Harold Rosen (mayor)

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]

Rosen moved to Miami Beach in 1948 and enrolled at University of Miami School of Law in nearby Coral Gables, where obtained his law degree in 1952.[1][5] He became licensed to practice law in Florida on April 14, 1952.[5] His specialties included governmental and administrative law, as well as commercial and construction litigation.[5]

By the early 1970s, Harold Rosen had become an influential figure in Miami Beach due to his roles as a lawyer and city commissioner.[1] Rosen had risen to the office of vice-mayor of Miami Beach by 1974, when incumbent Mayor Chuck Hall died in office, leaving an unexpected vacancy for the city's chief executive.[1] In response to Hall's death, city commissioners had to choose a successor and became deadlocked.[1] Rosen, the vice-mayor who was not believed to have aspirations to become mayor prior in 1974, volunteered for the position.[1] In 2011 interview with Florida International University, Rosen recalled the moment saying, "So I said to these guys, I'm gonna be the mayor, I’ll take the job...who's gonna vote against me? And I became the mayor."[1][2] He went on to serve as Mayor from 1974 until 1977 (including a full two-year term from 1975 to 1977).[1]

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 rent control, a policy meant to protect Miami Beach's elderly residents, but also imposed price ceilings on landlords and property owners.[1] Rosen originally proposed the abolition of rent control in 1970 while he was still a city commissioner.[1] The response was swift and negative from residents. Rosen recalled that "all the old people" were angry at the idea and worried about potential rent increases.[1] Rosen did not care at the time, later saying, "The commissioners at that time... they didn't want to go against the vote [for future elections]. I couldn’t care less because I didn’t wanna go any higher beyond the city commission. So it never bothered me."[1][2]

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 lobbyist. He helped a construction firm secure a $200 million in public right-of-way project contract in 2001, which was the largest public contract in Miami Beach's history at the time.[1]

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]