Harold Rosen (mayor)

Harold Rosen (December 30, 1925 – January 16, 2018) was an American lawyer and politician. Rosen first became acting

Rosen was born to Joseph and Roslyn Rosen on December 30, 1925, in Watertown, New York.^[4][5] He was raised in Watertown and nearby Carthage, New York.^[1][4] Rosen received his bachelor's degree from St. Lawrence University in New York.^[5] He enlisted in the United States Navy and served in both World War II and the Korean War.^[4]

Career

Rosen moved to

Rosen inherited a city facing a number of pressing issues during the 1970s, including urban decay, poverty, a large elderly population, and rent control.^[1] During his mayoral tenure, Rosen is credited with beginning the transformation from a declining city into the world-known destination that Miami Beach is known for today.^[1] According to Seth Bramson, a history professor at Barry University, "Harold Rosen started the renaissance...He brought a great sense of optimism to Miami Beach."^[1]

One of Rosen's most controversial - and applauded - proposals was to eliminate

Rosen once again proposed the idea to eliminate rent control once he became mayor. This time, Rosen managed to find the commissioner votes needed to abolish the rent regulation.[1] Miami Beach city commissioners narrowly voted to eliminate rent control in a 4-3 vote in 1976 in a victory for Rosen.^[1] However, the move proved highly controversial. Still, in 1977 the Florida Legislature also voted to eliminate rent controls in the state.^[1] A number of pro-rent control lawsuits followed, but these ordinances were largely struck down by a series of court rulings during the 1980s.^[1]

Rosen presided over an urban renewal project during the 1970s in an area south of Sixth Street which proved less successful. In 1973, the city government had passed a moratorium on so-called "unplanned development" in the neighborhood, which was home to some of Miami Beach's oldest buildings.^[1] This led to the property values of apartment buildings and hotels to stagnate or decline, which led to some of the structures falling into disrepair.^[1] The city, under Rosen, then sought to demolish more 372 structures in the neighborhood, which required Florida state approval that the neighborhood be declared blighted.^[1] The city commission ultimately declared the area blighted and in decay, despite opposition from then-State's Attorney for Dade County Janet Reno and Miami Beach residents.^[1] Years later, Rosen regretted the blight designation and demolitions, telling the Miami Herald, "It wasn't that blighted. That was just a word we had to use. Some parts of it were bad, but the majority was good. I think we just wanted to change the image. It was becoming a lot of small co-ops for the elderly and we didn’t want a retirement community for the elderly...Regrettably, there’s been a tremendous price."^[1]

In addition to his work as an attorney, Rosen was also a registered

By the mid-2010s, Rosen was serving as an attorney for the City of Miami Beach Visitors and Convention Authority.[5]

Harold Rosen died on January 16, 2018, at the age of 92. He was survived by his wife of forty-two years, Judie Rosen; sister, Fay Friedland; two children; ten grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.^[1][4] His funeral was held at Temple Emanu-El in Miami Beach on January 19, 2018.^[1]

References