MIAMI—There's a bona fide retail construction boom in Miami even as other cities across the nation see a decline of brick-and-mortar stores in an e-commerce age. So what's fueling Miami's appetite for retail?

From discount department stories to high street retail, foreign visitors and tourists from around the nation are coming to Miami to shop almost as much as they come to visit our beaches. Miami is setting records for tourism, its population is growing, jobs are coming online and retail space hasn't kept up with the demand.

Developers like Andrew Hellinger are responding with new projects. Hellinger is building River Landing Shops and Residences on the Miami River west of Downtown Miami. The 2 million-square-foot retail project will be home to a vertical power center, restaurants, close to 500 market-rate apartments, and a waterfront linear park to turn the river into the mixed-project's main attraction.