Change is coming to Hollywood’s main street — for drivers, pedestrians and businesses

A $14.5 million construction project that began this week intends to transform Hollywood’s entertainment district into a corridor that puts pedestrians over vehicles.

But before the transformation, comes the mess: workers, heavy machinery, dust and a possible impact on business.

What will the new project on downtown Hollywood’s main street look like when it’s finished in 17 months?

The Hollywood Boulevard Streetscape Project will convert parking spaces in front of restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs and stores from diagonal to parallel from 21st Avenue to Young Circle — making way for wider sidewalks and expanded increased outdoor cafe cafézones. But it will reduce street parking spaces in the area from 157 to 107, according to the city.

The street also will be modified so pedestrians can safely walk the new plaza-like configuration of the boulevard without the need to step up or down a curb. The project keeps the existing center median with trees and diagonal parking spaces.

The new wider sidewalks will be finished using decorative concrete shell pavers in multiple shades of gray in a geometric design. The city says the new landscape will provide shade for pedestrians while improving visibility to the storefronts.

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The plan also includes energy-efficient “historically inspired vintage lighting” and a water main replacement on the boulevard’s north side. The new pipes are part of an ongoing $1.3 million project that extends from Sheridan Street to Pembroke Road.

The construction started Monday. Estimated completion: Sept. 30, 2024. Access to businesses and residences will continue through the project’s completion.

How will the work affect the entertainment and shopping area?

City leaders expect street and sidewalk shutdowns during construction — and the dreaded noise, dust, access issues and vibrations that come with a major construction project. Road construction just to the west a few years ago, for example, forced several businesses to leave the area.

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During the project’s first of seven phases, the city is shutting down the north side of Hollywood Boulevard between 21st and 20th avenues through Sept. 20, 2023.

Each phase is planned to take about three months. While work is underway on one section of the boulevard, the other six areas will remain untouched.

What are business owners saying?

Several business owners and restaurant operators in the corridor told the Miami Herald they are hoping that the temporary inconvenience of street and sidewalk closings will eventually lead to new customers and more money.

Marcelo Osorio, 30, executive manager of sushi and ramen restaurant Go Bistro, said that his 10-year-old business has survived previous roadwork in the area.

“It will affect us during construction but in the long run this will be beneficial to our business,” he said as construction workers ran heavy machinery nearby.

Iram Ayala, 40, owner and chef of Puerto Rican restaurant Bayú de la Wela Sara, is optimistic about the street improvements.

“It’s going to give us more space to serve our guests,” Ayala said about the sidewalk expansion. “I’m not worried about having less street parking because most of our clients are local and we have parking garages nearby.”

But not everyone is celebrating the changes coming to Hollywood Boulevard.

Mario Jairedin, 63, owner of Bianca’s Furniture, isn’t renewing his shop’s lease because of pricey rent, lack of reserved parking spots for his customers and the area’s focus on nightlife at the restaurants and bars.

“Everything is about eating and drinking around here,” said Jairedin, who has been opening at noon and selling jewelry on top of the usual furniture to make ends meet. “How can you keep up with high rent and opening your business at odd hours?”

Are there alternatives to street parking?

With the reduction in street parking, drivers have other options in the area, said Joann Hussey, a spokeswoman with the city of Hollywood.

“The city operates two public parking garages in downtown that have a total of 588 spaces,” she said. “Public parking is also available along Tyler, Van Buren, and Harrison streets, and along 21st Avenue and on Hollywood Boulevard west of the tracks.”

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And a new 343-space public parking garage is also coming to downtown as part of the University Station project, a 216-unit mixed-use affordable housing project on city-owned land between Polk and Fillmore streets.

Need more information?

If you have questions about the Hollywood Boulevard Streetscape Project, you can:

▪ Visit hollywoodboulevardstreetscapesproject.com,

▪ Send an email to sammie@themerchantstrategy.com

▪ Call 561-718-0888.