Miami Worldcenter Rise Coincides With Surge of Development, Tourism, Population Growth

MIAMI—Juvia, the celebrated restaurant and lounge known for its panoramic vistas and diverse culinary offerings, is the latest addition to the Miami Worldcenter. Departing from its iconic Miami Beach location on Lincoln Road, the culinary gem will find its new home at the $6 billion, 27-acre mixed use development transforming the heart of Downtown Miami.

Anticipated to open at Miami Worldcenter by the end of 2024, the restaurant’s new location will occupy 8,769 square feet of indoor space with a 7,100-square-foot rooftop patio on the 12th floor atop Miami Worldcenter’s Block H development at 652 NE 2nd Avenue, which comprises 50,000 square feet of prime street-level retail – home to brands like Sephora, Lululemon and Ray-Ban – along with a 922-space public parking garage.

As one of the largest privately owned and developed urban real estate developments in Florida, Miami Worldcenter, which is currently coming alive in phases, features a diverse mix of residential, commercial and hospitality uses complemented by a total of 300,000 square feet of retail, restaurant, and entertainment space. As of August 2023, approximately 90% of the development’s retail space has been leased.

Miami Worldcenter is being developed by developers Miami Worldcenter Associates, led by Managing Partners Art Falcone and Nitin Motwani, in partnership with CIM Group. “Our team has been working hard to bring in a landmark signature restaurant concept that is truly representative of Miami – so to have a local favorite like Juvia open at Miami Worldcenter is a huge win for us and Downtown Miami as a whole,” says Nitin Motwani, Managing Partner of Miami Worldcenter Associates.

Motwani tells GlobeSt.com that while they anticipate seeing continued demand from restauranteurs and other concepts who want a presence in Downtown Miami, “it’s important we don’t forget about the names and brands who have been here all along.” He notes that Miami Worldcenter has made a conscientious effort to partner with home-grown chefs like Ariete Hospitality Group’s Michelin-star-rated chef, Michael Beltran, local favorites such as the beloved restaurant and lounge, Juvia, and Miami’s finest cigar lounge, El Vecino, to our development.

He explains that every restaurant and store that will open at Miami Worldcenter is carefully selected to ensure there is something for everyone. “We’ve taken into consideration factors such as surrounding demographics and put together a variety of places that are family-friendly or cater to a more sophisticated, urbanites crowd. The selection of food and beverage concepts at Miami Worldcenter reflects Miami’s rise as a global city – with international, national, regional and local concepts that appeal to foodies from all over.”

According to Motwani, Miami Worldcenter’s rise coincides with a surge of development, tourism and population growth within Downtown Miami. Ten years ago, he tells GlobeSt.com, the urban core was a 9-to-5 district, but today it is home to the largest concentration of entertainment and cultural venues in the Southeast U.S. “As Miami continues to see an influx of people and businesses from other metropolitan cities these individuals are expecting a similar level of quality and variety in our dining options, and we finally have that. The trickle-down effect into other real estate sectors is noticeable, with a company’s workforce influencing the office, industrial sectors and of course on the residential market.”