Bayside Marketplace
Bayside Marketplace is an open-air festival marketplace located in Miami, Florida, United States. The center is situated on the banks of Biscayne Bay, with the City of Miami marina on one side.
History
Pre-construction and development
began plans for Bayside Marketplace in 1983. The company selected the site, along of land near downtown Miami facing Biscayne Bay, to develop a festival marketplace shopping center.Bayside Marketplace opened on April 8, 1987, with The Rouse Company's goal to revitalize the city and change its negative reputation. The marketplace was designed by Benjamin C. Thompson. Upon opening, it consisted of about of retail shops and restaurants between two different buildings, in addition to opening out to a marina called the Miamarina. The project was estimated upon opening to generate about 1,200 jobs in the Miami area.
It included a mix of retail and souvenir stores, restaurants, 77 minority-owned businesses, and also includes a that featured local musical acts, and a food court on the second floor.
After opening
Tenth-anniversary festivities in 1997 included a number of concerts and tall ship arrivals, as well as a fireworks show. In the early 21st century, proposals were given by Miami-Dade County to link the mall to American Airlines Arena with a pedestrian bridge. By 2004, the plans had been modified to instead include a street-level crosswalk, as well as a public park adjacent to the arena.Decline and renovation
Bayside Marketplace's once-bustling food court on the second floor began to lose food tenants. It also failed to compete with new, modern competitors like the Miami Design District and Brickell City Centre. It was also seen as a "tourist trap" not in the same way as how GGP Inc. and Ashkenazy handled Harborplace, but because it was seen as catering to cruise ship visitors and suburban visitors, which discouraged local repeat business. Plans for the nearby SkyRise Miami entertainment tower was cancelled because it faced legal challenges and funding issues, which resulted in the site where it was planned to be constructed on as a "wasteland."The marketplace undergone a $27 million renovation in 2016 by Miami's Zyscovich Architects, which gave it a fresh and more modern look, through a brighter paint scheme, hurricane-resistant polyurethane roofs with LED lighting, a revamped tenant mix, and general modernization. The food court was transformed into a food expedition, and the former Hooters became Black Market.