1616-31 MIA Herald - Ocean Drive Ready For Resurgence OCEAN DRIVE READY FOR RESURGENCE 01/15/2004
THE MIAMI HERALD
Copyright (c) 2004, The Miami Herald
DATE: Thursday, January 15, 2004 EDITION: Final
SECTION: Neighbors BC PAGE: 3MB LENGTH: 41 lines
SOURCE/CREDIT LINE: BY NICOLE WHITE, nwhite@herald.com
OCEAN DRIVE READY FOR RESURGENCE
Development of the blocks north of 10th Street on Ocean Drive has
languished for years, upstaged by the thriving businesses to its south.
Now, a new 100-plus room Hyatt Hotel, the renovation of the historic Victor
Hotel, the expansion of the Finnegans' restaurant and talks of a Cheesecake
Factory could help re-energize the northern corridor of the strip, running
between 10th and 15th streets.
Tourists, lured by the Art Deco hotels, quirky restaurants and outdoor
cafe's routinely flock to the strip.
But those visitors usually lose interest after 10th Street, says Marlo
Courtney, president of the Ocean Drive Association.
The reason: The Versace Mansion at 11th Street and Ocean Drive signaled the
start of a residential section of the strip. The 1999 closure of the Adrian
Hotel, also on the 1100 block of Ocean Drive, left a "gaping hole" in the
strip, Courtney said.
"That closure created a void north of the Clevelander, " Courtney said.
"After the Clevelander, it's a pretty dark street with a rhythm much
different from what you see further south. "
Things are turning around.
The Versace mansion, where the famed designer- Gianni Versace was murdered
in 1997, is now a magnet for tourists.
The renovation of the Victor Hotel, after almost two decades of being
shuttered, and the buzz surrounding the opening of the Hyatt, one of two major
flagship hotels on Ocean Drive is a sign that section of the street is coming
into its own, said Mayor David Dermer.
"There is a real renaissance happening in (the northern part of the
street, " Dermer said. "All of that revitalization is very important to the
city. "
The rebirth is welcome news to other businesses in the area, Courtney said.
"It's taken a little more time for the north end to catch up to the south,
but I think most of us knew it would eventually happen. "