Construction Underway On Magic City Innovation District As Leasing Of Commercial Space Kicks Off

Magic City Innovation District (MCID), a 17.7-acre Innovation District in Miami’s Little Haiti and Little River neighborhoods, has commenced renovations on 17 of its 21 commercial buildings. The project's first phase of commercial development features 200,000 SF of leasable space spread through several modernized warehouses. Designs for the commercial spaces, which range from 300 to 14,000 SF, are spearheaded by a variety of local design firms, including McKENZIE and ELM Architects. MCID anticipates being ready to receive office, retail and other commercial tenants as early as September 2018. Metro 1, South Florida’s leading real estate brokerage, management and development firm, will handle leasing efforts for the 17 spaces, geared toward creative-style tenants that align and shape MCID’s atmosphere and further promote foot and auto traffic throughout the neighborhood.

“The majority of our team has been working behind the scenes for over a decade, and now, it’s finally a reality,” said Tony Cho, founder and CEO of Metro 1 and a MCID founding partner. “Soon you will be able to walk through Phases 1 & 2 of Magic City and experience how the vision behind the property interacts and attracts a true innovation ecosystem to Miami, while preserving Little Haiti’s unique character.”

MCID spans 6 city blocks and intends to redevelop the Little Haiti and Little River neighborhoods to create a walkable, campus-like neighborhood where individuals from all demographic backgrounds can enjoy a high-quality live, work, play lifestyle. With an emphasis on technology, sustainability, health and wellness and art and entertainment, MCID will contribute to the economic vitality of the area and enhance the appeal of the community. Phase two of the MCID development is the Forest of Curiosities park created in partnership with Lune Rouge, the Montreal-based enterprise founded by Cirque de Soleil founder, Guy Laliberté. The park promotes innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship and will have a central role in the curation and creative direction of Magic City’s arts and entertainment venues. 

“Magic City’s long-term development schedule and unique large-scale format makes the leasing process totally different from what you’d typically see at a new construction project elsewhere in the city. We’re looking for retail partners who not only share our desire to reinvigorate the surrounding community with new energy, but also complement the area’s existing vibe,” said Andres Nava, Vice President of Commercial Leasing at Metro 1. “Finding the right balance can be challenging, but we’re determined to fulfill our promises and create something that will benefit the entire community, not just the development team.”

MCID is also offering short-term lease opportunities, with spaces ranging from 300 SF to 30,000 SF. One of the few large-scale event venues in the City of Miami, these spaces are now available to host local community events as well as large-scale national/international conferences. 

McKENZIE + PROFILEmiami Happy Hour: Come Meet Javier Fernandez, Candidate for Florida House of Representatives District 114

Come join McKENZIE & PROFILEmiami for a special happy hour to meet our friend, Javier Fernandez, Democratic candidate for Florida House of Representatives District 114. Wednesday April 4 @ 6 PM at McKENZIE HQ - 2247 NW 17th Ave.

McKENZIE Reveals Tribe, The Newly Completed Transformation Of Overtown's Historic New Providence Lodge Into Co-Working Space

McKENZIE, a boutique design, build and custom fabrication firm, has transformed the historical New Providence Lodge building in Overtown into Tribe Urban Innovation Lab and Cowork, a new co-working space that will primarily focus on serving local, African American youth. Tribe will be an innovation hub focused on serving local African American youth along with the greater South Florida entrepreneur community. The historical New Providence Lodge building, located at 937 NW 3rd Avenue, once housed a Freemason chapter during the Jim Crow era and is owned by real estate giant Michael Simkins. Tribe is owned by Felecia Hatcher and Derick Pearson who are both successful entrepreneurs working to provide opportunities for African Americans to thrive in the tech industry. Simkins partnered with Tribe to successfully obtain a City of Miami CRA grant to commission McKENZIE to design and build-out the space. In addition to office space, Tribe will house Code Fever and BlackTech Week, two nonprofit organizations founded by Hatcher and Pearson that help build and diversify startup ecosystems and support African American entrepreneurs, as well as several black-owned businesses. 

The Allapattah-based McKENZIE managed the design and construction of the adaptive reuse project transforming the two-story, 3,700 SF venue into a modern, open-design concept that promotes creativity and idea sharing. McKENZIE preserved many of the original design elements in honor of the building’s history. The original wood ceiling and steel beams were purposely left exposed to provide visual contrast to the collaborative workspace’s more clean and modern finishes. Tribe features design elements that are in tune with the evolving workplace and the needs of today’s entrepreneurial workforce. The multi-use space features seven offices, several conference rooms, classrooms, a library, common area, collaborative event and hangout spaces, maker lab, and a kitchen built by McKENZIE’s Craft division.
 
“Proper design is crucial for co-working spaces as today’s employees are looking for a work environment that’s vibrant, inspirational and dynamic, not your standard office space,” said MCKENZIE’s Design Officer Jose Ortez. “Our design of Tribe creates this atmosphere while maintaining a flexible work space that can evolve with time and continue to serve the local community for years to come.”