Miami Beach's aging convention center finally received commission approval to move ahead with a massive overhaul at a maximum price of $514.4 million.

After years of attempts, sole bidder Clark Construction will serve as general contractor with nearly 200 sub-contractors. Construction will commence after Art Basel, the annual star studded event the first week of December that attracts the most visitors to Miami and Miami Beach.

The centerpiece will be a 60,000 square foot ballroom. Denver based Fentress Architects, in collaboration with Arquitectonica, designed a stunning undulating white facade for the 1.4 million square foot building. The overhaul includes a 6 acre park across the street, 5000 sq ft of additional exhibit space, and 874 parking spaces. Still unresolved is whether there will be an adjacent 800 room convention center hotel. 60% of Miami Beach's voters must approve the city's leasing of the hotel plan in order to proceed.

Lincoln Road, just steps from the Miami Beach Convention Center, is the South Beach dining and shopping thoroughfare popular with tourists and locals alike. The Master plan to revitalize, designed by NYC's landscape architect James Corner whose firm designed the High Line, just received unanimous approval. The road's revitalization will include enlarging sidewalks, adding landscaping, and turning side streets and back alleys into pedestrian walkways with new retail and restaurant venue's. New canopy structures will be built for added outdoor dining and musical performances. Construction is expected to begin in a year.

Miami Beach condos and Miami Beach luxury home communities within walking distance to Lincoln Road and the Convention Center include the Sunset Islands, lower North Bay Road, Sunset Harbour, Palau, Decoplage, Il Villaggio, and the Venetian Islands. Miami Beach hotels within walking distance to the Convention Center and Lincoln Road include the Delano, SLS, W, and the Setai.

The oceanfront Setai, W, SLS, and Delano steps from the Miami Beach Convention Center and Lincoln Road.