Bayside Marketplace

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Bayside Marketplace
Bayfront Plaza 2020.jpg
Bayside Marketplace in February 2020, with the Ferris Wheel under construction
Bayside Marketplace
Location Miami, Florida, United States
Coordinates 25°46′42″N80°11′11″W / 25.77831°N 80.186452°W / 25.77831; -80.186452
Address401 Biscayne Boulevard
Opening dateApril 8, 1987;38 years ago (1987-04-08)
Developer The Rouse Company
Management Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation
Owner Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation [1]
Architect Benjamin Thompson and Associates, Inc.
Floors2
Website baysidemarketplace.com

Bayside Marketplace is a two-story open air shopping center 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. [2]

Contents

History

The Rouse Company began plans for Bayside Marketplace in 1983. The company selected the site, along 16 acres (6.5 ha) of land near downtown Miami facing Biscayne Bay, to develop a festival marketplace shopping center. [3]

Bayside Marketplace opened on April 8, 1987, with the Rouse Company's goal to revitalize the city and change its negative reputation. [4] The marketplace was designed by Benjamin C. Thompson. Upon opening, it consisted of about 235,000 square feet (21,800 m2) 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. [5]

It includes 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. [6]

Tenth-anniversary festivities in 1997 included a number of concerts and tall ship arrivals, as well as a fireworks show. [7] In the early 21st century, proposals were given by Miami-Dade County to link the mall to American Airlines Arena (now Kaseya Center) with a pedestrian bridge. [8] By 2004, the plans had been modified to instead include a street-level crosswalk, as well as a public park adjacent to the arena. [9]

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. [10] Plans for the 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." [11]

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. [12] The food court was transformed into a food expedition, and the former Hooters became Black Market.

Notable incidents

2024 fireworks disturbance

On January 1, 2024, a large police presence arrived at the mall after reports of teenagers causing a disturbance including fighting and lighting fireworks. [13] The scale of police presence which responded to the incident spawned conspiracy theories involving extraterrestrials which police denied. [14] [15]

References

  1. ↑ "Bayside Marketplace - Ashkenazy Acquisition Corporation Realty". AAC. 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  2. ↑ Miami Trave Guide
  3. ↑ Beth Dunlop (September 25, 1983). "Spirit of Miami missing from Bayside designs". The Miami Herald. pp. 1L, 8L. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  4. ↑ "From Miami Vice to Miami Nice". Miami Times Online. 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  5. ↑ "Bayside project fact sheet: It's big and beautiful". The Miami Herald. April 5, 1987. pp. 2BA. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Bayside Marketplace - Miami Article". Miami Herald. 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  7. ↑ "Celebrate 10th birthday of Bayside Marketplace". The Miami Herald. April 10, 1997. pp. S6. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  8. ↑ Oscar Corral (February 9, 2002). "Miami pushing Miami-Dade to build Bayside walkway". The Miami Herald. pp. 3B. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  9. ↑ Douglas Hanks III (July 1, 2003). "Heat, county mull waterfront park". The Miami Herald. pp. 3C. Retrieved December 19, 2025.
  10. ↑ "Skyrise Miami Eiffel Tower Site becomes a wasteland". WLRN. June 20, 2024. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  11. ↑ "SkyRise Miami Future tourist destination and a hard pill to swallow". Condo Blackbook. September 23, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  12. ↑ "Before and after: Miami's Bayside Marketplace". The Jaxsonmag. November 5, 2018. Retrieved December 14, 2025.
  13. ↑ Nbc6 • • (January 2, 2024). "4 teens arrested after large fight caused chaos in Bayside Marketplace on New Year's Day". NBC 6 South Florida. Retrieved May 12, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  14. ↑ Rodriguez • •, Gabi (January 5, 2024). "'No aliens, UFOs, or ETs': Police clear up social media speculation after viral Bayside brawl". NBC 6 South Florida. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
  15. ↑ Geisel, Hunter (January 5, 2024). "Rumors of 'shadow aliens' at Bayside Marketplace go viral after large fight among teens creates chaos - CBS Miami". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved May 12, 2025.
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