Miami WorldCenter to begin construction soon

After Miami commissioners agreed to signoff on a deal that some believe left the city short millions, developers get green light

MIAMI – Conceptual images of a project that is going to change the look of Downtown Miami have been drawn up and released. The drawings are the plans for the $2 billion Miami WorldCenter.

Project leaders call it "transformative," with a footprint of 30 acres, connecting Museum Park to All Aboard Florida's proposed downtown train station. Miami WorldCenter aims to change the look and feel of Miami's urban core:

Renderings highlight the development's style, which include:

- 1-million square feet of retail space anchored by Bloomingdale's and Macy's 1,000 condo units

- A 1,800 room Marriott Marquis Hotel and 600,000 square feet of meeting and event space

Miami  WorldCenter is one of the largest development projects of its kind underway in the United States with a projected $1 billion economic impact for the region. Project leaders said they hope to break ground in just months, generating an estimated 20,000 construction jobs and 14,000 direct and indirect permanent jobs.

Miami Worldcenter's gains spark debate about economic progress