miami downtown development authority

All the talk of Miami’s rise to prominence as an international city came to a head last night as hundreds of Miami’s business and civic leaders gathered at 1450 Brickell Avenue for “Going Global,” a panel discussion exploring all that’s fueling the Magic City’s growth.

"Ambitious" might be an understatement when describing the folks at Port Miami. With a $2 billion master plan now underway, the Port is positioning itself as a long-term player along the eastern seaboard.

Traffic mayhem! A sudden uptick in neon bracelet sales! A disproportionate number of Dutch speakers overheard at Starbucks! It can only mean one thing: the Dade County Youth Fair has arrived. Not so fast.

“The downtown picture was bleak not long ago, its towering empty buildings a symbol of the real estate boom -- and crash. But as prices dropped, younger residents moved in, transforming a business-only section of South Florida into a place where people work, live and hang out.”

Buzz builds in downtown Miami as region's international hot spot. Could it be the Arsht Center? Museum Park? New restaurants? Affordable condos? Lebron James and the Heat? Luxury hotels?

Tadd Schwartz is quoted in today's South Florida Business Journal article, "LeBron James' Decision Ignites Push

Lebron James is not Miami's only new young resident. Miami's downtown area is quickly filling up its condo developments with young working professionals and in the process contributing a youthful pulse to the area's scene, as described in today’s Bloomberg Businessweek story, "Miami’s Downtown Comes Alive as Condos Fill With Young Renters.”

In Miami, Condo Sales Rise as Prices Bottom Out, and a new urban community emerges. Alyce Robertson of the Miami Downtown Development Authority notes that more lights are on at night, and new shops and restaurants have opened.