Push on to make Washington Avenue and Lincoln Road more residential

MIAMI - Miami Beach 's City Commission wants to make Washington Avenue and Lincoln Road more residential and less touristy.

To do that, commissioner David Suarez said they'll have to rezone the mixed-use areas, so businesses and residents can be there and it could replace some of the abandoned buildings there.

"If we really want to change the ethos and the ecosystem of Washington Avenue, then we need to make it residential," Suarez said.

Micah lived by Washington Avenue a few years ago. He said it was just too loud to live there.

"It was directly across from the club. It was the loudest street I've ever been on. If I would have known that's how it would have been, I would have never moved on that street," he said.

He has moved to another part of town but says if more people live there, that could reshape the neighborhood's vibe.

"You get enough people, you could get anything done," he said.

Jill Walls is a local, who is a part of SOBE Safe, a group of volunteers aimed at improving the quality of life for residents. She said certain areas can be darker at night and less safe to walk alone. Having more residents there could change that.

"I feel safe right now in certain areas of Miami Beach doing that, but there's other areas that I know I'd like to see addressed because I don't feel as safe in those streets," Walls said.

Suarez says there is a process for rezoning this area, it would require public input, and it would have to go through two straight planning board meetings and two straight city commission meetings.

There is a workshop welcoming public input on this on Tuesday.

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