A Tale of Two Redevelopment Plans

MIAMI—The tit for tat between South Beach ACE and Portman-CMC during the selection process for rights to redevelop the Miami Beach Convention Center District is well known. In fact, at times it's been somewhat ugly.

GlobeSt.com decided to do a side by side comparison of the projects, based on answers to an exact question set presented to both parties. We asked Ambrish Baisiwala, CEO of Portman Holdings and Daniel Tishman, head of Tishman Hotels & Realty, how their master plan for the Miami Beach Convention Center site evolved since the bid process began. Their answers reveal completely different approaches to the project.

“We started this process with a very clear goal that the convention center had to be designed to serve both the convention visitors and the people who live here,” Baisiwala tells GlobeSt.com. Our planning has evolved based on that principle and the important input we received from the public over the last several months, which has really helped us to refine our master plan and ensure the program provides the best uses.”

Baisiwala says he feels the result is a “totally revolutionary approach” to convention center planning, creating a space that is wholly unique to Miami Beach. Meanwhile, Tishman tells Globest.com South Beach ACE has had consistent vision from day one—and he says that consistency stands in stark contrast with our competitor's ever-changing plan.

“We began the master planning process months ago without preconceived notions of what Miami Beach needed or wanted,” Tishman says. “Instead, we listened to the community, incorporated feedback, and determined how to improve the area through the use of existing assets and new development.”

As Tishman sees it, South Beach ACE's plan elevates the convention center to world-class status and creates an iconic hotel, new revenue streams and economic impact. He says it also “activates the surrounding land and integrates the convention center district with the surrounding urban landscape.”