design citation for his proposal for the redevelopment of Opa Locka. The
project was published in a magazine produced by the city to market the
town's real estate potential. The city was established in the 1920's by
Glenn Curtiss, where he located his airport. He set an Arabian theme for
the community, building a city hall, hotel and train station along Moorish
lines. Unfortunately, the city was ravaged by a hurricane in 1926, and
suffered badly during the Great Depression. The city was all but forgotten
until the 1980's when renewed interest led to the proposal of several
development schemes. The city approached the architecture department
of the University of Florida for guidance, and a competition was held to
provide the city with a variety of proposals to show how the community
might be developed. James proposed a low impact solution, turning the
boulevard into a bazaar, linking the city hall to the hotel and train station.
Return to James' resume
