Whenever a request is made to co-name streets or portions thereof, Section 82-503(c)(2) of the City Code requires the sponsor to submit the proposal in writing to an appropriate committee (in this case, the NQLC), which shall include the following: (1) the street, or portion thereof, to be co-named; (2) the proposed co-name of the street, or portion thereof; (3) the reason for the request; and (4) a factual summary confirming that the proposed person falls under the specific criteria outlined in subsection 82-503(c)(1)(a) of the City Code.

On December 8, 2021, the Mayor and City Commission adopted Ordinance No. 2021-4457, amending Section 82-503(c) of the City Code to provide for additional criteria for the co-naming of streets in honor of deceased Cuban-American artists who made vast contributions to Latin music history and culture, such as Celia Cruz.

Mayor Dan Gelber is proposing co-naming Meridian Avenue, between 19 Street and 18 Street/Harvey Milk Way, as “Celia Cruz Way” and requests that the Committee provide its advisory recommendation for the Mayor and City Commission’s consideration and approval, subject to a public hearing and a 5/7th vote.  

Co-naming a street proximate to the Miami Beach Convention Center in honor of one of Cuba’s most prominent figures would be particularly symbolic and a fitting gesture to both the Queen of Salsa and the Cuban residents of Miami Beach.

Known to many as the “Queen of Salsa,” Celia Cruz is unquestionably an enduring symbol of Cuban Culture and continues to be recognized as one of the most popular Latin artists of all time nearly 18 years after her death.  A true pioneer for women, Cubans, and Afro-Latinas, Celia Cruz was wholly unapologetic about her identity at a time when it was unpopular to do so.  Celia Cruz began her rise to worldwide stardom in the 1950’s with the legendary Afro-Cuban group La Sonora Matancera.

Like many Cuban Americans today, Celia Cruz was exiled from her home country by the Castro Regime in 1960.  Celia Cruz would go on to enjoy a nearly 60-year career of recording and performing salsa, rumba and reggaeton, while also starring in films and appearing on radio.  Celia Cruz starred in the movie The Perez Family, which was filmed across Miami-Dade County, and sang the identifying spot segment for WQBA radio station in Miami, once known as La Cubanisima.  In 1994, President Bill Clinton awarded Celia Cruz the National Endowment for the Arts award, the highest recognition granted by the United States government to an artist.  In 1999, Celia Cruz was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame.

It is no secret that a strong connection exists between Celia Cruz and Miami Beach and the surrounding areas.  Celia Cruz gave her final performance and last public appearance at the Miami Beach Convention Center during the tribute special Celia Cruz: Azucar! on March 13, 2003, just four months before her passing.  Celia Cruz also performed live at the Orange Bowl Stadium during Carnaval Miami in 1991.  In 2005, a 6,000-square foot exhibit titled Azucar! The Life and Music of Celia Cruz opened at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History – the exhibit was later displayed at The Bass Museum in Miami Beach.  In 2015, Mango’s Tropical Café held the Mango’s Miami Beach Tribute to the Queen of Salsa in honor of Celia Cruz and her iconic music.  In 2016, the Wolfsonian-FIU Museum opened the exhibit Promising Paradise: Cuban Allure, American Seduction, which highlighted Cuba’s once thriving nightlife and featured one of the glamourous gowns that Celia Cruz wore while performing at the famous Cuban nightclub and casino the Tropicana.  In October 2018, the American Museum of the Cuban Diaspora opened the exhibition Por Siempre Celia (Forever Celia), highlighting the fascinating life of Celia Cruz.  Today, one could often hear her music being played or sung throughout Miami Beach.

If the co-naming is approved by the Neighborhood and Quality of Life Committee and subsequently by the City Commission via Resolution, it would need to be approved by the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners via Resolution prior to installation of the co-naming signs.  The estimated cost of fabricating and installing two (2) new street co-naming signs on Meridian Avenue at 18 Street and 19 Street would be approximately $1,000 using internal City resources.