami is a major center, and a leader in finance, commerce, culture, media, entertainment, the arts, and international trade. In 2012, Miami was classified as an Alpha−World City in the World Cities Study Group's inventory. In 2010, Miami ranked seventh in the United States in terms of finance, commerce, culture, entertainment, fashion, education, and other sectors. It ranked 33rd among global cities. In 2008, Forbes magazine ranked Miami "America's Cleanest City", for its year-round good air quality, vast green spaces, clean drinking water, clean streets, and citywide recycling programs.

According to a 2009 UBS study of 73 world cities, Miami was ranked as the richest city in the United States, and the world's fifth-richest city in terms of purchasing power. Miami is nicknamed the "Capital of Latin America" and is the largest city with a Cuban American plurality.

Miami has the third tallest skyline in the U.S. with over 300 high-rises. Downtown Miami is home to the largest concentration of international banks in the United States, and many large national and international companies. The Civic Center is a major center for hospitals, research institutes, medical centers, and biotechnology industries.

For more than two decades, the Port of Miami, known as the "Cruise Capital of the World", has been the number one cruise passenger port in the world. It accommodates some of the world's largest cruise ships and operations and is the busiest port in both passenger traffic and cruise lines.

Metropolitan Miami is the major tourism hub in the American South, number two in the U.S. after New York City and number 13 in the world, including the popular destination of Miami Beach.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.

The 88,180-square-foot city-owned property at 174 E Flagler St. has 79 apartments, four retail stores and the theater with 10 former apartments serving as dressing rooms.

Tucked into Miami’s contemporary skyline is an enchanting Mediterranean courtyard with shimmering stars and golden balconies. Majestic turrets and towers suggest another era when performances were events, and grand theaters provided a dreamlike escape from the modern world.

The Olympia Theater is not just a “venue” – it is the jewel of South Florida arts and entertainment facilities, affording South Florida’s diverse community and its international guests a unique cultural experience that defies comparison.

The Olympia Theater opened in 1926 as a silent movie palace and amazed the public with its stunning Moorish architecture, perfect acoustics and simulated night sky, complete with wafting clouds and twinkling stars. It also achieved fame as the first air-conditioned building in the South.

The “talkies” and Vaudeville soon arrived at the Olympia, and for more than 40 years the theater was the number one entertainment center in Miami. It was one of the last theaters in the country to showcase Vaudeville acts.

Throughout its history, the Olympia has been host to the world’s most exciting performers in the arts and entertainment community. Cultural icons such as Elvis Presley, B.B. King, Luciano Pavarotti and Etta James have provided memorable evenings under the Olympia Theater's stars. The theater has also hosted today’s best-known pop stars and is a favored venue for concerts.

In 1975, South Florida business tycoon and philanthropist Maurice Gusman saved the aging theater and adjacent Olympia Office Building from demolition then donated them to the City of Miami in 1975. Thanks to extensive restorations in the 1970s, overseen in part by famed architect Morris Lapidus, the theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.

Time continued to take its toll on the Olympia, however, and by the late 1980s virtually every structural system of the theater was in need of repair and replacement. The roof had several leaks that had damaged the theater’s historic paint and plaster as well as the seating and carpeting in the auditorium. The HVAC system had to be entirely replaced. Electrical, sound systems, and plumbing all required upgrades.

Noted restoration architect Richard J. Heisenbottle, AIA, was retained to develop an ambitious, multi-year plan for additional stabilization and restoration work. In order to minimize loss of income for the theater, construction was planned to occur during only the summer months, when bookings were normally at a minimum. Critical components were broken down into construction segments that could be completed in three months. During the rest of each year, the architectural and engineering team completed plans and theater management secured funds for the next round of work.

The theater owes its distinctive character to architect John Eberson, the master of “atmospheric” theater design, and it is one of the few Eberson theaters around the world still standing. Restoration of Eberson’s original design scheme, including original colors and finishes, was another top priority of the construction plan. Following detailed analysis, decorative painters restored the original, vibrant paint scheme to the decorative plasterwork throughout the theater. Seventies-vintage plastic seating was replaced with wood-and-brass seats boasting historically appropriate detailing. Even the new carpeting was custom loomed to match the 1926 original.

In 1975, Maurice Gusman donated the theater and adjacent Olympia Office Building to the city.

Credit for the data above is given to the following websites:
www.olympiaarts.miami/olympia-theater.html
www.miamitodaynews.com/2021/01/12/historic-olympia-gusman...
www.miamidade.gov/Apps/PA/propertysearch/#/
www.miamitodaynews.com/2022/07/26/miami-may-ask-proposals...

© All Rights Reserved - you may not use this image in any form without my prior permission.