Businesses in Miami officially reopened in late May and Miamians have been actively reimagining the Magic City ever since. By adopting a bold, forward-thinking approach to the public realm, Downtown Miami, Coconut Grove, and Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road District – the city’s top entertainment destinations – have devised creative solutions to promote health and safety, provide locals with greater access to open-air spaces, enliven commercial corridors, and safely bring neighborhoods back to life.
Downtown Miami
Home to 100,000 residents, 250,000 daytime workers, and 3,335 businesses, Downtown Miami is Florida’s largest city and the state’s economic engine. When the city officially went into quarantine in March, the Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA) – charged with overseeing the city’s economic development and quality of life, quickly launched their “Go Local, Go Direct” program to support neighborhood restaurants and incentivize consumers to #StayHome. Now that restaurants have officially reopened for outdoor dining, the Miami DDA is spearheading a creative pilot program, in collaboration with the City of Miami, designed to expand outdoor seating by transforming parking spaces and city sidewalks into additional dining areas. To further support Downtown restaurants, the Miami DDA, led by executive director Christina Crespi, are also providing the district’s establishments with umbrellas, tables, and chairs so that they can immediately begin serving residents and locals in a safe, outdoor setting.
Coconut Grove
Renowned for its eclectic vibe and artistic atmosphere, Coconut Grove Business Improvement District (BID) is safely welcoming residents and locals back to the neighborhood in true Grove fashion – by displaying 100 poetic banners that pay homage to the Grove’s history and culture, throughout the district. From peacocks and sailboats to the Grove’s lush landscaping, bohemian vibe, rich history, and more, this outdoor, public-art initiative taps into the Grove’s legendary storytelling spirit and is a safe way for locals to enjoy public art in a scenic, outdoor setting, at a time when the pandemic has prohibited us from visiting art galleries, museums, and performance venues. Whether locals are in the neighborhood to shop, dine or take a leisurely stroll through the Grove’s leafy streets, they can now look up and embrace the poetry that surrounds them. To remain safe, complementary face masks, provided by the BID’s executive director Abigael Mahony and Chairman Ken Russell, are available throughout the district.
Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road District
Brimming with experiential venues that have broken the mold by redefining what it means to shop, dine, and celebrate, the Lincoln Road District is the true embodiment of Miami Beach. To cater to desires of the city’s fitness-focused audience while safely driving traffic back to the pedestrian promenade, the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District (BID), led by executive director Tim Schmand, has launched a “Sky-High” fitness series, offering complimentary bootcamp and yoga classes every weekend. The outdoor classes are hosted on the 7th floor garage of the iconic Herzog & de Meuron-designed 1111 building on Lincoln Road. Although the building can accommodate 550 people in its open-air space, the fitness classes are limited to 70 participants, pre-marked spots for attendees are spaced at 10 feet apart, and the venue is thoroughly sanitized before and after each session.
See More Blogs
Comments