From ‘The Wild West’ To ‘Brooklyn,’ Developers Find Inspiration, Challenges In Miami’s Eclectic Neighborhoods
Developers in the neighborhoods around Miami’s central business district are eager to capitalize on the city’s influx of high-earning workers and tourists, but face more nuanced challenges than the builders of new trophy office towers in Brickell.
Wynwood is a more recognizable national brand, but even after years as one of Miami’s premier tourist draws, the neighborhood finally has its first-ever hotel, the Arlo Wynwood, which opened in November.
The nine-story, 217-key boutique hotel, developed by Quadrum Global, is the latest example of the lasting impact of Wynwood’s 2015 rezoning to allow a mix of uses, speakers on the event’s Wynwood panel said.
“I see Wynwood moving to many different asset classes and growing,” Quadrum Global Managing Director Amir Setayesh said. “You see tech growing there, you see different businesses moving there, more institutional businesses.”
Andrew James, principal at Nichols Architects and designer of the Arlo, said the Wynwood streetscape master plan, alongside developer Tony Goldman’s vision, has unlocked an entirely different pedestrian experience for the longtime garment district-turned-arts district.
“Part of that whole strategy is centralized parking and [to] encourage pedestrian movement for the benefit of the entire neighborhood,” James said. “The buildings, the developments themselves, are becoming far less insular. It’s not the kind of situation where we have our own parking and it’s kind of a closed-off kingdom. It really is spreading into a full neighborhood expression, which is, to me, very exciting.”