Washington Avenue BID:
Your Investment in Action — January–September 2026
More than 3.5 million social media views. Fifteen events and activations. Over 1,500 attendees at Mac’s Centennial Celebration. Thirty-four appearances representing your interests at City meetings. These highlights reflect the Washington Avenue Business Improvement District’s work from January through September 2026.
Behind these numbers is a sustained commitment to bringing people to our businesses, advocating for your interests, improving the avenue’s appearance, and staying connected to the owners whose investment makes this work possible.
This report highlights our accomplishments and the work ahead.
Bringing People to Washington Avenue
The BID creates experiences that give residents and visitors reasons to explore our district, support its businesses, and return.
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Mac’s Club Deuce Centennial Celebration: More than 1,500 people attended throughout the celebration, honoring a landmark business and a century of Miami Beach history. The event received City and County proclamations, involved neighboring businesses, and generated widespread attention online. Delivering it required extensive coordination with City departments, police, vendors, and community partners.
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VIBRATION: Our live music series connects participating venues and encourages guests to discover multiple businesses in one evening. September’s event welcomed approximately 706 attendees.
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International Happy Hour Tour: We showcased Washington Avenue’s diverse restaurants, introducing guests to the flavors, cultures, and dining experiences that distinguish our district.
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International Soccer Programming: Seven watch parties and related activities brought supporters together and created opportunities for participating businesses to welcome new customers.
International Promotion With a Local Purpose
Our FIFA World Cup promotion generated more than two million views, placing Washington Avenue in front of an international audience.
We also acted before visitors arrived. The BID negotiated in advance for Scotland’s Tartan Army supporters to stay and dine on Washington Avenue, coordinating there visit. This effort connected international tourism with opportunities for our hotels, restaurants, and businesses.
During FIFA, special collector-edition postcards encouraged tourists to visit Washington Avenue businesses and take home a reminder of their experience.
For America’s 250th anniversary on the Fourth of July, we offered free American flags to tourists visiting the avenue, connecting the national celebration with activity in our district.
We also created targeted Ultra Music Festival promotions, encouraging festival attendees to explore Washington Avenue’s restaurants, bars, hotels, and entertainment venues during their visit to Miami.
Keeping the Avenue Visible
Our promotional efforts generated more than 3.5 million social media views during this reporting period. The Heartbeat series has also showcased the people, businesses, and stories behind Washington Avenue, generating hundreds of thousands of YouTube views.
We consistently promote avenue activities, business offerings, and events through social media, videos, and community outreach. This work keeps the district visible between major celebrations and gives individual businesses opportunities to reach broader audiences.
Our objective is to turn that attention into visits, repeat customers, and lasting interest in Washington Avenue.
Welcoming New Businesses
Eleven new businesses opened on Washington Avenue during this reporting period, bringing new offerings and investment to the district.
The BID supports new businesses through community introductions, promotional opportunities, and connections to district activities. We encourage property owners to connect their tenants with us so they can participate in these opportunities.
Improving the Streetscape
Our new median banners feature positive quotes from celebrated icons, including Celia Cruz, Muhammad Ali, Maurice Gibb, Pitbull, Josephine Baker, Prince, Gloria Estefan, and Bob Marley. They bring color, inspiration, and cultural character to the avenue.
Yort’s “It’s Okay To Be Great” mural created an Instagram-worthy photo opportunity, encouraging people to stop, take pictures, and share their experience. The mural generated more than 35,000 views in its first week.
Together with completed median lighting improvements, these additions help make Washington Avenue more welcoming and memorable.
Representing Your Interests and Helping Resolve Challenges
The BID has represented property owners 34 times at various City meetings during this reporting period.
Our involvement includes City Commission meetings, police-citizen and nightlife board representation, and residential town hall engagement. Through these meetings and direct coordination with City staff, we bring forward concerns about public safety, customer access, business conditions, and district operations.
We also helped business and property owners navigate permitting challenges, facilitating communication with City departments, clarifying requirements, and working through obstacles to help move applications forward.
During spring break, we coordinated with City officials, police, and businesses to support public safety and maintain access. A central priority was advocating against curfews and barricades that could restrict customer access and disrupt business operations.
Going a Step Beyond: Staying Connected to You
We maintain regular, direct contact with business owners and property owners to understand their challenges, hear their ideas, and explore practical ways to improve Washington Avenue. These conversations shape our priorities and help us respond to district needs.
We have hosted Washington Avenue BID business owners’ meetings to keep owners engaged, discuss concerns, and identify opportunities to work together.
Our monthly public newsletters keep property owners, businesses, residents, and community partners informed about BID initiatives, upcoming events, district improvements, and opportunities to participate.
Our WAVE WhatsApp group provides timely updates about current conditions, events, and important developments, helping participating businesses stay informed without waiting for the next meeting or email.
Accountability and Recognition
The BID completed its annual independent audit, supporting financial accountability and oversight of assessment dollars.
A Tourism Professional of the Year nomination also brought recognition to the leadership behind our efforts to strengthen Washington Avenue’s appeal and visitor experience.
Continuing This Momentum
Our upcoming initiatives combine streetscape improvements with programming for a range of audiences:
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New Electrical Box Wraps: Planned designs to transform utility boxes into attractive features that reinforce the avenue’s identity.
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Additional Lighting Improvements: Continued efforts to make Washington Avenue more inviting after dark.
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Barlooza — October 10: An upscale, curated competition featuring 12 bartenders from across the country, with attendees helping judge their creations.
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Hallowave — October 31: A community celebration welcoming children and families.
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VIBRATION — November 14: Another evening connecting live music, participating businesses, and new audiences.
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December Art Basel Event — High School Visionaries: A planned showcase giving young artists a platform and bringing creative energy to the district.
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St. Patrick’s Day Block Party: A future celebration being developed to attract residents and visitors and create opportunities for local business participation.
A Small Team, a Sustained Commitment
This work has been accomplished with one employee and support from contracted consultants. Hands-on leadership, strong partnerships, and careful coordination allow us to deliver across events, marketing, advocacy, business assistance, and district improvements.
We recognize that property owners and businesses continue to face real challenges. Those challenges demand consistent attention and follow-through.
Your assessments support an organization that is present, engaged, and working on your behalf. These accomplishments reflect months of planning, negotiation, problem-solving, and direct involvement. Our dedication continues beyond the events and initiatives listed here.
Annual Meeting — November 12, 2026
Time: 2:00 p.m. | Location: To be announced
Help shape the future of Washington Avenue. We are seeking candidates for the BID Board of Directors who are ready to contribute their time, experience, and ideas to strengthen our district.
If you are interested in serving or would like to recommend a candidate, please reply to this email for eligibility requirements and next steps.
Thank you for your investment, your ideas, and your continued partnership. We are proud of our progress together and remain committed to strengthening Washington Avenue every day.
Warm regards,
Troy E. Wright
Executive Director
Washington Avenue Business Improvement District
Washington Avenue — The Heartbeat of Miami Beach
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BOARD MEETING
Zoom Meeting
Time: The second Thursday of each month. Eastern Time (US and Canada 02:00 PM
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83722532062?pwd=YlpjUHlITSs0QTh6bGJxY2U2b29yUT09
Meeting ID: 837 2253 2062
Passcode: 389038