Board approves modifications to Bancroft building project; requires lower, staff‑approved hedge and conditions on lobby feature

The Historic Preservation Board approved multiple interior and exterior modifications to the previously approved Bancroft rehabilitation at 1501 Collins Avenue on June 14, while tightening conditions for a proposed hedged barrier and interior café/bar elements.

What passed: Staff had recommended approval of a set of design changes to the approved Bancroft project including: limited colored limestone on the 1990s octagonal addition to reduce scale, a canopy at the southwest porch (to be refined in coordination with staff), modest rooftop parapet increases in a few places with a cable rail to meet 42‑inch guard requirements, and interior lobby changes for a proposed café/restaurant.

Terrazzo medallion, lobby bar: Staff requested that the building’s original compass‑rose terrazzo medallion remain visually unobstructed. The applicant proposed a removable, raised bar element to relocate the café’s functional bar to a more operational position while avoiding cutting into the terrazzo. The board approved the COA with a condition that the lobby medallion remain visible; members also authorized staff to work with the applicant on a design for a movable, elevated bar and plumbing run through the ceiling (not through the terrazzo) so the medallion is not permanently covered. A requirement that the applicant place a historic plaque inside and outside the relocated contributing building was added to the conditions.

Hedge height: Board members and staff had debated whether a tall privacy hedge (originally requested at 8–10 feet) was appropriate in the district. The board initially passed a 7‑foot maximum hedge condition, but staff subsequently advised the chair that the approval threshold for this modification required five affirmative votes. The board reconsidered and adopted a limit of 5 feet maximum height for the hedge along the street frontages; staff will approve the specific species and require a species that will not mature above the limit without maintenance.

Other conditions: The approval included staff‑recommended items such as a tree/arboreal report by a certified arborist, restoration of contributing windows and removal of through‑wall AC units in contributing structures, and waterproofing and building‑code compliance for the relocated one‑story accessory building intended for outdoor dining.

Votes: The board approved the COA and the conditions in a recorded vote; the final hedge restriction and other conditions were adopted after reconsideration and clarification; the motion to approve with the final conditions passed with six affirmative votes on the hedge amendment and the COA motion passed unanimously.

Why it matters: The Bancroft is a contributing streamline moderne building at the Collins/15th edge; the approved modifications aim to reinvigorate a vacant property while preserving key historic interior and exterior features and adding a neighborhood‑oriented café and rooftop uses.

Key participants: Rory Greenberg (owner/representative), Tracy Slavens (applicant representative), Ari Sklar (architect on the synagogue item earlier; for Bancroft the team included local architects), Debbie Tackett (staff), Daniel Serraldo (Miami Design Preservation League). Public comment included support from neighbors and neighborhood associations. The board asked the applicant to return to staff for final details and to include waterproofing, plaques and final landscape plans prior to permits.

Ending: With the conditions adopted, the project advances to permit review; staff will work with the applicant on the lobby bar design, final landscape palette and species selection for the hedge and verify required historic preservation treatments prior to final certificate issuance.