$1 Billion Miami Beach Convention Center Expansion, Hotel and Development Project Canceled
The long-awaited plan to renovate and expand the Global Spectrum-managed Miami Beach Convention Center, as well as add a headquarter hotel and surrounding development project, was scrapped by a new mayor in the city and mostly new board of Miami Beach commissioners.
A previous board had embraced the project and hired developer South Beach ACE, led by Tishman Hotel and Realty and Miami Beach developer Robert Wennett.
The project was meant to include upgrades and expansion of the Miami Beach Convention Center, an 800-room anchor hotel and shops, restaurants and other new development on 52 acres.
The original RFQ asked for the improvements to “facilitate the ability of the MBCC to attract high impact conventions, meetings, and tradeshows in an increasingly competitive environment,” according to city officials.
According to local press reports, the plan would have required voter approval would be required for 60 percent of the leases, since the land was city-owned.
Under the new plan, instead of expanding the center and building the hotel at the same time, the project would be split apart and, without voter approval required, the center could be put on the fast track.
The Miami Beach CC currently has 502,000 square feet of exhibition space and 127,000 sq. ft. of meeting space.
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