“Gloria Estefan has long called Miami Beach her home,” justified one of the Miami-Dade commissioners behind the tribute.
MIAMI, United States. –Miami Beach made official the naming of 13th Street, from Ocean Drive to Meridian Avenue, as “Gloria Estefan Way.” The tribute was approved by Miami-Dade County on July 16. Meanwhile, the public naming ceremony will take place next Monday, at 11:00 am, at the intersection of Ocean Drive and 13th Street itself, in front of the Cardozo South Beach hotel, owned by Gloria and Emilio Estefan.
According to the county’s legislative documentation, the tribute was made possible thanks to the sponsorship of commissioners Eileen Higgins and Laura Domínguez. In a statement sent to Miami New TimesDomínguez explained the background of the initiative:
“The Miami Beach Women’s Commission noted that very few streets in the city were named after female figures and offered thoughtful suggestions to change that. I was proud to sponsor this initiative, which passed through our Neighborhood Public Safety and Quality of Life Committee and later received full approval from the Commission. The final step was County Commission approval, and I am delighted that it is now approved officially.”
Domínguez added about the tribute: “Gloria Estefan has long called Miami Beach her home (…). We are proud to honor her legacy and her lasting impact on Miami Beach by naming the street next to the Cardozo Hotel with her name.
The tribute point is “a few steps” from the Cardozo South Beach, hotel art deco on Ocean Drive that the Estefan couple owns and extensively renovated.
Gloria Estefan (Havana, 1957) joined and led Miami Sound Machine before consolidating a global career with hits like Conga and Rhythm Is Gonna Get You. Among his highest institutional recognitions are the Presidential Medal of Freedom (2015), conferred by the White House; the Kennedy Center Honor (2017); and, together with Emilio Estefan, the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song (2019) from the Library of Congress.
The Cuban-American singer, songwriter, actress and philanthropist has won three Grammy Awards and five Latin Grammy Awards.
