Posted on Fri, Jun. 19, 2009     Miami Woman's Club to renovate its home by the bay BY REBECCA DELLAGLORIA rdellagloria@MiamiHerald.com Miami's jewel by the bay is about to get a face lift. The Miami Woman's Club is set to embark on the first phase of a $12 million restoration, to revive the club's historic home on the banks of Biscayne Bay at 1737 N. Bayshore Dr. Set to begin July 1, phase one will consist of the most critical work -- structural repairs, window replacement, new electrical and sprinkler systems -- to bring the building back up to code. But that is just one element of a grand renaissance envisioned for the building, which dates from 1926 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A pioneering example of early Mediterranean architecture in Miami, the clubhouse is adorned with sweeping balconies, vaulted cathedral ceilings, and large palladium windows. Like any lady her age, she could use a little work. ''At 83 we get to be a little creaky,'' mused Dolly MacIntyre, the club vice president in charge of membership. The group has received $3.75 million from the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency. Beyond the initial work, $8 million is needed for the full restoration. ''I don't know how much of the full wish list we will get,'' said Noreen Timoney, the president of the woman's club. She said the club is focusing efforts on fundraising and applying for grants to make up the difference. Though they don't know how long a full restoration will take, the building will be closed for about eight months for the first phase of construction, said Richard Heisenbottle, the preservation architect overseeing the project. ''The rest will depend on how quickly we can raise the funds,'' Heisenbottle said. Following the early work, portions of the five-story building will likely be leased to help pay for future repairs. One of Heisenbottle's ideas: leasing the first two floors to a restaurant. The club stands just a few blocks east of the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. ''It would be a tremendous location for a first-class restaurant on the water,'' he said. MOVERS AND SHAKERS Founded in 1900, the organization once boasted members who were the movers and shakers of Miami. In those days, women didn't work, but many strong, smart, sophisticated women needed to fill their days with worthwhile causes. The early members of the club established the city's first library, hosted luncheons for governors and other dignitaries and volunteered with the American Red Cross. ''If you look at the history, it was a very powerful group,'' said historian Arva Moore Parks. ``You can trace the history of Miami through the club.'' The group's original home was on a plot of land in downtown Miami owned by Florida real estate and railroad tycoon Henry Flagler. Flagler gave them the land for the clubhouse under the condition it also serve as the city's public library. When the club needed room to expand, famed architect August Geiger -- who designed the Dade County Courthouse and Carl Fisher's La Gorce Golf Club in Miami Beach -- signed on to design the North Bayshore Drive clubhouse. Today, most of the club's 200 or so members are working women who are also civic minded. The club recently launched the Miami Action Policy Institute, which held forums on multiculturalism, energy, and African industrialization. `NOT RESTING' ''Now we're looking at the 21st century. We're not just resting on our laurels,'' said Annette Alvarez, executive director of the Miami Council for International Visitors, and a Woman's Club member. ``We're trying to insert ourselves and be relevant to the wider community.'' Parks noted that it is difficult for working women today to keep up with the kind of volunteerism that they used to carry out. ''I just applaud those that try to keep it alive,'' she said.