An open-air luxury shopping center at Brickell City Centre that developers say will transform downtown’s financial district is set to open Thursday morning — but don’t expect all, or even most, of its more than 100 shops to be ready.
About a dozen stores, including headliner Saks Fifth Avenue, will welcome customers for the opening. During a media preview of the 500,000-square-foot site, hard-hatted construction workers caulked store fronts and carted wheelbarrows of building supplies. Hurricane Matthew delayed progress of several tenants by a week. Other retailers, including several making their debut in the Miami market, have moved more slowly than expected.
“It’s more of an unveiling,” said Debora Overholt, vice president of retail for Hong Kong-based developer Swire Properties.
The shopping center, cooled by an innovative climate ribbon that shades shoppers from the sun and fans them with sea breezes, stretches across three city blocks linked by elevated pedestrian bridges. It offers 1,700 underground parking spaces and also connects to Miami’s Metromover. Public transit will be crucial to the project’s success as navigating the area by car can be tricky, due to Brickell congestion and several active construction sites in the area. It is located at 701 S. Miami Ave.
Developers have embarked on a massive wave of retail construction and renovation across South Florida, saying the region is under-served. But Brickell City Centre, which includes two condo towers, office space and a hotel for a total of 4.9 million square feet, is the first to open its doors south of the Miami River. Target markets include foreign tourists, Brickell condo dwellers and suburbanites from Coral Gables and Pinecrest.