The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami has announced plans for a $61m expansion that would create new cultural community spaces and a permanent parking facility for visitors.
For years, the center has relied on vacant lots nearby. But as those lots get replaced with newly constructed high-rises, parking options are running low.
鈥淐onsistently, the one thing that we鈥檝e heard from our patrons is that the biggest challenge here is traffic and parking,鈥� said Johann Zietsmann, the center鈥檚 president and CEO. 鈥淭raffic we can鈥檛 solve, but parking we can resolve.鈥�
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The proposed project calls for a six-story garage with approximately 750 spaces. The facility would be located on Miami-Dade County-owned land that was designated for parking in 2016, and within a short walking distance of the center鈥檚 Ziff Ballet Opera House and the Knight Concert Hall.
鈥溾�奝eople who don't know this area drive around the block and struggle,鈥� Zietsmann told SA国际传谋. 鈥淭his would make it so much easier for them because they would know exactly where to go.鈥�
Visitors would be able to reserve and pay for parking in advance after purchasing tickets online.
The project also includes about 5,000 square feet of space for community gathering and studio space, which would "extend the Arsht鈥檚 mission in the downtown Miami neighborhood, further cementing its identity as an arts and culture district," according to a press release.
The project would be funded through the center鈥檚 reserves and future parking revenue.
If approved by the Miami-Dade County Commission, construction is expected to take roughly 14 months once permits are secured 鈥� a process that Zietsmann said could take up to a year.
Zietsmann said he is optimistic about the plan鈥檚 approval and believes the new facility is designed to improve what he calls the 鈥渟treet-to-seat experience.鈥�
鈥淲e know once they鈥檙e inside our building they have a great time. We wanna control a little bit more 鈥� from the parking, back to the parking, and this will make that possible,鈥� said Zietsmann.
