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AREA ATTRACTIONS:
EVOLUTION OF MIAMI’S
DESIGN DISTRICT
Craig Robins, the developer responsible for bringing to life a good portion of the rehabilitation of South Beach, was also responsible
for the overhaul of the Design District in Miami. Starting with his real estate development company, Dacra, in the late ‘80s, Robins renovated
Art Deco hotels on Ocean Drive and helped transform Lincoln Road in South Beach. Along with Sam Keller, he convinced Art Basel to come
to Miami, and in 2005 he founded Design Miami with Ambra Medda. Both events helped put Miami on the map as an art and design center,
and the latter has been the catalyst in the overhaul of the Design District.
The Design District is the area north of Miami’s downtown core, near Northeast 40th Street and Northeast Second Avenue, earning its
design moniker many years ago in the 1920s, when Theodore Moore built the first furniture showroom, Moore & Sons, there. Fast-forward
to the early 1990’s when Robins realized the vacancy rate topped 50% and buildings sold for $20 to $30 per square foot there — today, land
there sells for more than $1,000 per square foot.
In 2011, Louis Vuitton announced their conglomerate shops would abandon their Bal Harbour Shops in favour of a building in the
Design District. Louis Vuitton says it is part of their “pioneering spirit” to make such a move. Robins envisioned a neighborhood advocating
creativity in all lifestyle aspects, and this move has propelled that push forward. Robins then brought arts and culture events like Art Basel to
ripen the area as a new hot spot. After working to bring Design Miami to the Design District, Robins came into contact with Michael Burke,
at the time CEO of Fendi. Burke then brought Fendi Casa to the area, thus bringing the rest of LVMH there.
Luxury real estate from L Real Estate soon followed as the fast-burgeoning market from the post-recession influx of Brasilian, Venezuelan,
Mexican and Russian money. The Design District offered luxury retailers a way to stand out in Miami’s fashion market, away from
established retail markets such as Aventura and Bal Harbour. Now, luxury retailers outside of LVMH including Hermes, Ermenegildo Zegna,
and Maison Martin Margiela have become drawn to the area and opened new retail spaces there since it offers both dining and retail: the total
luxury experience.
Another advantage of the Design District is that retailers are free to design whichever space they choose. Robins has given retailers
the freedom to build elaborate and unique storefronts to imprint their brand identities. The district draws the artisan vibe of Saint Germain
in Paris and luxury retail district of Midtown Manhattan, bringing together the influx of Latin American and European markets (MiamiDesignDistrict.net,
2014).