The Dice House

The Dice House is the oldest surviving structure in the Kendall area, built circa 1920 by David Brantly Dice, a popular figure considered the “unnamed mayor of the community”. Mr. Dice owned and operated a general store on property adjacent to the house. The house survived several storms in the area, including Hurricane Andrew in 1992. Designated at an historic site by the Miami-Dade County Historic Preservation Board in 1989, the house served as a pre-school and day care center until its advanced deterioration forced it to close down. Its most recent owner, Bernardo Junco, tried to rehabilitate the building to use it a a lunchtime cafe. When his project financing fell through and after condemnation by the Unsafe Structures Board, demolition of the house seemed unavoidable. A last minute plan was orchestrated in collaboration with Commissioner Katy Sorenson, Miami-Dade Park and Recreation Department, the Dade Heritage Trust, Inc., owners Beatriz and Bernardo Junco, The Dice House Coalition, and the Miami-Dade Historic Preservation Board to relocate the structure to nearby Continental Park to be rehabilitated and reused as an after-school recreation center. Funding has been made possible by the Quality Neighborhood Improvement Program, the Dade Heritage Trust, Inc. and owners Beatriz and Bernard Junco.