CEO Roundtable: What does your ideal future Lincoln Road look like?
This week’s question: How should city officials balance the need for modernization and preservation during the redevelopment of Lincoln Road? What does your ideal future Lincoln Road look like?
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They should be focused on the principles of a art deco style rather than focusing on preserving the specific façade/structure. They also need to preserve the proper balance of restaurants and shops without allowing only national name-brand stores to establish presence.
Daniel Ades, managing partner, Kawa Capital Management
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Balancing development and preservation is always delicate, but the key is to ensure that we have a 360-degree view of the situation and that all parties participate in the dialogue.
Christine Barney, CEO, RBB Communications
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There is a need for modernization of Lincoln Road, but not too much. I would focus more on nicer landscaping. Though some modernization is needed, I would leave much of the structures alone, preserving the designs and architecture of Morris Lapidus.
Richard Behar, Founder and CEO, Capitol Clothing Corp.
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I live in Palm Beach County and I am not that familiar with Lincoln Road, even though I have visited on more than one occasion. I do not feel comfortable responding to this question.
Carmen Castillo, president and CEO, SDI International
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I think it’s important to maintain the character of Lincoln Road, and the city should do its best to keep the historical façades, the pedestrian feel, the beautiful landscaping, etc., in the areas that are controlled by the city. As for the private retail, we hope that some of the authenticity will remain and that pricing will not force them out. I hope that Lincoln Road will continue to be a pedestrian-friendly and inviting place where one can have breakfast, lunch or dinner and find some interesting things to take home along with wonderful memories.
Alicia Cervera Lamadrid, managing partner, Cervera Real Estate
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It is always important to engage business owners, ecology, residents and the larger community in discussions of change and preservation. Officials must allow the community to help shape the future of Lincoln Road, and I believe ecological preservation should be at the forefront of the discussion because it is a mechanism to engage both the history of Miami beach and ensure a viable future.
Pandwe Gibson, executive director, EcoTech Visions
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I think city officials did a brilliant job commissioning the landscape architect behind the High Line in New York. The beautiful transformation of the west end of Lincoln Road at Alton might be used as an example of what seems to be a perfect balance. It would be lovely if we could include some of the fabulous giant bougainvillea trellises that we see on the lawns of the New World Center.
Julie Grimes, managing partner, Hilton Bentley Hotel
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I like the new design that has been proposed. It seems to embrace the past and the future while creating an enjoyable environment that is very comfortable for our use today.
Ann Machado, founder and president, Creative Staffing
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They should lean toward preservation, as it provides for a more unique and enduring experience. This will also lead to higher values. My ideal future Lincoln Road looks much like the current one, except with some more cross-streets closed to vehicular traffic.
Victor Mendelson, co-president, HEICO
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Lincoln Road has become the icon for pedestrian-friendly malls, and it has played an important role in the success of Miami Beach. We need to preserve its original concept and history as it continues to grow while also modernizing its appeal, keeping up with Miami’s growth and new global trends.
Nitin Motwani, managing principal, Miami Worldcenter Associates
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An ideal future for Lincoln Road balances preservation with unique, even quirky retailers and stunning international brands, creating a confluence of conservation and entrepreneurialism. A great example is Books & Books, a favorite of mine. Whether on Lincoln Road or at the Adrienne Arsht Center, developers were able to simultaneously preserve a historic building and invite a proven and respected retailer that drives interest and traffic.
Abe Ng, founder and CEO of Sushi Maki
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My ideal future Lincoln Road would have a mix of tenants similar to that of 10 years ago. Unfortunately, the market has made this cost-prohibitive.
Todd Oretsky, co-founder, Pipeline Brickell
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Lincoln Road happens to be my favorite slice of paradise in South Florida. I go there as often as I can, and have since I came to this country. I just love the vibe, where the world mingles over food, shopping and culture within a few blocks. It’s the best place to relax and watch people. I hope that the redevelopment follows strict standards so that the aesthetic that Lapidus envisioned is completely preserved. I would not want anything that takes away from Lincoln Road’s vibe, nothing that makes it look like a tourist trap.
Eduardo Padrón, president, Miami Dade College
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I’ve lived in Miami Beach for 16 years, and as much as I love progress, I have to admit I’m a bit nostalgic for the old Lincoln Road, when it was filled with unique and off-beat stores, galleries and local favorites like David’s Cafe. So my ideal future is actually more focused on the tenant mix than on the development itself. I would love it if there were a way to keep the charm, develop for the future and somehow make it feasible for at least some of the one-off quirky stores to thrive. If we don’t, pretty soon Lincoln Road will just be an outdoor version of Aventura Mall.
Joanna Schwartz, CEO and co-founder, EarlyShares
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They should balance it with huge deference to excitement and community. It’s going to be a difficult yet exciting challenge as several world-renowned architects with sensitivities to history, pedestrian flow and entertainment will be involved. My vision for it is that of an electric, chic, pedestrian mecca with seamless reminders of Miami’s great past!
Darryl K. Sharpton, president and CEO, The Sharpton Group
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Lincoln Road is one of the great pedestrian streets of the world. The city is moving in the right direction by hiring the architects who designed the High Line to update and improve Lincoln Road while preserving and paying homage to the great Lapidus design that is the signature of the street.
Andrew Smulian, chairman and CEO, Akerman LLP
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It’s important to preserve a sense of place, especially in Miami, where history is short. The essential quality of the buildings can be preserved but with upgrades to the interiors and enhancements to the pedestrian spaces. Modern infills are also a much better idea than pastiche; the Herzog & de Meuron garage is a great example at one end. It would look odd and too big in the middle, but there, it acts as a high-quality sentinel, and the adjacent plantings and surfaces are lovely. Miami 21 provides the framework for enhancing walkability — which is what this neighborhood is all about.
Gillian Thomas, president and CEO, Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science
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Ideal balance will weigh the importance of history and green space with the benefits of utilizing Lincoln Road as one of the keys to making Miami a true world-class city. Beautiful, sustainably built businesses will create jobs and be a positive force in the economy.
Alina Villasante, founder, Peace Love World clothing
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City officials should look at 900 Lincoln Road as a good example of modernization and preservation. An ideal future Lincoln Road is a “strip” version Aventura Mall.
Marlon Williams, founder and CEO, Fenero
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I don’t think anyone would argue that Lincoln Road has become more corporate. The commercial market ultimately dictates the retail mix of any neighborhood. The trick is to identify what makes Lincoln Road a special place to both locals and tourists alike, whether it’s preserving historically significant architecture, identifying creative uses of public space, or improving programming beyond the farmer’s market and sidewalk performers.
John Wood, president, Amicon Construction
This story was originally published August 2, 2015 at 3:00 AM with the headline "CEO Roundtable: What does your ideal future Lincoln Road look like?."