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Wednesday October 11, 2006

Look at what I missed: a new Target opened in Midtown, and what a difference it makes: the end of only going to Target when you’re out running errands in North Dade or Coral Gables.

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  1. Manola Blablablanik    Wed Oct 11, 08:59 AM #  

    It’s about f**cking time!



  2. enh    Wed Oct 11, 11:47 AM #  

    Sorry but I think Midtown is so-so planning. I am glad they are putting streets into that area and putting hi rise development but at the same time is is unimaginative on the part of the city. Think of what that plot of land could have been. Think of a continuous park with the development on the outer edge. think of Miami’s Central Park. Miami needs more urban park development besides beaches and under the fucking Metrorail.



  3. J-J    Wed Oct 11, 02:23 PM #  

    enh “imagine Miami’s Central Park”

    It always strikes me as odd when someone says that we should strive to be like an “NYC style” northern city.

    Miami is a tropical city, I grew up in a Caribbean island and have had the pleasure of visiting most of the Caribbean. And let me tell you, that I have never seen people in tropical style weather use parks like the do “up north” for the simple reason that it is to hot and they have miles of beaches that can and should be used as parks.

    Can you imagine a central park in Miami from April to October. It would be deserted, people will always rather go to the beach, which serves the purpose of a park in the tropics.

    I’m happy about the Target and would love if they put a Borders there, no more going to Aventura:-)

    BTW I love green space, and we could use more of it. And it would be nice to see more green buildings down here. I just think that we should take into account our location in the tropics.



  4. alesh    Wed Oct 11, 02:30 PM #  

    Good Point, J-J. The other thing is that if it was to be a public park, it would have to have been many decades ago. I have no idea how much the developer bought the land for, but probably hundreds of millions. it’s unrealistic for the city or county to spend that much money on parkland. They’d do much more good buying land for several smaller parks in neighborhoods that are under-parked.

    A borders or Barnes and Noble. Say it’ll happen . . . please?



  5. Lovin' It    Wed Oct 11, 02:51 PM #  

    now if we can just get a Star Bucks, Pier 1, and a Bed Bath & Beyond, me and my girlfriends will be content.



  6. mkh    Wed Oct 11, 03:00 PM #  

    Oddly enough, I was wondering if they were putting in a big box bookstore when I drove past it this morning. Not that I think we need more of those—I support Mitchell Kaplan as much as I can—but it does seem like something the neighborhood could use.

    I’m not sure about the Starbucks, but there is a Starbucks inside of the Target. And there will be a Linens ‘n Things, too (which isn’t BBB, I know).

    I just wish the original proposal to put the IKEA into Midtown had worked out.



  7. Alex    Wed Oct 11, 04:11 PM #  

    I’m not sure if LNT is that different from BBB, honestly. And West Elm may be pricier than IKEA but it’s just as nice design-wise (and a little better quality). I’m psyched about that one. No more catalog shopping.

    Yeah, I’m afraid a Borders or B&N will mean my loyalty to Books and Books will vane, and that would be a shame. I like B&B so much I even had my wedding party in the courtyard. But as it is, Amazon and my lazyness is making it hard.



  8. enh    Wed Oct 11, 05:46 PM #  

    The port of Miami owned that land as far as I know. And the CITY sold it to the developer. I apologize for comparing Miami to New York I should have sited other examples of cities with big parks that are urban we could use as a model.

    Portland has Forrest Park
    Chicago has Millennium Park among others right next to it.
    London has Hyde park, Queens park and countless others
    Paris has too many to name

    Miami’s lack of great public spaces NOT Beaches is criminal. I love the Beaches here but our lack of urban parks in the main urban areas of Miami is one of the problems with downtown now. we can and should do better.

    Check out this list of parks in the US and not the absence of Miami – maybe someone can add it?

    This has some good info in the pdf



  9. Manola Blablablanik    Thu Oct 12, 09:30 AM #  

    I went to the new Target yesterday. There were three people in the elevator and we were all buzzing with enthusiasm. One of them even said “I’m so excited! I don’t even have to buy anything! I can’t believe I don’t have to drive so far.”

    Sentiment repeated ditto as overheard during the time I spent there. BTW, employees must be on a super-nice overdrive. Some even apologized for having to wait in line. WTF? That’s part of life … and what did people respond? “Don’t worry, at least I don’t have to waste an hour driving to the other Target.”

    ENH – I agree with your thoughts about having parks, the more the better! But also, unless you live on the beach or near/in Downtown, you can’t appreciate how great it is to have something like Target near the area to serve the local community. Naturally, there’s no reason not to have both stores and parks—all the cities you mention manage that, and then some, by building retailers vertically, for example.



  10. enh    Thu Oct 12, 10:29 AM #  

    I live with in walking distance from the new target. I can see it from the roof of my small apartment building. I’m glad I don’t have to go very far to shop at those stores anymore. but there is plenty of lots around Midtown miami that the could have built their retail and condo hi-rise fashion lofts around the 29 or so acres of what could have been a grand park. I don’t mind the development and I think it could have been a lot worst I just wish they thought about the best possibility first. I don’t think anyone can deny that Miami would have been better off with the large uninterrupted plot of land as a park with grand hi rise development and retail surrounding it.



  11. alesh    Thu Oct 12, 10:46 AM #  

    The port of Miami owned that land as far as I know. And the CITY sold it to the developer.

    I agree: that makes a big difference. We have some big parks in the county, and I think they DO get used. A big park in midtown would have been cool, but the development that’s going on there now is going to jump-start the community much more effectively, especially when(/if?) the zoning changes come through and allow the warehouses to become residential.

    Whatever; it’s done, and arguing about it is irrelevant. What is relevant is that if we want more greenspace in the city and county in general, that we figure out how to make THAT happen.



  12. Tere    Fri Oct 13, 08:07 AM #  

    I’m going today during lunch! I’m so freakin’ excited!!!



  13. Rev. Billy    Fri Oct 13, 12:39 PM #  

    Contain yourself, this is Target NOT a religious experience. Don’t piss yourself nobody was born to shop. Spend some money have fun but get over it there is nothing there that will make you cream your pants. oh wait do they sell porn or at least rated R movies?



  14. Mr. Woot Woot    Sun Oct 15, 01:32 PM #  

    Woot Woot bitches!