After 20 years, Arsht Center trust unveils plans for a parking garage

The Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts is moving forward with plans to expand its campus, which is proposed to include performing arts studios and a permanent parking solution.

Proposed by the Adrienne Arsht Center Trust, the project application has been submitted to Miami-Dade County for approval. The expansion would feature a six-story precast parking structure with about 750 spaces and vertical height designed to accommodate potential future naming opportunities as a revenue source.

An announcement said the facility would also include efficient ingress and egress, space for 30 school buses, and 5,000 square feet dedicated to cultural programming for the Adrienne Arsht Center, comprised of two 2,500-square-foot spaces that would extend the Arsht’s mission in the downtown Miami neighborhood, further cementing its identity as an arts and culture district.

Estimated to cost around $61 million, the trust says it is funding the project through a combination of sources, including an investment from the nonprofit’s reserve funds and borrowing the balance with financing supported by revenue from parking fees once the garage is operating. The Adrienne Arsht Center Trust says it also anticipates garnering support from corporate and private supporters once the county approves the project application.

Miami-Dade County owns the two-building Arsht Center, which straddles Biscayne Boulevard. The trust operates the center.

The expansion would take place on adjacent county-owned land that was designated for parking for the Arsht Center, and construction would be led by Servitas construction management, the announcement said.

The development is anticipated to be completed within 14 months, while the Arsht Center would continue to operate as usual throughout the construction phase of the parking garage and art studios.

Since opening in 2006, the Arsht Center at 1300 Biscayne Blvd. has been serving as a performing arts center year-round with international artists, programming from resident companies, and local arts partners. The center offers free community events and more than 100 learning experiences for 80,000 children every year. The Arsht produces more than 400 annual events that the announcement says generate 11,500 local jobs and $125 million in economic impact.

“This project reflects our unwavering commitment to both our guests and the greater Miami-Dade community,” said Johann Zietsman, president and CEO of the Adrienne Arsht Center. “We have kept our constituents in mind during the entire process: proposing not just a garage, but a solution that expands access to arts and education, making it more attractive for guests to come to the Adrienne Arsht Center by enhancing their overall experience.”