Yesterday, Congresswoman Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27), in conjunction with Reps. Carlos Gimenez (FL-26), Mario Diaz-Balart (FL-25), and Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon (PR), introduced H.R. 7833, the Stiltsville Restoration Act to authorize repairs to a damaged Stiltsville structure in Biscayne Bay National Park. Specifically, the bill requires the Secretary of the Interior to allow repairs on the house damaged by a fire in 2021.
"As a Miami native, I want to preserve our city's rich history and Stiltsville is not only a unique tourist attraction, but a testament to the growth of our community over the last 90 years," said Congresswoman Salazar. "It is crucial to protect our landmarks so we never forget our city's unique beginnings and culture. This has the support of the local community and I refuse to let Washington bureaucrats destroy Miami's history."
If the Department of Interior attempts to tear down the damaged structure without authorization from the local community, this would directly go against the wishes of Miami residents and the Stiltsville Trust, which was authorized by Congress to protect the one-of-a-kind landmark.
Background:
Stiltsville's unique history dates back to the 1930s when "Crawfish" Eddie Walker built a house on stilts in Biscayne Bay. Its history as an outlaw's paradise during the prohibition era led to its protection as a historical landmark in 2003 when the Stiltsville Trust was established. Today, Stiltsville's six remaining houses remain a major tourist destination and a very important landmark to the history of Miami.
In January 2021, a fire damaged one of the remaining six houses. The Stiltsville Trust, in cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI), would like to repair the structure. However, DOI bureaucrats in Washington have refused to enter arbitration for consideration of repairs. Stiltsville's designation within a U.S. National Park requires Congress to get involved to break the gridlock.
If repairs are authorized, they would be executed through private funds via the Stiltsville Trust, at no cost to American taxpayers.
Original source can be found here.
