New Sunny Isles $6 Million Community Center

Transforming the street level of a boxy parking garage into an inviting community space for Sunny Isles Beach residents was the vision of City Manager Christopher Russo and several city commissioners.

“Every day we work to fulfill our mission to keep Sunny Isles Beach a world-class city that offers the highest quality of life for our residents. The completion of the Gateway Center is just the latest extension of our promise,” said Russo. “When the privatization of the space for a market and restaurant fell through, we realized there was a greater need to utilize the building as a recreation facility for residents.”

Tasked with bringing the project to life was Elina Cardet, lead architect of Perkins & Will’s Miami studio interior design practice. The surrounding neighborhood was her design inspiration.

“Our design concept focused on how to transform the ‘concrete box’ of an existing city garage to create a welcoming community space by inserting a luminous wood box to house the different functions and activities,” said Cardet. “We used the area’s natural context – the coral bedrock of the barrier island, the water and the changing sky for material and lighting inspiration.”

The result is a 17,000-square-foot multipurpose community center that serves all age groups. Sunny Isles Beach residents and visitors can convene here to socialize, take classes, attend events and enjoy the welcoming nature of a neighborhood gathering place.

Utilizing community input during the design process was key, and ensured that the space would be welcomed by residents.

“I am thrilled to see how the inclusion goals established during the early stages of the design process paid off,” said Cardet. “Through detailed surveys and a series of public hearing presentations, we gathered feedback from residents to help create a welcoming space for this diverse community.”

Clean design lines, light wood and floor-to-ceiling windows create a warm, inviting aesthetic throughout the space.

“Providing a calm, relaxing and safe space for residents to enjoy was critical during the design phase,” said Russo.

The center’s program areas include a 3,600-square-foot ballroom, the so-called “Social Alley” with seating and game tables, fitness rooms, large and small classrooms, a catering kitchen with camera system, a hearing loop system, a high-end audio/visual system and free Wi-Fi.

The ballroom features a series of pull-down screens, ideal for video presentations, and large windows providing a wraparound view showcasing the outdoor courtyard and waterfall. The fitness rooms also feature screens, wood floors and mirrors throughout. Classes include yoga and chair yoga, barre, Zumba aerobics, Pilates, ballroom dancing and strength training for youth and seniors.

Multipurpose classrooms are for language, music and software classes, as well as community meetings and presentations.

The catering and teaching kitchen within the rental space has a unique feature: a

camera system “where you can see the cooks preparing the food,” said Colin Summers, assistant director of Cultural and Community Services for the city of Sunny Isles Beach.

Aside from hosting cooking classes, chef demonstrations and wine tasting events, the catering kitchen is also used by students from St. Thomas University’s Hospitality School.

“It is also rewarding to see how the flexibility and versatility built into the design can empower a city team to continue offering innovative programming, creative activities and celebrate life’s events,” said Cardet.

The activity areas all face a light-filled corridor along the existing south loggia of the building known as the aforementioned Social Alley. This corridor is activated by a series of built-in nooks for enjoying a cup of complimentary coffee or tea and doing some light reading.

“We layered materials, sequentially, as a gradation of color, to help define the spaces experientially and intuitively,” said Cardet. “Inspired by the beautiful sunrises and sunsets of Sunny Isles Beach, we set out to create an inclusive and equitable public space for the entire community; essential, timeless, edited forms were designed to evoke a unique and serene experience for users of all ages.”

“The Gateway Center is an elite facility for residents to learn new skills by sampling a selection of diverse programs, for teens to meet in a safe setting without their parents and for seniors to gather for social activities,” said Russo.

The Gateway Center is located at 151 Sunny Isles Blvd. in Sunny Isles Beach. Visit SIBFL.net to view a list of events and classes and to take a virtual tour of the center.