Worldcenter holds public meeting ahead of pivotal vote

Miami Worldcenter’s Nitin Motwani touted the benefits of closing off sections of three downtown streets in advance of a City Commission vote on the proposed closures.

The Worldcenter team is asking Miami commissioners to approve closing a chunk of Northeast Seventh, Eighth and Ninth streets to vehicular traffic, as previously reported by The Real Deal. The commission is expected to hold the first of two public hearings on the request during Thursday’s meeting.

Motwani told a crowd of about 150 people on Tuesday that a pivotal goal of Worldcenter is to help downtown evolve into an area less reliant on cars and safer for pedestrians and cyclists, according to the Daily Business Review. Worldcenter representatives were previously criticized by a Miami board for “bad communication” with neighbors about the mixed-use project’s impact. The open meeting was a step towards rectifying that.

“When we started this project 10 years ago, the idea was we’re going to have a great downtown and we’re working to make sure that the pedestrian experience is great,” Motwani said.

Motwani also revealed previously undisclosed Worldcenter details during the meeting. For instance, the project would include a 40-story tower on Northeast Second Avenue and Ninth Street. [Daily Business Review] — Eric Kalis