TBT

TBT - Demolition Photos & Video Of Miami's Tobacco Road

Demolition Of The Oldest Bar In Miami - Tobacco Road

Demolition Of The Oldest Bar In Miami - Tobacco Road

TBT (November 19, 2014) - 4 years ago this month Tobacco Road was demolished after 102 years of history. We previously showed a photo tour of the building before it was torn down and a photo tour of the building as it was being stripped inside. After the lot sat empty for years, a pizza place recently opened on the site and the land will eventually be part of the the Brickell City Centre expansion with a 54 story condo.

Over the past 10 plus days, demolition has taken place on the 102 year old Tobacco Road. The demolition crew was Thunder Demolition with Group 3 Contractors. 

The bar held the first liquor license in Miami and now debris from the building is all that remains on the site. 

During the demolition, the team from Thunder Demolition was able to save the original Dade-County Pine from the building. Employees from Tobacco Road plan on using the original wood to make coasters, cutting boards and tables to preserve the history of the original location. General Manager Joel Rivera and employees still need to raise $50,000 and are doing this until December 2 through Kickstarter. They need any donations possible to help move into a new location across the lot.

Photos of bar during operation can be seen here. A video of the bar during operation can be seen here. Photos of the bar right before demolition and all the items removed can be seen here.

Demolition Video

TBT - One Final Look - A Photo Tour Of Tobacco Road

The Famous Neon Tobacco Road Sign

The Famous Neon Tobacco Road Sign

Our first TBT piece was originally posted October 27, 2014, two days after the final call of the oldest bar in Miami - Tobacco Road. Since the closing and demolition of Tobacco Road, it has been announced that the Tobacco Road lot will be part of the Brickell City Centre expansion, which will include a 54 story condo at 570 feet and another 62 story condo across the street at 654 feet.

On the morning of October 26, Tobacco Road had its final last call and turned off the famous neon sign for the final time in its 102 year old location. 

The building has been around since 1912 and has been a bakery, burlesque club, gay club, gambling den and of course a place for live music. Tobacco Road was the only place in Miami where lawyers, politicians and doctors could drink next to bikers, vagrants and drug dealers. 

Tobacco Road was hurting for business the last few years with the construction of Brickell City Centre surrounding the bar and after having the property bought for $12.5 million in 2012 by developer Carlos Mattos. 

The new owner is trying to raise money through Kickstarter to move across the lot to a new location and save the historical items in the bar.

Click here for a video of Tobacco Road and here for a more comprehensive story of the bar.

Tobacco Road Photos

This Was Brickell In 2014 In Timelapse

Much has changed in Brickell in only three years. Brickell City Centre was still under construction and months aways from the East Hotel topping out. Nine Mary Brickell Village was also still under construction. Brickell Heights had just started ground breaking on its two towers and is now close to opening. SLS Lux Brickell had not started construction and was still being used as a parking lot. Solitair Brickell was also months away from demolishing the parking ramp and starting construction on SW 8th St.  

The Transformation Of Brickell Since 2013

The Brickell district of Miami has changed significantly since the 1980s when it was comprised mostly of financial buildings and low rise apartment buildings.

In the early 2000s, condos started popping up in the area and along Brickell Avenue. The recession hit in 2008 and building came to a halt in Miami. It wasn't until 2012 when Brickell City Centre started construction that the market picked up and more condos were added to the growing Miami skyline. In 2012, there were many empty lots scattered around Brickell. Those lots are now filled with condos such as Brickell City CentreBrickell Heights, SLS Lux, SLS Brickell, My Brickell, 1100 Millecento, Bond at Brickell, Panorama Tower, 1010 Brickell, Brickell Flatiron and Solitair Brickell.

The Brickell skyline will only continue to change in the future with proposed condos in the works such as One Brickell, Edge on Brickell, 830 Brickell, Villa Magna and One Brickell City Centre.

Not only is Brickell experiencing a change, but also West Brickell, which is located West of the Metrorail tracks. 

Previous transformation photos of Brickell from 2012 - 2015 can also be viewed here.