Holes in the Core

Sharon Harvey Rosenberg | 8/1/2007

Despite the ubiquitous cranes framing downtown Miami and a newly opened, state-of-the-art performing arts center, the health of the city’s downtown business district has re-emerged as a hot topic.

At left, Macy's Florida CEO Julie Greiner railed against decay and neglect in downtown Miami. [Photo: Daniel Portnoy]

Macy’s Florida chief executive Julie Greiner launched the latest salvo in the war to clean up downtown. “Miami’s skyline now ranks third behind New York and Chicago, according to the 2006 Almanac of Architecture and Design,” Greiner noted during a recent Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce luncheon. “Thankfully, the good folks from the almanac were only looking up when they came to Miami because had they looked down, they also would have seen the collection of boarded-up buildings infested with rodents and mold that are a feature of our downtown landscape.”

Greiner’s blistering speech covering crime, safety and dilapidation downtown caught the attention of local civic leaders for several reasons. Not only is Macy’s a major employer downtown, but there’s also talk that the store and the Florida corporate offices may leave their Flagler Street location, where they have been since 1912 (formerly as Burdines).

The retailer says it’s interested in creating a “vibrant and safe” environment for its customers and employees and doesn’t intend to move.

Hank Klein, new chairman of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, agrees with Greiner’s assessment and made similar remarks during his June 2 installation speech. He plans to make urban revival a priority. “There’s a great deal of development in downtown Miami,” Klein says. “But a tremendous amount of the downtown area is being ignored.”

Neisen Kasdin, chairman of the land-use practice at Akerman Senterfitt and a member of the board of directors for the Miami Downtown Development Authority, concedes that Miami’s central business district needs major work but argues that the city’s revitalization progress outstrips the growth of other urban districts in Sun Belt and Rust Belt cities. What’s more, he says, Miami’s private sector needs to step up to the plate. “We would also like to see Macy’s make investments to improve the store and its curbside appeal,” Kasdin says.

“There’s no silver bullet,” says Dana Nottingham, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority. “There’s a public side of the ledger and a private side of the ledger. Macy’s has a role. The stores in the downtown area have a role, and the city has a role.”

Tags: Miami-Dade