The Miami Beach City Commission has shortlisted two qualified architectural teams to develop master plans for a proposed 52-acre Convention Center District on the grounds of the current convention center.
The redeveloped Miami Beach Convention Center is poised to be the focal point of the City of Miami Beach, creating not only a state-of-the-art meeting place for large-scale events, like Art Basel Miami Beach, but a truly unique space that will serve to support hotels, retailers, and restaurants and enrich the lives of those in the Miami Beach community. A modern, redesigned Convention Center will give Miami Beach a competitive edge to bid for more substantial business that will benefit both residents and tourists alike and enable the city to attract high impact conventions, meetings, and tradeshows in an increasingly competitive environment.
It will also redevelop the surrounding area, transforming the Convention Center District into a new vibrant neighborhood with year-round activities; increasing outdoor public space; creating a walkable district that connects the Convention Center, Lincoln Road and the City’s historical and cultural district; providing iconic architecture in keeping with the City’s history of significant design and incorporating sustainable (LEED) design principles while being sensitive to the area’s residential neighborhoods.
The city is encouraging community input around the Convention Center plans. The next public meeting is Monday May 13, at 6pm in the Flamingo Ballroom at the Miami Beach Convention Center. There will also be Commission workshops to provide information and foster understanding of the plans. At the June 5, 2013 City Commission meeting, the two teams, Portman CAC and South Beach ACE will each present their final master plans. The City Commission will then select the final candidate. South Beach ACE includes Robert Wennett, the developer behind 1111 Lincoln Road, the Tishman Hotel group and international architect Rem Koolhaas.
Portman CAC includes developers Portman Holdings and Ugo Colombo and architects Bjarke Ingels and West 8, which created the Miami Beach Soundscape next to the New World Symphony.
For information on the Miami Beach Convention Center Redevelopment project, visit www.miamibeachfl.gov/news.
