Bayside: From Miami Vice to Miami Nice

Trovel Williams’ business began with a pushcart in 1987. Thirty-five years later he operates four shops at Bayside Marketplace – Passage to India I and II, Silver Palace and Global Culture. And as he gazed at the nearby skyline, he marveled at how far he’s come, and how hard he hustled to capture his piece of the American dream.

“Wow,” he sighed. “Everything started from this place here.”

Bayside Marketplace opened in the heart of downtown Miami April 8, 1987, with a vision of revitalizing the city and changing its reputation of drugs, crime and corruption. Nearly four decades after opening its doors, it remains a leading attraction.

The marketplace has changed dramatically over the last 35 years, but it has accomplished its purpose and continues to do so every day. Bayside has lived through wars, 9/11, hurricanes, the 2008 market crash and a pandemic. Nonetheless, with vibrant colors, a tropical atmosphere, and flags from all over the world, it remains a strong representation of Miami.

James Wilson, Rouse Company national and regional leasing executive at the time, said he knew Bayside would be something special from the vibe it gave off when he stepped foot on the land. Now, even after a global pandemic, business is booming and (almost) back to normal with 180 businesses, including stores, restaurants, kiosks and pushcarts.

Pamela Weller, vice president of Management Assets, said when she began working at Bayside 18 years ago, it was at 70% occupancy. Now it’s at 98% occupancy with only one vacant space.

The once bustling food court has been turned into a traveling food exhibition and the famous Hooters on the second floor has become Black Market. Bayside has made arts, literature and culture a part of its mission as well, hosting events such as opera and Shakespeare in the park.

It has also introduced 360 Virtual Reality, an “unparalleled level of gameplay” with a variety of digital reality simulators, as well Dino Safari, an indoor experience with life-size dinosaurs.

While stores, restaurants and attractions have come and gone, so have administrations.

Changing Hands

Since 1987, the marketplace has been under the management of three different companies. The Rouse Company sold the 16-acre complex to General Growth Properties in 2004, which sold 49% of its shares to Ashkenazy Acquisitions, the company currently managing the property, in 2014.

Williams shared that each administration has had its own strategy. From his perspective, Rouse really understood what Bayside is all about and developed an amazing concept. However, GGP inherited the business and as it didn’t build it from the ground up, had a different mindset and wasn’t as involved.

And while he doesn’t see nor maintain a relationship with Ashkenazy Acquisitions, he said its management is very “hands-on.”

On the day Biscayne Times visited Bayside, there was a palpable sense of happiness and gratitude in the air – from both visitors and store owners. Guests were happy to be out and about and taking in the beautiful ocean view, and tenants are nothing short of elated with their place of work.

Carol Ann Taylor was an original Bayside proprietor with Miami to

Go. Many of the early owners, like herself, opened with a dream and little to no business experience. She said the Rouse Company was instrumental in helping them succeed with free consulting and marketing.

Her success eventually landed on the Commonwealth Institute’s list of Top 50 Women-Led Businesses in Florida.

Jonathan Neuwirth, owner of Bayside Logo and Caribbean Life, who bought one of his shops from Taylor, said he loves going to work on the water and meeting new people every day. It’s a feeling shared by many of the shop owners.

“I’m just real grateful and thankful for this place,” said Williams. “It has provided for me and my family all of these years.”

Holly Huston and Sebak Elmcharafie, owners of Le Bowtique and Rue de France, also started out with a pushcart in 1987. They operated multiple pushcarts their first few years at Bayside and sold everything from candy to clothes in order to keep up with trends.

After about four years, they moved into an official store and kept growing. They’ve also had stores in both Aventura and at Dolphin Mall, but always preferred Bayside.

“Bayside is in our blood,” said Huston, who noted that she is proud to be there.

Sticking Together

Customers have also changed significantly over the last 35 years. Though tourists have always made up the majority of Bayside visitors, according to Williams, different groups of people come at different periods depending on what’s going on in the world.

He noted that when the marketplace initially opened, most of its visitors were Venezuelans and Brazilians, but that changed as their economies began to suffer. Huston and Elmcharafie agreed and shared that there have been times when the majority of guests were Italian, French or Canadian, and that there are a lot more European visitors now.

During the pandemic, Bayside saw an influx of domestic tourists as Florida was one of the few states open for business. International visitors began trickling back in November 2021, when the U.S. border opened up.

Luckily, regardless of the many changes that have taken place, Williams says the Bayside vibe remains the same. He expressed that he is just as excited about it today as he was when he first started working there.

“I love what I do. And I love coming to Bayside every day. And I hope to be here the next 35 years,” he said with light in his eyes.

Though the pandemic hit all its businesses hard, the fact that Bayside is mainly an outdoor marketplace has given it an advantage. Williams says people feel safe and comfortable there because of the open air.

Through the most difficult days at the peak of the pandemic, Bayside’s tenants and management worked side by side to keep themselves afloat when the marketplace lost seven stores.

Management was Bayside’s saving grace, according to tenants. Elmcharafie stated that Weller has been extremely helpful and there for everybody through all obstacles. Williams called her the “true hero” of Bayside and asserted that his stores wouldn’t have made it without her help.

“It was really like a family,” agreed Huston.

Bayside wasn’t always a shopping and dining tourist attraction. Locals who have been in Miami long enough remember it was a park first.

Reimagining the Landscape

The city of Miami traded what used to be Bayfront Park for an upscale Bayside Marketplace. Bayfront Park was the “front porch” of the city for decades, said local historian Paul George, Ph.D., as it was a venue for concerts, festivals, remembrances, memorials, holiday celebrations and more. However, by the late 1960s, crime increased and the area was overrun by a housing unstable population.

Maurice Ferré, mayor of Miami at the time and widely referred to as the “Father of Modern-Day Miami,” was determined to change that. He had long believed that a great city could not exist without a great center, said George, and was committed to making Bayside Marketplace a bona fide tourist destination.

The city chose Maryland-based Rouse Company for the job because it had previously completed similar projects in deserted, dangerous neighborhoods in Boston, Baltimore and New York. Residents, community leaders and politicians hoped Bayside would follow in the footsteps of its predecessors.

Alongside the marketplace, Bayside established the Miami Bayside Foundation as a way to support the downtown economic core, as well as minority businesses and education.

The city and Rouse were determined to make sure participation in the development project was inclusive, said Taylor. Miami passed a resolution that 50% of the businesses occupying Bayside would be minority owned. Today, 75% of its tenants fall into that category.

“Way in advance of Black Lives Matter (and discussions about) racial inclusion, diversity, etc., these extraordinary efforts at Bayside Marketplace became the roadmap for American inclusion,” said Wilson.

Bayside has greatly contributed to downtown Miami’s redevelopment. It was there before the FTX Arena (aka American Airlines Arena) and the surrounding high-rises in an area that used to be a “blighted neighborhood,” said Weller.

Williams says Bayside more than accomplished its mission of revitalizing the city.

“Bayside has served a purpose,” stated George, adding that it has become the “panacea for all the ailments of downtown Miami,” as it brought the community together, regenerated the city and created an environment for businesses to thrive.

Staying for the Long Haul

Thirty-five years after it first threw open its doors, Bayside Marketplace continues to expand and bring good things to Miami. And it’s not going anywhere any time soon – its lease doesn’t end until November 2060 and comes with options to renew until November 2113. Margaritaville, Starbucks and Negroni are slated to join the space sometime over the next year, and It’Sugar will be expanding into an 18,000-square-foot two-floor candy store with a spiral staircase and an Oreo café.

But it’s the marketplace’s enduring commitment to Miami that perhaps stands out most, something that was again reflected last month, when a brunch and KidZone with family-friendly events was planned to celebrate its anniversary. The day was originally supposed to be a ceremony for stakeholders, but organizers decided to instead gear it toward “what was really most important 35 years ago and today” – the community.