The City of Miami Beach and the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District broke ground Friday morning on the first phase of a $29 million upgrade to the iconic pedestrian retail district.
City officials and local business leaders held the groundbreaking ceremony at the corner of Lincoln Road and Drexel Avenue. The project will include new outdoor seating and an extended pedestrian experience.
The project, which will take about a year to complete, will make improvements to Drexel and Meridian avenues.
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City officials and business leaders say the overhaul is designed to enhance connectivity for residents and visitors, making it easier to access major destinations like The Fillmore Miami Beach, New World Center, and the Miami Beach Convention Center.
"This landmark investment ensures Lincoln Road continues to be an iconic Miami Beach destination,” said Miami Beach Mayor Steven Meiner in a statement before Friday's press conference. “We are creating a safer, more vibrant, world-class pedestrian experience and I am committed to delivering this transformation.”
Lincoln Road Business Improvement District President Lyle Stern said the popular area is "experiencing a once-in-a-generation transformation, blending its storied past with a bold vision for the future."
"With billions of dollars of private investments underway, the district is poised to become Miami Beach’s culinary capital, cultural hot spot and premier commercial hub," Stern said in a statement.
The project will also include upgraded sidewalks, improved lighting, and new landscaping. While construction is underway, all businesses along Lincoln Road will remain open.
City officials said the famed outdoor pedestrian retail district was originally developed by Carl Fisher in 1912 with the vision of creating the “Fifth Avenue of the South.”
In the 1950s, legendary Miami Beach architect Morris Lapidus, who produced some 200 Miami Beach hotels, including the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc hotels, was asked "to re-envision Lincoln Road."
He later described Lincoln Road as the “one place that gives me the greatest pleasure” because it wove together a functional commercial space with fountains, pools and waterfalls.
