Paseo de la Riviera: the New Project at the Old Holiday Inn

If you have driven down US1 in Coral Gables lately, then you might have noticed that the old Holiday Inn across from the University of Miami has been demolished. This demolition has been a long time coming, but it was wild to see this longstanding building gone. What a change on the highway!

The parcel that housed the Holiday Inn is being re-imagined by NP International and, when all is said and done, it will be a mixed use retail, hotel, and residential development. Called Paseo de la Riviera, this project will also include an open-air “paseo,” or walkway that will encourage pedestrian traffic to the property’s various shops, cafes, and even a “chef driven neighborhood restaurant,” according to its website.

With a 252 room hotel and 224 residences in addition to retail spaces, it does seem like parking will problematic. The developer is including 840 parking spaces and a valet at the property, and although that is a big number it does still seem a bit tight to me! Traffic has also been a concern, but the developer claims that, “It is important to note that Paseo is not a significant traffic generator. Paseo will be the source of substantially fewer vehicular trips, over a far more limited period of time, than the traffic volumes associated with the scale of big-box retail or strip-mall development that could be developed on the site.” I sure do hope that that proves to be correct because we definitely do not need any additional traffic in the area!

Like every project that aims to enhance our South Florida community, I wish Paseo de la Rivera well. However, if it makes it even more difficult to travel up and down US1, then you might be reading a totally different blog about this development in a couple of years!

Photo from www.paseodelariviera.com

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