Board Shrinks Historic Designation for Brickell Church

Miami's preservation board voted 6-1 to narrow the landmark boundary around First Presbyterian Church ahead of a planned 75-story tower next door.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Commercial

Board Shrinks Historic Designation for Brickell Church

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Should cities let developers shrink historic landmark boundaries to make way for towers?

Miami's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board voted 6-1 to shrink the historic designation of First Presbyterian Church at 609 Brickell Ave., reclassifying its school annex and parking lot as non-contributing. The board also granted intervenor status to the IconBrickell Condominium No. Two Association before taking up the amendment.

Why it matters

The change clears a narrower historic footprint around the church, where the adjacent land is slated for 619 Brickell, a 75-story tower planned by 13th Floor Investments and Key International. For Miami residents, the decision shapes how much of the Brickell corridor's historic fabric is protected as high-rise development advances.

The Board approved the amendment 6-1, with Emilio Bustillo casting the lone no vote. The proposed boundary would encompass only the church building and the Flagler Memorial Chapel, and the church is not listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The players

First Presbyterian Church

A Miami congregation at 609 Brickell Ave. whose request prompted the boundary change, and which has historic ties to the Brickell corridor.

Emilio Bustillo

A member of Miami's Historic and Environmental Preservation Board who cast the lone vote against the designation amendment.

13th Floor Investments

A developer behind the planned 75-story 619 Brickell tower adjacent to the church site.

Key International

A developer partnering with 13th Floor Investments on the proposed 619 Brickell tower.

The details

The church asked the Board to redraw the designated boundary around the church building, arguing the annex was not part of the original landmark. The condo association contended the annex belonged to a unified design and that the property is a single platted lot.

2003: Original historic designation boundary established for the church.
1988: Church appeared in a survey behind the Downtown Miami Multiple Resource Area nomination.
Nov. 4, 2026: Board voted 6-1 to shrink the historic designation.

Market Landscape

The decision reflects a pattern in which Miami's preservation boards narrow historic footprints to make room for high-rise development on Brickell Avenue. It places the church's remaining protected land in direct competition with the density economics driving the corridor's tower construction.

Residents and commercial tenants near Brickell Avenue should expect the historic protections around the church to be narrower, which can shift what construction nearby may look like. Future plan changes will go through the Chapter 23 review process, giving the public a defined point to weigh in.

The takeaway

Historic designations are often drawn around a specific building and its immediate site, so boundary decisions can determine how much surrounding land remains open to redevelopment. Watching how review proceedings handle future plan changes offers a clear view of how a neighborhood's character is being decided.