how much of sunset place has to be vacant for them to learn their lesson (Miami: theatre, university)

[eddostarr305]

it was actually , a great place when it opened right before the internet boom
that would eventually takeout virgin megastore...

between the virgin megastore , niketown , the movie theatre , the imax , the barnes and nobles ,
the vans store with the skate ramp and the johnny rockets....if you where a kid from 1999-2001 this place
was like a resort

but tapping into nostalgia gets you vacancy and its starting to head down
the same road the bakery centre traveled

niketown
urban outfitters
virgin megastore

which is pretty much an entire wing is vacant

they should turn that entire wing into a two story walmart/target or something
that would actually drive traffic...void parking for shoppers with receipts
from target/walmart...

maybe an applestore to get some of university of miami kids in there along with a few more
places to eat..

south miami isnt quite coral gables but it doesnt have to be that way

the other alternative would be knock it down and turn into a village like a smaller miracle mile
but for people who arent completely loaded , the ambiance amenities of coral gables for a more working
class citizen......what would you guy's do if you had any say?

[TooLoud]

Yes we need more Wal-Marts. Perhaps a two story CVS....

[FlyMIA]

I agree that Sunset place has not panned out great but I think it has helped the Downtown South Miami area. It actually has a decent restaurant and bar scene on the weekends.

What could be done to Sunset Place? I am not really sure. It is not really big enough to be a big mall like Dolphin or Aventura. Those malls are also driven a lot by tourist looking for cheaper goods to take home. Sunset place really should focus on University of Miami students. I would even look into asking UM to start a shuttle service to Sunset from the Western end of campus. Also the pedestrian bridge is badly needed to cross US-1. Where it is located college students need to be the focus.

[tallrick]

The problem is parking. Nobody wants the hassle of South Miami when they can just go to Dadeland. And the idiots who narrowed Sunset drive to 2 lanes did not help it either.

[valicky]

I think Sunset Place could do with places that aren't anywhere else in Miami. Why go to a store/restaurant in Sunset Place if you can go to the Falls or Dadeland where you don't have the parking hassles? It's not like there's anything really nice to see there that would help to attract people.

[popcorn247]

I preferred the area when it was Holsum Bakery!

[tallrick]

Originally Posted by popcorn247

I preferred the area when it was Holsum Bakery!

Very true! I loved riding with my parents down US-1 or when friends of the family would go to the bowling alley and you could smell the bread. US-1 also had beautiful hibiscus, palms and golden trumpet trees along the railroad tracks.

[straight shooter]

I always felt that Sunset Place would eventually fail just like the Bakery Center. The only place that has always been a success has been the movie theatre. The main reason why I feel that the mall has failed is the parking. Why pay for parking and be in line for half an hour+ just to exit the garage. There are many other more convenient places with free parking to shop at.

[popcorn247]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Very true! I loved riding with my parents down US-1 or when friends of the family would go to the bowling alley and you could smell the bread. US-1 also had beautiful hibiscus, palms and golden trumpet trees along the railroad tracks.

I used to drive to work near there. The fragrance of baking bread wafted through the area on early summer mornings when the air was still and the humidity was high.

[tallrick]

They also destroyed a cool mid century modern strip of shops when building the original bakery center. The Holsum outlet store was located next to them. You see time and again that high density shopping centers fail when in cities with parking meters. The Miracle Center, Bakery Center, Cocowalk, and the like. Customers don't want hassle. Free money printed by the Fed, and billions in laundered drug money come cheap, so there is no incentive to build something sensible, just build and destroy over and over again.