Downtown Miami is going to look very different in the not too distant future thanks to Miami Worldcenter Associates' project that looks to transform the city’s urban core.
A new 27-acre mixed-use development that will feature public promenades and plazas and a pedestrian-oriented streetscape that will act as the retail focal point (anchored by a 120,000-sf Bloomingdale’s and a 195,000-sf Macy’s) is set to break ground in early March as a collaborative effort between Miami Worldcenter Associates, The Forbes Company, and Taubman. The promenade will run north and south from northeast 10th street to northeast 7th street and between northeast 1st and 2nd avenues. Surrounding the promenade will be residential towers, a hotel and exposition center, and numerous dining and entertainment options.
According to Nitin Motwani, Managing Principal for Miami Worldcenter Associates, this "High Street" retail concept is looking to take advantage of downtown Miami’s rise as a walkable and very connected neighborhood. The open-air concept looks to fit right in with surrounding streets while also developing its own unique experience to draw visitors from around Florida and from around the world.
A High Street retail model is defined by a mass of shops and boutiques in a pedestrian-oriented setting. And around the country, in areas such as San Francisco’s Union Square District, New York’s SoHo, and Lincoln Road in Miami Beach, it is proving to be very successful. Downtown Miami has become one of the country’s fastest-growing urban centers and, in recent years, its streetscape has become increasingly pedestrian-friendly. Miami Worldcenter looks to continue that progress.
Other aspects of Miami Worldcenter include a 700-foot-tall Paramount condominium, an 1,800-room Marriott Marquis hotel and expo center with 600,000-sf of meeting, exhibition, and convention space developed by MDM Group, a 429-unit luxury apartment building developed by ZOM, and two apartment towers built atop street-level retail along northeast 7th street. Additionally, the project calls for upgraded streets, expanded sidewalks, and improved pedestrian and vehicle flow. There will also be direct links to public transportation options to encourage mass transit.
The central space Miami Worldcenter's developers hope will evoke New York's Rockefeller Plaza. Its use is intended to swing with the seasons, ranging from a farmers' market to a super-tall Christmas tree for the holidays. Rendering courtesy Miami Worldcenter Associates
A street-level view of Miami Worldcenter's retail pedestrian promenade. Retailers have the option of either single story, two-story or possibly three-story spaces depending on their preference. Rendering courtesy Miami Worldcenter Associates
Related Stories
| Nov 15, 2011
Suffolk Construction breaks ground on the Victor housing development in Boston
Project team to manage construction of $92 million, 377,000 square-foot residential tower.
| Nov 3, 2011
Hardin Construction tops out Orlando Embassy Suites
The project began in April 2011 and is expected to open in fall 2012.
| Sep 30, 2011
Kilbourn joins Perkins Eastman
Kilbourn joins with more than 28 years of design and planning experience for communities, buildings, and interiors in hospitality, retail/mixed-use, corporate office, and healthcare.
| May 20, 2011
Hotels taking bath out of the bathroom
Bathtubs are disappearing from many hotels across the country as chains use the freed-up space to install ever more luxurious showers, according to a recent USAToday report. Of course, we reported on this move--and 6 other hospitality trends--back in 2006 in our special report "The Inn Things: Seven Radical New Trends in Hotel Design."
| May 18, 2011
Design diversity celebrated at Orange County club
The Orange County, Calif., firm NKDDI designed the 22,000-sf Luna Lounge & Nightclub in Pomona, Calif., to be a high-end multipurpose event space that can transition from restaurant to lounge to nightclub to music venue.
| Apr 12, 2011
Retail complex enjoys prime Abu Dhabi location
The Galleria at Sowwah Square in Abu Dhabi will be built in a prime location within Sowwah Island that also includes a five-star Four Seasons Hotel, the healthcare facility Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, and nearly two million sf of Class A office space.
| Mar 11, 2011
Holiday Inn reworked for Downtown Disney Resort
The Orlando, Fla., office of VOA Associates completed a comprehensive interior and exterior renovation of the 14-story Holiday Inn in the Downtown Disney Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The $25 million project involved rehabbing the hotel’s 332 guest rooms, atrium, swimming pool, restaurant, fitness center, and administrative spaces.
| Mar 11, 2011
Guests can check out hotel’s urban loft design, music selection
MODO, Advaya Hospitality’s affordable new lifestyle hotel brand, will have an urban Bauhaus loft design and target design-, music-, and tech-savvy guest who will have access to thousands of tracks in vinyl, CD, and MP3 formats through a partnership with Downtown Music. Guest can create their own playlists, and each guest room will feature iPod docks and large flat-screen TVs.
| Mar 11, 2011
Texas A&M mixed-use community will focus on green living
HOK, Realty Appreciation, and Texas A&M University are working on the Urban Living Laboratory, a 1.2-million-sf mixed-use project owned by the university. The five-phase, live-work-play project will include offices, retail, multifamily apartments, and two hotels.
