Lincoln Road – the retail and restaurant heart of Miami Beach for decades – is alive with new activity and excitement fueled by the development of nearby luxury hotels and condos, new tenants along the eight-block, international destination and a stakeholder driven program to engage locals and visitors.
Soon Miami Beach’s first amateur doubles pickleball tournament will be held on the district, Marco Cochrane’s 45-foot tall sculpture straight from the Burning Man Festival will be installed, and area hotels will add more 5-star restaurants to expand on the delicious food and unique experiences that have made Mila Miami a global restaurant star.
Developers are using billions of dollars in private investment to transform the iconic buildings and neighborhoods around the iconic Morris Lapidus-designed outdoor district, which includes City Hall and the Miami Beach Convention Center, which recently underwent a $600 million renovation. All this investment will in turn draw more people to the area, driving more foot traffic to Lincoln Road stores and generating excitement about the present and future of South Beach.
Lyle Stern, President of the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District, made up of district stakeholders, says that all the projects are creating a connective tissue between the surrounding neighborhoods that will improve everyone’s quality of life. He points to the overlooked fact that much of Lincoln Road is dedicated park space, with lush landscaping that Fairchild Tropical Garden called one of the nation’s most important subtropical and botanical installations. He also points to upgrades by the
City, inspired by the James Corner Lincoln Road District masterplan, that are upgrading lights, landscaping and more.
“Whether it’s Sunset Harbour, South Pointe, Espanola Way, Lincoln Road or Collins Avenue, these are not islands unto themselves. They should all flow with an amicable purpose,” Stern explained. “Lincoln Road is at the heart of it, serving both residents and visitors.”
Some of the most ambitious projects include developer Michael Shvos’ plan to construct a Rosewood-branded Raleigh hotel, condos, a luxury hotel, Class A offices and retail around Lincoln Road. The long shuttered Epicure Gourmet Market on Alton Road will be home to a 250,000-square-foot project designed by acclaimed architect Norman Foster.
The owners of The Ritz-Carlton South Beach and Sagamore South Beach hotels – the Lowenstein, Kanavos, and Ben-Josef families – are also proposing two luxury condominium projects adjacent to their properties and teaming up with the City to upgrade the 100-300 blocks of Lincoln Road to include shaded areas, water features and lush landscaping.
A $362 million 800-room Grand Hyatt is rising next to the Miami Beach Convention Center, The Fillmore Miami Beach at Jackie Gleason Theater, currently under renovation, and the world famous Miami Beach Botanical Garden. Developed by Terra Group and Turnberry, the Arquitectonica-designed hotel is only steps away from the New World Symphony Concert Hall, and where films are projected onto a multi-story screen while picnickers chill sitting on blankets in the park.
The redevelopment of Lincoln Road, known as the James Corner plan, a $60.5 million project including the pedestrianization of Drexel Avenue between Lincoln Lane South and Lincoln Lane North, restoration of the historic Morris Lapidus structures, iconic ateway signs and more, is set to be completed by fall 2027.
Lincoln Road is adding to the diverse mix of 281 businesses that drew 8 million visitors in 2021 to the outdoor paradise. The arrival of 10 big brand tenants including hot footwear brand Hoka shoe company, joining the always busy Nike shoe store, where locals meet up every Thursday for group runs, and the Adidas store that stocks the hot pink Lionel Messi soccer gear that has become the unofficial jersey of Miami. Also on the way is luxury swimwear designer Luli Fama, whose bikinis, one-piece suits and accessories are worn from the white sand beaches and turquoise waters of the Seychelles to Mallorca and San Andres, Colombia to Miami Beach.
Visitors walking the district will also have more choices for casual fare, with the addition of Cheesecake Factory, Osteria da Fortunata and IT Italian Trattoria.
The ambitious, innovative projects and exciting new tenants will expand the spectrum of visitors and locals to include more high-end consumers, driving an expansion of offerings on Miami Beach and inviting more stakeholders to invest in the community.
“The level of investment and new and exciting brands coming to the area underscore the growth underway, and that businesses are investing in the future of South Beach,” said Mindy Mcllroy, President of Terranova, the largest single property
owner on Lincoln Road. “Now is the time to invest in Lincoln Road as many of the projects proposed are already underway and set to open soon.”
Family offices are also opening near Lincoln Road, with car mavens the Potamkins paying more than $10 million for commercial space at 16th Street and Alton Road and more families with offices in Sunset Harbour, located just east of The Standard Spa, Miami Beach.
The district is also a cultural hub for cutting-edge galleries, artists, musical performances, ballet and international events that are the focus of the winter season including Art Basel Miami Beach, North America’s most comprehensive international contemporary art fair.
A snapshot of all the great happenings:
Lincoln Road Activations
Situated in the heart of Miami Beach, the Lincoln Road district is a premier retail, lifestyle and cultural destination that is home to about 200 restaurants and shops, entertainment, and arts and cultural offerings. Lincoln Road ranked as the most-visited open-air destination in South Florida, with over 8 million visits in 2021. To build on its popularity Lincoln Road, the City of Miami Beach and stakeholder-funded Lincoln Road Business Improvement District (BID), is hosting Living Art, a botanical collaboration that will bring together Miami’s top landscapers to revitalize and elevate the area from Washington to Meridian avenues. In addition, Lincoln Road has introduced programming meant to draw locals and tourists to the road from weekly wellness activations to the South Beach Slam, an amateur pickleball doubles tournament taking over the road at 1665 Lennox Avenue in November. Smormasburg Miami, a gathering of international food vendors, is held on Friday afternoons at the west end of the district. Year round art displays and cultural events are also planned as part of the activation program paid for by the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District.
As a cultural and educational destination, Lincoln Road draws locals and visitors alike to a wide spectrum of the arts, including Miami New Drama at The Colony Theatre, Oolite Arts, focused on the advancement of contemporary visual arts, The Bass contemporary art museum, Florida International University’s College of Architecture + The Arts Miami Beach Urban Studios, a creative space for students and the community, the New World Symphony Concert Hall and Music School, and the Miami City Ballet, all located in one of the most vibrant urban centers in the world.
Ritz-Carlton and Sagamore Revitalization Project
The Lowenstein, Kanavos, and Ben-Josef families – owners of The Ritz-Carlton South Beach (1 Lincoln Rd.) and Sagamore South Beach (1617 Collins Ave.) hotels – are working with the City on a public-private-partnership that would invest $12 million to improve the 100-300 blocks of Lincoln Road on the east end. The plan is designed to beautify the area by upgrading landscaping, adding water features and incorporating structures for shade, making it a more inviting and enjoyable for pedestrians, and would reroute traffic to make driving safer.
Additionally, a 15-story condo would be built on land adjacent to the Sagamore and Ritz-Carlton, South Beach, and a 30-residence would rise behind the Sagamore. The José Andrés Group, with a footprint of 30 restaurants nationwide, would also be running all food and beverage at the Sagamore.
citizenM Hotel
World famous citizenM Hotels, with properties in London, Paris, New York, Copenhagen and more, plans a five-story, 168-room hotel at 1628-34 Alton Road with a rooftop amenity.
Grand Hyatt Miami Beach Convention Center Hotel
Designed as an extension of the Miami Beach Convention Center, the Grand Hyatt Miami Beach is slated to open in September 2026 with 800 rooms, 90,000 square feet of indoor meeting/conference space, two pools, a resort-style deck and a signature lounge. The hotel is located at 17th Street and Convention Center Drive, near the New World Symphony Concert Hall and The Bass Museum of Art.
Redevelopment of the Raleigh Miami Beach
Developer Michael Shvo, Deutsche Finance and German pension funds have come together for the $190 million refinance for the development of a 60-key luxury hotel and a condo with 42 residences where the Richmond, Raleigh and South Seas hotels stand at 17th Street and Collins Avenue. Construction is to be completed by 2026.
Office and Residential Alton Road Project
Developer Michael Shvo also has plans for a six-story mixed-use building with five condominiums and 170,000 square feet of office space. In addition to 17,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, he would also have parking, a rooftop amenity deck and parking.
Elcielo Opens at SLS Miami Beach
Elcielo, the Michelin-starred Restaurant by Chef Juan Manuel Barrientos, has opened at the SLS Miami Beach, one of the top hotels in the Ennismore family of brands. Inspired by Colombian ancestral roots, Elcielo utilizes avant-garde cooking techniques to surprise diners and create a worldwide sensation.
The Shore Club Private Collection & Auberge Resorts Collections
Legendary Robert A.M. Stern Architects has designed an 18-story ultra luxurious Shore Club Private Collection, which features only 49 residences. With a $430 million construction loan from JP Morgan, the developer, Witkoff, has additional plans including the transformation of the original Shore Club into a five-star, 75-room Auberge Resorts Collection resort designed by Bryan O’Sullivan Studio and the refurbishment of the Cromwell House. It’s slated to be completed by 2026.
Hospitality Group Noble 33 To Open Mediterranean Restaurant
Noble 33’s plan to relocate from Los Angeles to Miami includes the opening of a Mediterranean restaurant concept called Meduza Mediterrania, featuring sustainably sourced ingredients. Monochrome Concept, Noble 33’s in-house design firm, will create the interiors for the restaurant slated to open in early 2025 at 1620 Drexel Ave.
