Design Review Board approves new marine patrol facility at Maurice Kidd Park with tower refinements required

The Miami Beach Design Review Board on June 6 approved design review for a new three-story marine patrol facility at 1790 Purdy Avenue, located at the edge of Maurice Kidd Park, with a condition that the applicant work with staff on the proportionality and detailing of a prominent vertical stair/tower element.

Filed as DRB 23-09101790, the application replaces an existing two-story marine patrol building with a larger facility that will accommodate police marine patrol and fire personnel, provide public restrooms on the park side, and include public-facing ribbon windows toward the water. The board voted 4-0 to approve the updated design after the architect substantially revised the project in response to earlier board concerns.

Leigh Feinberg, presenting the redesign, said the team introduced horizontal banding, a stone veneer, ribbed concrete block at the base and “ribbon” windows on the water side to reduce perceived mass and better fit neighborhood character. Feinberg said the roof screening for mechanical equipment was enlarged to reduce views from nearby residences, and that the building incorporated municipal design cues intended to be “something that Miami Beach can be proud of.”

Board members complimented the revised palette and massing but repeatedly questioned the front stair/tower’s width and proportions. Chair Sarah Guller Nelson and several board members said the stair tower dominated some views and asked the applicant to explore reducing the perceived bulk, refining the scale of vertical fins and further studying placement and proportion. The board added a condition that the applicant “work with staff on the proportionality and the size of the vertical members to make the tower more cohesive and, where feasible, more delicate.”

Public commenters asked about public restroom availability, tower height and construction timing. Presenter Leigh Feinberg (and project team) said the project replaces existing park restrooms and will provide three single-user restrooms on the park side; the top of the main stair tower is about 48 feet, with a metal fin element reaching roughly 55 feet. The applicant said construction is expected to start around April 2025, pending permitting, and last about 12 to 15 months.

The board’s approval included standard conditions to coordinate final materials, landscaping and civil/structural details with staff. The motion to approve passed by voice vote, 4-0; board members recorded as present for the vote were Chair Sarah Guller Nelson, Jason Nagopian, Scott Diffenderfer and Sam Sheldon.