If
you walk down Biscayne Boulevard you will see a grassroots resurgence
growing along the Corridor. Small businesses, shopping boutiques,
and restaurants are opening, and this local
newspaper is helping them spread the word.
Reflecting the small business growth, the Biscayne
Corridor Chamber of Commerce was created in early 2004. “Our
vision is to make the Corridor the most prosperous locale in which
to do business,” says its president, John P. Meyer. “We’re
a volunteer organization putting together action plans and stretching
our resources.”The Chamber hosts monthly networking events for
civic leaders and area residents.
Every Sunday, you can also find, Reverand James Trapp, delivering
two uplifting sermons to a packed house at Miami's Unity
Church, one block east of Biscayne Boulevard on NE 21st St..
Just a few years ago, the church offered one service, and it wasn’t
for a full house. Now it’s standing room only. And another weekly
service has been added in Spanish, delivered by a co-minister.
Following Soyka Restaurant at Biscayne and NE 55th
St., other new restaurants have opened: Sushi Siam, Casa Toscana,
North 110, and Dogma, a fun outdoor hotdog stand.
Undoubtedly the highest profile new establishment is Ola
Miami — a new restaurant by Chef Douglas Rodriguez, who
is credited with popularizing Nuevo Latino cuisine. Ola Miami
was recently named one of the Top new restaurants in the world
by Conde Nast.
Diverse
residential projects
While most real estate developers are touting the strong demand for
residential units, the density of the projects will not hold much
attraction for families who want a house with a yard. Some developers
are takeing note and building condo/lofts such as
the Mondrian,
Parc Lofts
and Filling
Station, hoping that a combination of a large open space, price,
and close proximity to jobs will stave off the desire for a backyard.
If you drive along Biscayne Bay you will also see a number of sleek,
high-rise condominiums with one-word names like:
Blue, Ice,
Platinum,
Onyx, and
Star
under construction.
“There is no question that water
views, and waterside locations, are what people are looking for,”
says Pedro Martin, president of Miami-based Terra ADI International
Developments, the company building Quantum
on the Bay and 900
Biscayne. 60 percent of buyers in his projects are from South
Florida, with the balance are coming from New York, the Midwest, Latin
America and Europe.
A clear symbol of the changing marketplace is the former 1800 Club
bar. This was the infamous place visited by Frank Sinatra, Warren
Beatty and President Bill Clinton. The bar was demolished in 2002
to make way for the 1800
Club; a 41-story condo with 469 units rising above the Bay.
“This area is quickly becoming a popular place for small
business and an fun neighborhood to live and play,” says Edgardo
Defortuna, president of Fortune International, the Miami company in
charge of sales for the project.
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