Photo Credit: Think Hospitality
Miami Beach is never fully done expanding and redeveloping, and the next stop on its list of ever-growing development areas is Washington Avenue, which is poised to be the next Lincoln Road of South Beach.
Think Hospitality‘s Shawn Vardi, behind sister property, the Plymouth Hotel, is one of the leading forces of this movement. He and his group have purchased land at 825 Washington Avenue to open their newest venture, the Clinton Hotel. Upon seeing the property and the potential for growth in the area, Shawn and his partners purchased the boutique hotel and spent over $5 million to renovate the site—giving it their signature trendy touch and luxurious amenities. The final product includes 88 guest rooms, a fully restored lobby, a new pool and the introduction of an exciting beach club program to give guests the ultimate South Beach experience.
Vardi truly sees potential in the revival of the neighborhood and has spearheaded a Business Improvement District (BID) from Fifth to 15th Street, aligning other business owners whose priorities were to improve the area’s vegetation, transportation, security and sanitation. These efforts coincide with the proposed ‘Pilot Project,’ where the Northbound vehicular lane would become a walking and bike lane. This makes the block more accessible and creates necessary foot traffic to transform the area back into the destination it once was.
Photo Credit: Think Hospitality
Currently, the entire block has been purchased and already leased to prospective tenants, supporting Vardi’s sharp instinct that the area was the next up-and-coming neighborhood. Top developers from around the country are following suit as this hot spot reinvents itself. Heavy hitters including Russell Galbut of Crescent Heights Development, Eric Birnbaum of Imperial Companies, Andrew Resnick and New York developer Michael Fascitelli include some of the names involved.
Neighboring hotel and developments include the Washington Park Hotel, which houses the New York transplant, Employees Only cocktail bar, the forthcoming Moxy by Marriott and an incarnation of New York’s Chelsea Market, which are clear indicators that the area is poised for rebirth.
