New Face of Jackie Gleason Theatre?

MIAMI—Today it's one of Beach's most underutilized public sites. But if South Beach ACE has its way, it may soon come feature a fully-revamped convention center that lures major events from around the world, an iconic hotel, inviting green spaces, low-density retail uses, and cultural venues.

South Beach ACE, one of two teams competing to redevelop the Miami Beach Convention Center and its 52-acre site, is made up of national developer Tishman, international architecture firm OMA, and Miami Beach developer UIA Management. Experts in construction, convention center design, landscape design and traffic are joining forces with the team. Portman is also competing for the win.

“After listening extensively to the community and Miami Beach stakeholders, our concept plan unveiled in February was for a world class convention center, increased site connectivity, the preservation of key elements of the site that are important to the community and more open space and recreation facilities,” says Dan Tishman, chairman of Tishman. Tishman is currently overseeing the reconstruction of the World Trade Center site and the renovation of the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan.

A civic and cultural band running along the southern end of the property that will offer a modernized Jackie Gleason Theater, a new cultural venue, the existing Miami Beach City Hall, and active landscaped areas are a focal point of South Beach ACE's proposal.

“The orientation of the convention center and hotel entrances to the south, along with the activated public space and reimagined 17th Street corridor, will draw guests to the historic Lincoln Road retail and entertainment area,” says Victor Diaz, a community outreach consultant for South Beach ACE and principal of Miami Beach-based Diaz Partners.

Mobility in Chain has studied vehicle and pedestrian patterns during recent events at the existing Miami Beach Convention Center. Federico Parolotto, senior partner at Mobility in Chain, says, “We are improving the overall traffic condition around the Miami Beach Convention Center, and also paying attention to pedestrian connectivity and safety, creating an environment that properly addresses vehicle and people movement.”

A network of shaded, undulating green spaces imagined by South Beach ACE's landscape design firms, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates (MVVA) and Raymond Jungles will frame the exterior. The public spaces aim to create a continuous but varied park-like environment capable of hosting community events throughout the year.

“The landscape areas are envisioned as an ensemble of unfolding spaces linking SoundScape Park across 17th street to a civic landscape at the entrance of the convention center,” says Matthew Urbanski, principal of MVVA. “We envision a flexible use plaza with shady edges and elements, such as fountains, that can be deployed as needed to animate the space.”