Tuesday, December 15, 2015

Save the Historic Tower Theater Marquee


Miami-Dade College has removed the historic marquee
and intends to replace it with a flashy, modern LED one 


Little Havana is visited by millions because of its authenticity, culture and touchstones to the past.

The Tower Theater marquee is the biggest icon on Calle Ocho.

It must be restored and returned.

Bill Fuller restored the nearby Ball & Chain restaurant-bar-music venue and has the best interests of Little Havana in mind.

He created a petition to save the Tower marquee.

Here's what he wrote:

The Historic Tower Theater has been a beacon of Little Havana for over 80 years. The Marquee, built originally with the structure in the 1920's, is iconic

It was the first marquee to show Spanish Title films in the United States. Photographs of the structure and its marquee have been published thousands of times throughout the decades. It remains one of the most visited landmarks by over 4 million visitors each year.

The City of Miami owns the Theater, but has a lease agreement with Miami-Dade College. Miami-Dade College recently presented the HEP board with plans to remove the original marquee and replace it with an "LED" sign.  The college cited "maintenance costs" and "more visibility from traffic" as the reason for the change.  Notice of the HEP board meeting was never sent to merchants or residents.  As of today the original marquee has been removed.

We ask that Miami-Dade College restore the original marquee and focus their advertising efforts through online channels, and not through electronic blight. Please be sensitive to our community.

Please sign this petition if you support the restoration of the original Tower Theater marquee.

https://www.change.org/p/miami-dade-college-save-the-historic-tower-theater-marquee?recruiter=251411401&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=share_email_responsive

No comments:

Post a Comment