Portman Covers Its Convention Center Bases

MIAMI—Portman-CMC's plans to redevelop the Miami Beach Convention Center have some interesting twists—including partnering with Cirque du Soleil to bring world-class entertainment and even gyms to the local community. There are also strategic plans to handle traffic.

GlobeSt.com caught up with Jack Portman, vice chairman of Portman Holdings and John Portman & Associates, to discuss more about the firm's plans for the Miami Beach Convention Center. In part two of this exclusive series, he shares about the partnership with Cirque, how his firm would tackle traffic issues, and the hotel component of the landmark project. Click here to read part one if you missed it.

GlobeSt.com: Cirque du Soleil is part of the Portman-CMC team. Can you share some information about their involvement?

Portman: Cirque du Soleil is more than just a circus. It's a world-class entertainment company and content producer. They are committed to bringing a variety of content and flexible programming that is customized for the Miami market, which will be achieved through a state-of-the-art, multifunctional theater providing for different configuration options for different types of shows. Their wide network of relationships in the entertainment industry will support this objective.

Moreover, Cirque brings some exciting elements to the table, benefiting not only tourists and visitors, but also the local community, such as a gym to train as their performers do, and an academy for children to learn acrobatics and other performing arts.

GlobeSt.com: Traffic and parking is a big issue in Miami Beach. Can you share how the Portman-CMC team will help reduce the convention center's impact to this already existent, growing problem?

Portman: Traffic and parking issues vary drastically from city to city, presenting their own unique set of obstacles, which is why we brought on David Plummer & Associates of Coral Gables to help address this challenge. They developed the traffic management plan for the American Airlines Arena--a top-rated traffic program by the NBA--and implemented the free trolley system in Coral Gables, which has successfully been in operation for more than a decade.

Right now, the only way to get to the convention center from the mainland is by car. Our goal is to keep people out of their cars upon arrival. And, we're looking at a variety of measures to accomplish this task, such as pedestrian/biking routes and mass transit solutions, while protecting the convention center's surrounding neighborhoods.

Additionally, since up to 30% of congestion in urban areas is caused by motorists searching for parking, we're also incorporating smart parking into our approach, which provides real-time data on parking availability. The public can access this information through their smart phone, before heading out on the road.

GlobeSt.com: The City of Miami Beach's request for qualifications call for a hotel to accompany the convention center. Can you share more about what Portman-CMC is envisioning?

Portman: The City asked for an 800-room convention center headquarters hotel to enhance the offering of the convention center. Our hotel architect, John Portman & Associates, has designed headquarters hotels of all shapes and sizes around the world, and in this case they were really challenged to keep the height around 120 feet and maintain the low-rise profile throughout the plan. The scheme they're working on now is 120 feet high and incorporates the elements they're known so well for—public spaces at the lobby level, highly efficient event spaces and a unique and enjoyable experience in the common areas. Moreover, the design is really informed by the location.