Wynwood BID steers community to more balanced future with revitalization plan
Posted by Alec Schwartzman
This post has been updated to reflect that the Wynwood
Business Improvement District already has off-duty officers patroling the area
and ambassadors who work to keep streets and sidewalks free of trash.
Thursday may bring fresh changes to the Wynwood community.
The Wynwood
Neighborhood Revitalization District (NRD) Plan, approved unanimously by
the City of Miami Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board recently, will go before
the City Commission for final authorization.
“For Wynwood, this will be the first time in its modern
history where the community has come together to express a common vision for
the future,” said Albert Garcia,
vice chair of the Wynwood Business
Improvement District (BID). “It is setting the framework for responsible
residential and commercial development that balances the history and character
of the arts district we have all grown to love today.”
Established in 2013 with Knight Foundation
support, the Wynwood BID is a collection of local property and business
owners with the mission to make Wynwood an internationally recognized epicenter
for art, culture and business. Keeping the original visions of developers David Lombardi and Tony Goldman
in mind, the leaders of the BID created this proposal with the intention of
preserving the industrial and artistic nature of the neighborhood while
creating a community where people can both live and work.
“It’s a continuation of the renaissance they were the
catalyst of,” Garcia said. “When they came to Wynwood, it was largely abandoned
by the garment industry that had left. In its place, they brought back people,
businesses and creatives at a much-needed time when there were no cultural arts
communities. Miami is now going through an immense cultural renaissance with
institutions like [Perez Art Museum Miami],
which have put us at a world-class level.”
The BID established the Wynwood
Design Review Committee as part of the revitalization plan. The committee
is another measure intended to protect the community’s artistic integrity.
“The Wynwood Design Review Committee is an entity … where
creatives, design professionals and leaders in the community will review
large-scale development projects to make sure they hold true to the historical
arts character of our district today,” Garcia said.
One of the main challenges in making Wynwood truly
residential friendly is the
lack of green space. To combat this shortcoming, the
Neighborhood Revitalization District plan introduces the concept of shared
streets, inspired by Dutch woonerfs.
The plan would convert Northwest Third Avenue, Northwest First Avenue and
Northwest First Place into public “living streets” at certain times by bringing
in street furniture and landscaping, and improving sidewalk conditions.
“Because there is no public park or spaces within the BID’s
boundaries, we looked across the pond to Europe for ideas,” Garcia said. “This
concept of taking back our streets and retrofitting them to hybrid parks, and
obviously a means for vehicular transit, emerged. Over time we are confident
they will bring much-needed shade, and will actually create further dynamic
places that are unique to Wynwood, contrasting it even more from places around
the world.”
The BID will also continue to emphasize safety and cleanliness,
continuing initiatives where off-duty officers patrol daily and “Clean Team”
ambassadors help keep streets and sidewalks free of trash.
One key aspect of the initiative is creating space for
individuals and families to live in Wynwood, which is primarily known for
creative enterprises, co-working spaces and startups.
http://www.knightfoundation.org/blogs/knightblog/2015/7/20/wynwood-bid-steers-community-more-balanced-future-revitalization-plan/
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