(Miami, FL) – The City of Miami will be hosting a reception to welcome the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Interior Lynn Scarlett, who will be visiting with Mayor Manny Diaz, City Commissioners, and City Manager Pete Hernandez to recognize the City’s historic preservation efforts on Wednesday October 22, at 12 pm, at Miami City Hall.

The U.S. Deputy Secretary will be congratulating the City for its designation as a Preserve America Community. The City of Miami was designated a Preserve America Community on October 22, 2007.  Preserve America is a White House initiative developed for the purposes of sharing and strengthening regional identities and local pride, increasing participation in preserving the country’s irreplaceable cultural and historical assets to heritage tourists and City residents alike, and supporting the economic vitality of communities.

As a designated community, the City is the qualified applicant for Preserve America grants.  Preserve America grants are designed to support planning, development, and implementation of innovative activities and programs in heritage tourism.  

The rich history of the City of Miami is embodied in its hundreds of historically significant properties ranging from residential neighborhoods of Mediterranean Revival style villas, Art Deco homes, Craftsman bungalows, and Bahamian cottages, to larger and more elaborate high style buildings. The city is also home to two National Historic Landmarks, the highest recognition for buildings in the United States, Vizcaya Museum and Gardens, and the recently designated Freedom Tower.