The area known as the Doral Tile District may one day become known as the Doral Design District.
The city wants to turn a square mile in the southeast of Doral into a pedestrian friendly, bustling district.
Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez said the plan, still in its early stages, will hopefully bring a mix of business and recreation seen in other cities, namely Coral Gables.
“The idea is like with Miracle Mile and Coral Gables, you’re invested in it. Business owners and residents having a working relationship is a step toward the community they want to promote,” Bermudez said.
Officials envision the Doral Design District — not to be confused with the upscale galleries, shops and stores of Miami’s Design District — as a one-stop locale for anyone planning to take on design projects for their home or office by mixing the tile and marble industry with architects, engineers, interior designers, and artisans.
On Dec. 14, the Doral City Council approved spending $120,000 to put up four 30-foot high entryway monuments on Northwest 36th Street and Northwest 25th Street with landscaping and lighting.
Banners were also installed on those streets in October.
The concept would marry retail enterprise with the import-export industry the city is known for.
“Right now what we are trying to do is for the business owners and merchants to be proactive versus the merchants coming to the city,” said Bettina Aguilera-Rodriguez, economic development coordinator.
Nathan Kogon, director of planning and zoning, said the city held workshops property owners while drafting the city’s master plan, which serves as sort of zoning blueprint for municipalities.
Former Doral Councilman Robert Van Name introduced the idea in 2004.
The would-be design district is bordered by the Palmetto Expressway on the east, Northwest 87th Avenue on the west, Northwest 25th Street on its south side, and Northwest 41st Street on the north.
Kogon says the area is not pedestrian-friendly. A traffic signal needs to be installed at the intersection at Northwest 79th Street and Northwest 33rd Street
The Doral Steering Committee, established August 2010, has been working on the project for the past year to gain support from the city and business owners, such as starting a Merchant’s Association. Sign-ups were held at an early November meeting to boost public-private relationships.
“It was about introducing the players and reintroducing the idea of the Design District,” Melissa Tapanes said. Tapanes is the chairwoman of the Steering Committee, which is made up of community members nominated by the mayor and approved by the City Council.
The Steering Committee hopes to start a Doral Design District Street Fair on Northwest 79th Avenue next year. The event is expected to cost $50,000 of city money and would showcase art and design while highlighting the businesses, restaurants and products of Doral.
A Merchant’s Association would let businesses decide whether the city should create a business improvement district — and how much those businesses would pay in additional taxes intended to fund the Design District.
Aguilera-Rodriguez said 30 people signed up to be a part of the Merchant’s Association at November meeting.
“We reached our goal, we had an incredible turnout,” Aguilera-Rodriguez said.
In May, the City Council unanimously designated the area between Northwest 82nd Avenue to Northwest 77th Court and Northwest 25th Street to Northwest 41st Street — frequently used for illegal dumping — as a “brownfield”, a label that refers to contaminated land on industrial sites that has the potential to be reused.
Tapanes says the project is in its infancy, but this shows investors the redevelopment is on its way.
“While the rest of the city is prosperous and thriving this is perceived as not,” Tapanes said.
The Doral Steering Committee was granted a year extension to continue their work for the proposal of the project Dec. 14.
via miamiherald.com