However, during
the War Years the transient population changed radically.
When promoters resumed their campaigns at the War's end to
sell the "lure of the Beach" they broadened their
scope to include middle America.
Middle America responded in ever increasing numbers. The Beach
answered by building more and more hotels. In less than two
decades, Miami Beach was transformed from a place with a low
skyline to a city with high-rises and a vanishing shoreline.
In 1952 Ben Novak bought the one-block Firestone estate and
commissioned the controversial architect, Morris
Lapidus, to build the Fontainebleau Hotel.
The building and tourist boom continued causing the elimination
of "Millionaires Row" which was replaced by the
current image of Miami Beaches "Hotel Row."
By 1950, the population had increased to 46,300 nearly doubling
from 1940. In 1960 the population was 63,200 and in 1970,
87,000.
| Miami
Beach history guide |
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