In certain parts of Miami, construction cranes feel as common as palm trees. For the last five years or so, Wynwood has been one of those parts. Despite its relatively small surface area, the in vogue arts district continues to welcome a spate of new projects: apartment complexes, retail shops, drinking and dining establishments—the list goes on and on.
Anyone who’s taken a stroll down Wynwood’s NW 24th Street has seen this firsthand. The small street has been plagued with some pretty nasty construction for the better part of the last year, which is why two of its tenants (and two of Wynwood’s tastiest new restaurants) have decided to move out of town. The buzzy Philly transplants Federal Donuts and Dizengoff are officially closed for business in Miami. “The construction that has surrounded us for the last six months was simply too much to bear,” Federal Donuts said in a statement posted to Instagram. It’s a bit of a surprise. Both concepts, brought to us by James Beard Award-winning chef Michael Solomonov, were well-received in the city. But this is hardly a new Miami narrative.
Recently, businesses in Little Havana (including one of our favorites, Edukos) have spoken out against construction’s detrimental impact on local businesses. And before that, Miracle Mile stores felt the slow squeeze of construction. Tarpon Bend’s owner called it “a tragedy” in an interview with the Herald.
We can only hope developers are starting to realize the consequences of lethargic construction and will start to develop more thoughtfully, with an ear bent towards the needs of local businesses surrounded by orange cones and jackhammers. It might be a pipe dream, but if there is one thing Miami seems to pay an awful lot of attention to, it’s doughnuts. And we lost some good ones today.
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