After being abandoned for the past decade, The Citadel has been given a second chance at life following nearly two years of construction.

Nick Hamann, founding member and principle of Urban Atlantic Group, discovered this hidden gem and decided to bring it back to life, transforming it into a culinary and design hub, work space, and catalyst for collaboration that officially opened Feb. 16.

Earlier this year, The Citadel teamed up with Prism Creative Group to host a free preview block party to give the community an idea of what they can be looking forward to come February. More than 4,000 people showed up!

Local artists such as Latin-reggae-funk artist Xperimento, soul-singer Yoli Mayor and Miami-based quintet Shenzi preformed at the block party, filling the streets with live music as festival-goers explored the ins and outs of the highly anticipated renovated space. 

According to Prism’s Vice President and Digital Strategist, Pola Bunster, the first floor of The Citadel is split into two parts: a food hall and a retail section called “The Finery.”

Although the first floor has a ‘pop-up-feel,’ the vendors are confirmed and have a “six-month contract” which they have the “option to renew if they feel that they’re doing well financially,” Bunster shared.

The food hall has been designed to mimic the rich diversity of Miami’s culinary scene, offering a variety to choose from for both lunch and dinner. With 13 vendors to choose from including the Palmer, Manjay, 33 Kitchen, and Palma Juice Co., it might become your next dining go-to. 

On the other side of the food hall lies The Finery: a 9,000 square-foot space for retailers and vendors alike. However, the list of vendors has not been publicized just yet.

For those of you who are 21, you’ll be happy to know there is also a bar on the first floor. The reasonably priced drinks will create a more casual setting for an after-work (or after-school) drink for young professionals and budding creatives.

“The bar will act as a hangout for locals, serving drinks that own’t break the bank,” said Janel Allen, Prism’s Chief Social Alchemist and Community Manager.

The entire second floor will serve as the regional headquarters for Entercom Communications, a publicly traded American broadcasting company and radio network. The 22,500 square-foot-space will provide enough room for offices, studios, and meeting rooms. It’s projected to hold 104 employees and will even include a live-music venue that seats 200 people.Above Entercom Communications, there will be a rooftop bar and lounge, coming mid-April, that will serve carefully curated cocktails and a beautiful view of Miami’s skyline.

Allen predicts that the Citadel will be “Miami’s next Wynwood” once it’s up and running. “I feel like this is the birth of something great,” she said. 

If 4,000 people managed to attend the block party, Prism is expecting an even bigger crowd for the grand opening. 

“Food halls are not a fad. Food halls are the sharing economy for restaurants,” according to a 2018 report by commercial real estate brokers Cushamn & Wakefield.

From Denver to Chicago, food halls are popping up all over the country and millennials are loving it. The report predicts that there will be 180 food halls operating in the U.S. by the end of 2018. 

After all, the report states that 44 percent of millennials spend their food dollars on eating out, 40 percent of millennials will order something different every time they visit the same restaurant, and 55 percent prefer communal tables than private ones when dining out.  

Food halls are practically tailored for millennials and foodies alike; however, The Citadel deviates from the norm from with its retail area, office space and rooftop bar and lounge.

After years of being at a standstill, this project will bring a new sense of community and purpose to the streets of Little River as galleries and other creative companies migrate out of Wynwood. 

words_elyse waterman