Town of Surfside
County
Miami-Dade
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Boundaries
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Community Type
Municipality
History
Surfside began in the 1924 when French immigrant turned Cincinatti theater chain owner, Henri Levy, purchased the southern third of the area and called it Normandy Beach. Levy established the current city layout. The Surf Club opened in 1930. In 1935, the City of Miami Beach wanted to annex the area between 87th Terrace and 96th Street. Thirty-five members of the exclusive club decided to avoid annexation by signing a petition to incorporate. The Town of Surfside was incorporated on May 18th, 1935.
During World War II, Surfside, like many of its coastal neighbors, played host to thousands of American soldiers. After the war, many of these soldiers returned to Surfside to usher in an era of fast growth. By 1957, the Town of Surfside had outgrown its town hall and service capacities. Surfside has continued to see development to this day, with many condominiums and apartments built along Collins Avenue and the beach.
Community Dynamics
Surfside is one of several beachfront municipalities in Miami-Dade County that attract a wide variety of people, from vacationers and temporary residents to retirees and young families. The current population, based on the 2015 American Community Survey 5-year estimate, is 5,987. By 2020, the Town is expected to be built-out, with virtually no vacant residential lands or change in density or intensity, and with the population expected to stay flat. Surfside’s median household income is $78,443. The median property value is $529,300. Surfside has a high percentage of non-Hispanic Whites, at 61.4%. Hispanics comprise the second largest group, at 36% of the population. The most common non-English languages are Spanish and Hebrew.
Business Landscape
Surfside has been able to manage growth well by maintaining height limits of twelve stories for buildings. Low-density residential use comprises 47.9% of Surfside’s current land use. The plan for future land use designates 7.15% of the land (26.27 acres) for high-density residential use by tourists. Surfside’s beachfront properties are mostly high-density residential. East of Collins Avenue there are mostly low-rise apartments or single-family homes. There is a retail strip between 96th and 94th Streets along A1A.
Transportation Characteristics
The major north-south traversing roadways for the Town are Collins Avenue and Harding Avenue, both State arterial roadways. The major east-west traversing roadway is 96th Street.
Six Miami-Dade Transit bus routes pass through the Town, nearly all the routes running along Collins Avenue, except Route R, which runs along Dickens Avenue. The Town has its own bus system, which complements the Miami-Dade County Transit system. The Town’s minibuses circulate between the business district and residential areas.
The Town has two transportation improvement projects, either in progress or completed, for its two largest arteries, Harding and Collins Avenues.
