Marine Layer, a men’s and women’s casual wear brand based in San Francisco, has chosen Wynwood for its first store in the Southeastern United States, as retailers continue to flock to the artsy district, The Real Deal has learned.
The new shop is expected to open this month at 217 Northwest 25th Street in Miami, next to Warby Parker, in a renovated building owned by Goldman Properties.
Marine Layer currently has about a dozen stores in the San Francisco Bay area, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago and Portland. Its website says the Miami store is opening in “early August,” and lists various job openings.
“Our general strategy for expansion is to open stores in fun towns that we need an excuse to visit,” the website says. A message left at the company was not immediately returned, nor was a request for comment from a spokesperson for Goldman Properties.
Marine Layer makes its own t-shirts for men and women, t-shirt dresses and other casual attire, as the latest entrant in Wynwood geared to hip shoppers.
Wynwood‘s appeal to small retailers is due to its central location, affordable lease rates, and artsy and hip vibe that attracts millennials, said Drew Schaul, vice president and managing broker of RKF’s Miami office. RKF represented Shinola, which is opening at 2399 Northwest Second Avenue later this year.
“It’s organic, it’s street level and it’s a neighborhood. It’s also a tourist destination,” Schaul has said of Wynwood.
Warby Parker, a stylish eyewear brand, opened its first freestanding store in Miami in Wynwood in March. Other nearby tenants of Goldman Properties in Wynwood include Panther Coffee, Zak the Baker, Frangipani and JugoFresh.
The city of Miami’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board recently approved a slate of changes to zoning and land use designations that would allow denser residential developments on roughly 205 acres in Wynwood. The recommendations must still be finalized by the city commission.
“As the area gets upzoned, and residential development comes in,” Schaul had told TRD, “more retail will follow.”