For Miami Beach’s 100th Birthday, Lincoln Road is Getting a Facelift

January 13, 2016 – Some major upgrades may be underway for Lincoln Road, one of the world’s most popular streets. A master plan is set in place with the specifics on how to breathe new life into the 8-block landmark and create a more updated and sociable area. A wave of redevelopment is sweeping through Miami Beach not long after celebrating its centennial this past year. 100 years of wear and tear has taken a toll on Miami’s beloved beach community. Plans to spruce up the surrounding area began with the approval for the Miami Beach Convention Center’s renovation and have since spread to the surrounding areas who don’t want to fall behind during this period of renewal. Following the convention center’s lead, Lincoln Road has plans for a facelift to brighten up the exhausted, gray strip. James Corner Field Operations, the landscape artist in charge of the High Line in New York as well as the Underline here in Miami, has been commissioned for the task of refreshing Lincoln Road. The redevelopment encompasses the idea to create a more open, welcoming space that makes it easier for visitors to navigate and interact with its features. This will make the street more uniform throughout while at the same time keeping original iconic features. The plan facilitates the addition of performance areas, less cluttered sidewalks, new public art exhibition space, and several interactive and modern water features.

Artist Rendering - Courtesy of James Corner Field Operations

Artist Rendering – Courtesy of James Corner Field Operations

 

Artist Rendering - Courtesy of James Corner Field Operations

Artist Rendering – Courtesy of James Corner Field Operations

 

Artist Rendering - Courtesy of James Corner Field Operations

Artist Rendering – Courtesy of James Corner Field Operations

Renovations To The City Beautiful Coming in The Near Future

December 10, 2015 – With all the redevelopments going on in Miami, Coral Gables is following suit and giving some of its famous streets a well-deserved makeover. The City Beautiful has long been a picturesque city with historical charm radiating from its architecture, antique fountains, and ambiance that have been preserved to maintain its quaint allure. Even with the cities best effort to maintain the area, decades of use have worn out their once prized streets. In an effort to revitalize the sleepy city jewel a New York-based architecture and urban design company, Cooper, Robertson & Partners, has been commissioned to redevelop the area to a more picturesque representation of George Merrick’s original plans of a subtropical Mediterranean Eden. The project encompasses improvements being made to both Miracle Mile and Giralda Avenue in the heart of Downtown Coral Gables. The plans for Miracle Mile’s redevelopment include changing parking spaces to parallel which will allow a widening of the sidewalks from 15 feet to about 23. This will facilitate spill out seating for restaurants on the Mile as well as outdoor displays for shops. As for Giralda, the city plans to install retractable bollards which can be raised to block traffic for special occasions or events. As a clever alternative to lampposts and their harsh lighting they plan to set up a canopy of strung lights which will appear like a starry night above visitors. In addition to the aesthetic appeal, the project will also fix some long standing issues such as the cities drainage which has been a concern for some time now. Both streets will be receiving the addition of much needed greenery to give them the appearance of a long linear park. The plans will refresh the area and return the Mile to its former glory, once again driving foot traffic to the heart of the City Beautiful.