Miami Design District
Miami, FL
One of the most important destinations for creative businesses in the country exists on an outstanding retail corridor in the famed Miami Design District. Retailers and restaurateurs are offered an unparalleled opportunity to lease space and become a part of the transformation of this historic region into a hub for luxury retail. The District spans 18-square blocks throughout the center of Miami, just minutes from South Beach with direct access to Interstate 195. This creative epicenter began as a humble furniture district in the 1920s. Over the course of several decades, the buildings were vacated and remained that way until the mid-1990s. Miami-based real estate agency Dacra began acquiring buildings to encourage furniture warehouses and showrooms to repopulate the area. Buildings were salvaged, renovated and recast as showrooms for a range of home furnishings, from decor to bathroom fixtures. Slowly, the Design District became a destination for interior design and a place to source one-of-a-kind items. In 2002, Art Basel Miami began to draw affluent shoppers to the Design District. Luxury retailers saw tremendous growth potential in Miami — Dacra and L Real Estate formed a partnership to own and curate the Miami Design District in 2010, and one year later Louis Vuitton established its Miami headquarters there. In 2013, Hermès followed suit and joined the luxury retailer in this high-end tourist attraction.