The relaxation of liquor-license restrictions has brought the vision of a new Wynwood district closer to a reality. Originally the area was subject to a regulation that required establishments with liquor licenses to be no less than 1,000 feet from one another. With their latest action, Miami city commissioners have set the stage for the creation of what will be called the Wynwood café district. The choice of name came after deliberation among officials between naming the area the Wynwood café district or the Wynwood arts district. The final decision was made because commissioners felt it would go further to describe what establishments the area would feature.
Goldman Real Estate, which owns more than 100 properties in the area, looks forward to the new developmental possibilities there. Goldman president Joey Goldman said that introducing new businesses "will light up the street at night and populate the area, creating a pedestrian neighborhood," augmenting the weekly art walks that see many locals traveling from one gallery to another in the Wynwood and design districts.
There are concerns, however, especially among locals, that this new developmental liberation could have a negative impact on the neighborhood's culture by bringing in a crowd and influence that will alter the artsy identity of Wynwood, which the concerned parties feel has been key to its appeal.
The commission based its new regulations for Wynwood on what it deemed to be successful procedures implemented in the restructuring of a section of 8th Street in Little Havana.
