One Convention Center. Two Approaches.

MIAMI—What will differentiate the configuration of your renovated Miami Beach Convention Center building—and where will visitors access the building? That's what we asked principals of South Beach ACE and Portman-CMC, the two firms competing for the right to redevelop the Miami Beach Convention Center District, in part two of our series.

You can go back and read part one of our series, A Tale of Two Redevelopment Plans, if you missed it. Our goal is to offer each side of the table a fair shake to explain the difference—and benefits—of their plans.

Ambrish Baisiwala, CEO of Portman Holdings, tells GlobeSt.com there are a number of important differences in the configuration that impact the usability of the convention center. Perhaps one of the most significant, he says, is the construction period itself.

“Our approach will be completed in two years and seven months while the other proposal will be longer by more than a year,” Baisiwala says. “Moreover, the Portman-CMC plan keeps the convention center fully operational during construction, involving no temporary structures that could impact marquis events like Art Basel.”

Once complete, he continues, Portman-CMC will include several features that will make the convention center more user-friendly and convenient to convention goers. For example, he notes, Portman-CMC's convention center is more compact—about three stories versus the five-story option South Beach ACE is proposing.

“It's more walkable at 1,000 feet versus the other plan which is 2,500 feet—nearly half a mile,” Baisiwala says. “It's also integrated with other components of the site, such as the Miami Beach Square, hotel, residential properties and cafes. Additionally, approximately 45% of our meeting spaces have daylight views—while the other proposal has only 9%.”

Daniel Tishman, head of Tishman Hotels & Realty, a member of South Beach ACE, tells GlobeSt.com his team's convention center plan reconfigures the exhibit halls so they run north-south and placed the loading functions to the north. The visitor access to the halls will run along the south side in a concourse.

“Our front door faces south, orienting visitors toward a new open plaza and green space,” Tishman says. “This also creates greater connectivity to Lincoln Road. We are maintaining and improving entrances on the east side of the building, which will allow visitors in the nearby beach hotels to easily walk to the center. We have integrated our ballrooms and meeting rooms within the building, which is efficient, urban, and preferred by meeting planners and guests. In fact, our plan has been endorsed by many of the world's top convention organizers.”

Stay tuned tomorrow for part 3 of this series. We'll take a look at new public spaces that will be created as part of your master plan from both firms.