GLOBE STREET INTERVIEWS WYNWOOD PLANNING CHAIR/SAAVY INVESTOR DAVID POLINSKY ABOUT PLUS URBIA DESIGN'S INNOVATIVE WYNWOOD NRD

 What NRD Means for Wynwood Retail

MIAMI—As Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood continues to progress as a center for art, entrepreneurship and creativity—the City of Miami Commission has voted to approve the Wynwood Neighborhood Revitalization District (NRD) Plan. The next step towards implementation of the Wynwood NRD Plan will be a second reading vote by the Miami Commission in September.

GlobeSt.com caught up with David Polinsky, a Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID) board member and planning committee chair, to talk about how the plan will impact retail, parking and more in part two of this exclusive interview. You can still read part one: Why Wynwood Will Boom Even Louder.

GlobeSt.com: Will the NRD plan affect retail development? How?

Polinsky: The new regulations promote the use of ground floors for commercial retail activities. The plan also allows for manufacturing-enabled retailers throughout the district similar to existing mainstays like Panther Coffee and Zak the Baker.

Authentic, independent retailers do very well in Wynwood and fit in with the neighborhood’s innovative and creative vibe. The Wynwood NRD Plan will ensure that those characteristics are preserved, while also bringing in new residents that will add a built-in customer base for existing and new retail establishments.

GlobeSt.com: How will the plan address parking in the area?

Polinsky: The NRD plan encourages a centralized parking system that consolidates parking and fosters pedestrian activity. The plan allows residential developers to provide one parking space for units of less than 650 square feet, which is a lower parking requirement than for larger units. Parking will have to be available either on-site or at off-site parking structures within 1,000 feet of a proposed development’s location.

GlobeSt.com: Explain how the NRD Plan will bring additional funds for improvements to Wynwood.

Polinsky: The plan calls for the formation of the Wynwood Public Benefit Trust Fund (WPBTF), which will ensure that additional money collected from new developments in Wynwood is used for improvements within the neighborhood. Money collected from bonus height and increased lot coverage will go towards area improvements including public spaces, parks, and civic spaces.



http://www.globest.com/news/12_1160/miami/development/What-NRD-Means-for-Wynwood-Retail-360127-1.html

GLOBE STREET EMBRACES WYNWOOD NRD PLAN BY PLUS URBIA DESIGN

Why Wynwood Will Boom Even Louder

 

MIAMI—Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood is booming—and it’s about to boom a little louder. The City of Miami Planning, Zoning and Advisory Board has approved the Wynwood Neighborhood Revitalizaton District (NRD).

The NRD plan sets forth new zoning regulations for Wynwood to protect its artsy vibe while pushing more funding for neighborhood improvements. GlobeSt.com caught up with David Polinsky, a Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID) board member and planning committee chair, to find out what this really means for Wynwood in this exclusive interview.

GlobeSt.com: What is the NRD Plan and what does it seek to achieve?

Polinsky: The Wynwood NRD Plan sets forth new zoning guidelines for Wynwood that will encourage new, mixed-use residential and office developments, create dedicated funding for neighborhood improvements, promote pedestrian-focused activated streets and preserve the area’s unique artistic and industrial character. The goal is to ensure Wynwood’s continued evolution as a center for creativity that attracts visitors, innovators, and residents.

GlobeSt.com: Will the NRD Plan allow for more residential development in the district? How?

Polinsky: The goal of the residential component of the plan is to encourage more diverse residential options in Wynwood by allowing increased density from 36 and 65 to 150 dwelling units per acre including smaller, more affordable units under 650 square feet. The zoning that exists today leads to the development of larger, more expensive units because the currently allowed density is so low. The new regulations will enable people who already work and enjoy the neighborhood to also live here.

GlobeSt.com: How will the plan guarantee that Wynwood's unique, artistic vibe won't be lost in the midst of new development?

Polinsky: The Wynwood NRD Plan has several measures that will ensure that the neighborhood’s unique artistic and industrial characteristics are preserved.  The plan will require art or glass treatments on the ground floor of new developments.

It will also allow for Transfer of Development Rights, which will encourage the preservation of one-story, legacy structures that have become a part of the fabric of Wynwood. Finally, the NRD plan includes the creation of the Wynwood Design Review Committee to review the design of proposed neighborhood developments and promote the continued evolution of arts-driven architectural designs.

http://www.globest.com/news/12_1160/miami/development/Why-Wynwood-Will-Boom-Even-Louder-360101-1.html