Life on DORN AVENUE
A RETROSPECTIVE & PERSPECTIVE
by the Publisher
Dorn (SW 59) Avenue is named after a South Miami founding family, the Dorn Brothers. Their historic architectural building on the corner of Sunset Drive and US1 is the crown jewel in our historic shopping and dining district.
Dorn Avenue has been the focal point of an earlier renaissance in the “town center” and is likened by many to a quaint European neighborhood street.
Capturing attention on Dorn Avenue for close to forty years is another hometown icon, Deli Lane Café. For years, the Dorn Avenue environs with al fresco dining were at the center of what was happening in the city.
THE PAST
59th Avenue and the surrounding South Miami business community thrived with the commercial development tied into Flagler railroad corridor. The catch phrase for more current development around transit is “Transit Oriented Development District.” This was epitomized from the foundation of the city in the early 20thcentury, when the founders moved from the Cocoplum area to Flagler’s railroad. Retail and apartments were built along Sunset Drive near US1 in the now historic Shelley building and others. Farm produce packing plants were built on the west side of the railroad. The 1920s saw tremendous boom times in South Florida. (For more about the early history and architecture of South Miami go to https://somimag.com/sunset-drive-historic-buildings-part-one/)
Pictured here is the devastation of the newly constructed South Miami Dorn Brothers bank building in the great Miami September 1926 Hurricane.
The city prospered in the coming decades. The Fuchs Baking Company (later “Holsum Bakery”) moved from Honestead to South Miami in 1934 and for some fifty years was the landmark business, and coupled with the post WWII boom, there was significant economic growth and development in the city.
Overtime South Miamians were lulled to sleep with the scent of baking bread. The status quo was the order of the day. And then, the Holsum Bakery moved to a new plant in Medley in 1983. Gone were the family traditions of holiday decorations. The move marked the end of an era for the bakery, which was then demolished to make way for the “Bakery Centre” office and commercial development
THE PRESENT
In 1983 Metrorail was brought online. Once again, South Miami was on the rail. The Metrorail helped to spawn dreams, charrettes, and the multi-million-dollar Bakery Centre that later spectacularly failed. To address the need for revitalizing the “main street” area along Sunset Drive and the city’s future planning direction, a community charrette was convened in November 1992 organized by the city and the not-for-profit South Miami Hometown, Inc., together with urban planners Dover, Kohl & Partners. Resulting from the charrette was an overlay ordinance designed to govern future development within the study area was adopted by the city commission the following year.
To show the potential for a better South Miami, emphasis was placed on a demonstration project. Neighbors, homebuyers, businesses, investors, and bankers needed to be assured. The idea was to choose an area (however small) then totally transform it to create as dramatic and visible an impact as possible. Instead of spending precious funding across large areas, public funds were initially concentrated on this area.
The Hometown Plan Area 1 was completed by Dover, Kohl & Partners in January 1993. It envisioned a future for South Miami’s shopping and dining district that strove to keep traditional small town design values with people-friendly, pedestrian-oriented public spaces. The study area indeed created a hometown and not an ultra-urban downtown. The Mayor’s Marketing Task Force (Mayor Neil Carver 1984-96) adopted that identification of the area, not as “downtown” but rather “town center.” Narrow sidewalks and wide streets were modified to encourage slower traffic, and wider landscaped sidewalks were created to attract people to the area, encouraging al fresco dining.
MOVING FROM GREY TO GREEN
The work product was a “postcard” outdoor environment of exceptional character, exuding safety and optimism, and standing out in contrast to blight.
The initial “100% Model” project, the renovation of Southwest 59th Avenue, later designated “Dorn Avenue” brought new life to one end of the town center and precipitated numerous improvements and infill development throughout the area.
The most recent transformative project is the AvalonBay Communities redevelopment of the Winn Dixie site and on 73 Street. One of their senior development vice presidents had lunch on Dorn Avenue and immediately knew this was the kind of hometown community vibe to invest millions of dollars. Avalon became partners with Helios Capital to build the residential apartment building. And going forward, AvalonBay Communities will be developing the Dorn Avenue properties and streetscape for an exciting new look.
The community responded to the call to action to reclaim our main street and to embrace the total upgrading to 59th Avenue. The merchants association donated imported lamps from Italy to line the street. Resident Susan Perry Redding organized a commemorative brick sale for the sidewalks, which was a grand success as noted by the number of engraved bricks. A commemorative plaque is placed on the sidewalk acknowledging her work. The mayor’s marketing task force and the merchant association both adopted the decorative lamp in their respective logos which reflects the ambitions of the Hometown Plan.
Over the course of the years many restaurants have made their mark on the street, on the corner of Sunset and Dorn Avenue, starting with Trattoria Sole, then Il Vaporetto, La Taberna de Ignacio, SIM Sushi & Tapas and now Flight West. Moving down the street had been Pizzeria Blu, a gelateria as well, Mixt, and recently Mosaico and Sano Food. Today, Chef Marco’s Mano Libera and Chef Martin’s Kinsu Nikki are serving customers on Dorn Avenue.
Over the years, only one eatery has witnessed the transition of Dorn Avenue: Deli Lane Café. Chef Mike Mailer and partner Jahn Kirchoff have held court on Dorn for nearly four decades.
Jahn and Mike had worked in the hospitality business here in South Miami at The Depot restaurant close by on US1 (now Akashi). Jahn recalls after work in 1981 heading over for a cold one and a game of darts at Your Father’s Moustache. “It was the best of what a dive bar should be!” A year later, Jahn played at Gold Coast Billiards next door. Six years later the two of them opened Deli Lane Café in that location, which also happened to be the site of the former South Miami United States Post Office. At that time, there was no outdoor seating, no trees, just cars lining a barren wide street.
In 1995, the Hometown Plan vision kicked in with expanded sidewalks for outdoor seating, Chicago brick pavers, trees, first-class imported street lighting, all part of the demonstration project for a 100% street rehab.
And now, Deli Lane Café will move. Jahn reflects that over the last 38 years, they’ve had “10,000 employees, served 10 million meals and endless smiles and families.” With South Miami development going vertical and more residential units being built, the Dorn Avenue properties were acquired by AvalonBay Communities for what is dubbed Avalon South Miami II. Deli Lane Café and Sunset Tavern will be bulldozed along with Einstein’s, the Gentlemen’s Club and the Amster Building (2000). The historic buildings will remain and repurposed. Jahn notes that with the enormous help from the Amster family trust, Deli Lane Café will be serving customers in the historic buildings of 1926. Jahn muses that they are going from “one vault to another” – Jahn’s current office is in the vault of the old Post Office with the “Diebold” name still over the entry, to the Dorn Brothers bank building’s vault up the street. (Interestingly, the bank vault was never used, as the new building was badly damaged in the 1926 hurricane and the bank never opened afterwards.)
THE FUTURE
Dorn Avenue’s future combines adaptive re-use of existing and historic structures with new buildings and improved public spaces.
On February 17, 2026, the city commission approved a development agreement with AvalonBay Communities, Inc. (Developer) and Robins Plaza, LLC (Owner) for a large scale development mixed-use project known as “Avalon South Miami II) on the 1.34 development site.
As it relates to our postcard perfect Dorn Avenue and what changes there are to be on the street, the commission heard from Victor Dover whose firm designed the earlier 100% rehab of 59 Avenue. He recapped some of the relevant history of the original plan, noting the rebuilding plan for Dorn Avenue was the firm’s very first street design, as it was also the first time in 70 years the City had undertaken any similar infrastructure project.
The outcome of the Hometown Plan demonstration project is that business grew; 59 Avenue went from being a forgotten alley to being the social center of the neighborhood. Victor noted however that for Dorn Avenue “its age is showing; the Chicago bricks have been crumbling since the start, and thirty years later Dorn Avenue looks worn, its trees are vulnerable, and the whole thing is in need of a timely refresh”
Victor’s firm has been asked to help redefine the street, and working withAvalon Bay’s landscape architect Andres Arcila a new design calls for a complete reconstruction at the developers’ expense, bringing it up to modern standards, allowing for more natural adapting to special occasions, reducing trip hazards, better calming the traffic, and most importantly, allowing the trees to really thrive.
The width of the street will be a little wider than what is there today due to updated requirements from Miami-Dade Fire Rescue (15 feet). However, the street will now be flush the sidewalk (at the same grade), so it will be easier to cross and will maintain the same slow speed design that is currently there. The direction of travel will remain the same.
The trees are planned to be replaced. Modern tree planting details will allow the new trees to grow larger and healthier than the ones that are there today. High quality pavers will be used on the sidewalk and in the street.
The Hometown Plan called for a significant downtownresidential population, to make the area around our transit station a true 24-hour city. With the AvalonBay Communities investment in South Miami, that is finally happening. With a more robust residential population in our hometown center, our main street businesses on Sunset, Dorn and 73rd Street will benefit mightily. Victor concluded his remarks with saying: “this project furthers that aim—and we get a newer, better Dorn Avenue in the process.”
And the iconic Deli Lane Café claims its space in the iconic Dorn Bank Building.
In talking about the changes and the future for Deli Lane Café, Jahn noted “what happens when the past welcomes the future? Evolution meets preservation and amazing things are bound to happen.”