North Miami Beach, FL – City of North Miami Beach officials have improved the zoning districts, making it easier for investors to open and operate a microbrewery, distillery or winery in the Redevelopment Area, also known as the “Brewery District.”
A microbrewery can now conceivably operate in a shopping center, regular commercial structure or on mixed-use property. The Redevelopment Area begins on the west side at the Kmart plaza on NE 163rd Street and continues 1.8 miles east towards Biscayne Blvd. It also extends north and south along NE 163rd Street.
In May 2017, the Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved appropriating $500,000 in funding to the CRA to create employment and redevelopment opportunities for the North Miami Beach community. Empowered by the city and county, the NMB CRA took the initiative to have a Craft Brewery study conducted, which led to the CRA Board designating the Redevelopment Area as the state of Florida’s first “Brewery District.”
The study’s report clearly demonstrated that the microbrewery industry would create jobs, thrive and enhance the community. However, there were some regulatory impediments in the city’s old zoning laws. The city’s Planning and Zoning Department, along with the Legal Department, proposed improvements to the city zoning, especially within the Redevelopment Area. These improvements were unanimously approved on Jan. 16, 2018 by the City Commission.