MIAMI—Miami Beach will soon say goodbye to its deteriorating convention center. The City of Miami Beach has officially chosen South Beach ACE as the master developer for a mixed-use project after a year-long bid process that came down to a battle with Portman-CMC. Commissioners chose ACE on a 5-2 vote.
ACE is led by New York-based developer Tishman, which is a major hotel owner. Miami Beach's UIA Management, which developed the successful 11 11 Lincoln Road project and design firm OMA, under Pritzker Prize-winning architect Rem Koolhaas and Shohei Shigematsu, are also part of the core team.
Landscape design firms Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) and Raymond Jungles; Italian traffic and mobility planning firm Mobility In Chain; and convention center design firm tvsdesign support the team. And MetLife, one of the world's largest real estate investment firms and a longtime partner of Tishman's, has agreed in principal to serve as an equity partner.
“South Beach ACE made a commitment from day one to elevate Miami Beach's convention center into the economic driver that the City deserves,” says Dan Tishman, whose firm is currently overseeing the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site and the renovation of the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan. “Based on that overarching goal, we spent the better part of a year gathering community feedback about what this project should—and, in some cases, shouldn't—be. The result is a master plan that will keep with the vitality of Miami Beach's tourism economy while enhancing quality of life for area residents.”
ACE's 52-acre master plan is anchored by a reimagined convention center and connected 800-room hotel designed by OMA. The complex incorporates a series of flexible exhibition halls, meeting rooms, ballrooms, and a hotel within a single building. The goal is to create operational convenience for convention center users and visitors.
The hotel's curved design aims to blend in with Miami Beach's renowned Miami Modernist architecture. Plans also call for a rooftop pool deck with ocean views and a penthouse lounge overlooking the City.
“Beyond being a new design landmark for the City of Miami Beach, our convention center and hotel complex will allow for new public spaces that appeal to visitors and residents alike,” says Robert Wennett, ACE principal and president of UIA. “The business community here is excited about the potential economic impact that this project will bring to the rest of the City.”
A significant portion of the 52-acre site will include a network of connected green spaces and recreational areas, including a public plaza that connects the convention center and hotel with Lincoln Road Mall to the south and significant outdoor event areas. About 90,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space has been designed to enhance connectivity with Lincoln Road Mall. The team's mobility and traffic plan hopes to encourage pedestrian activity and improve vehicular flow on surrounding streets.
“The South Beach ACE vision for Miami Beach revitalizes the convention center, integrating a new hotel and optimizing access through and around the site," say Koolhaas and Shigematsu of OMA. “Our master plan brings a sense of engagement and vibrancy that complements Miami Beach's existing assets, leveraging what's already in place while enhancing the urban condition through green spaces, pedestrian connections, and programmed uses.”
The next step in the development process will be a November 2013 referendum in Miami Beach. The referendum intends to ratify the City Commission's selection and approve the scope of the redevelopment project.
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