According to this recent press release, the Miami City Commission has approved the Miami World Center, an ambitious nine block, 25-acre redevelopment project slated for the Park West neighborhood, just north of Downtown. The glitzy pictures streaming on the project’s website promise a very sleek, but pedestrian-oriented district that, if nothing else, will transform this part of the city.
I am quite familiar with this area as I bicycle through it on my way to work, and again on the way home. At present, the underutilized surface parking lots and vacant buildings only seem to add to the area’s blighted image. And given that the project is being built using the principles of Miami 21, it seems that its mixture of uses, pedestrian orientation, and public spaces will become a living example of how large scale development should be undertaken. That being said, the architecture looks like more of the same, but I guess in that way it is in keeping with Miami’s current aesthetic.
Adjacent to the Metromover, and within walking distance of the Metrorail the project’s transit friendliness is evident and will give residents and visitors opportunities to move without driving.
I don’t know how liquid the development team is at this point, but given current market conditions, they will have to overcome much to get this mega-project built and occupied with residents, tenants and businesses.
Stay tuned.
7 Responses to Miami World Center Passes City Commission
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While I think this is a good idea over all, what this part of the city does not need is more over-priced apartments and condos that are unattainable for most locals. North of Park West, in Edgewater and Midtown, almost all of the buildings are priced out of control.
The press release says nothing about affordable housing and much like the monstrous blight that is Midtown, you can bet that this place will price itself out of relevancy.
Good job Miami. I’m getting the h.ell out of Minneapolis and moving to a real city (Miami) this summer. This is really making good use of public space, which will deter crime at the same time. You see so many California cities (L.A.) that has crappy architecture and a dull downtown which feeds criminal activity. Miami is the new L.A. On second thought, Miami cannot be compared to anywhere else.
This certainly looks like it would give Miami the missing ingredient in its recipe (Beaches, Night life) and now “Business”, But I not quite sure if it wil help it become a true financial center, and not just a fashion hub. The other item that I think is missing on this project is the little – to almost none – consideration to green areas, there is not a single planned effort in downtown for recreational green areas. It would be wise to include a 5 acre mini-Central Park in this design, as this city of concrete will be sufferable in the summer.
Alexis, the new MAM facility and Museum of Science in Bicentennial Park would provide more than sufficient green space; its right across the street. 5-acre mini central park? WTF
Miami World Center is a absentee slum property owner. Drive to Park West and see all its disgusting blighted vacant lots. How hard is it to cut overgrown grass, fix broken fences and repair asphalt? Pigs.
I am very proud of Miami. This news is not a surprize for me at all.
I see a lot of potential in this project. I disagree with the post that was made about Miami not being a business center; Miami is the gateway to Latin American countries and as of lately places like China and others around the world (think globalization not just domestic). As for the subject of pricing I can’t disagree. All the up-scale residences and stores that seem will be throughout the majority of the project, strike me as too high aspirations from the developers. Just look at the foreclosures and vacant homes littering the city now. Then again, the project will take somewhere around 20 years to complete so we can all hope we’ll be rich by then. For the most part though, I feel this is a much needed approach to developing a world-class city (not that it isn’t now). The conditions of this area right now are dismal. Keep in mind that these are 9 city blocks they’re renovating, not the entire downtown area. The project may give rise to more possibilities in the surrounding areas from affordable housing zones to parks and recreational areas. I don’t know about a mini central park, but new museum may fulfill some of that need along with other future projects. I, for one, am excited about this project and hope to see new and innovative changes to our city.