The Blocks Around the North Beach Bandshell Are Changing Just as the Fall Season Starts

The two blocks between 73rd and 75th Streets were built in the wrong order, on purpose. Ocean Terrace Park, the public half of the deal, opened in October 2025. The private half next door is a condo, hotel and retail project that just started prep work, with completion slated for 2029. So for the next few years, the oceanfront lawn and the Bandshell's free resident nights sit beside a construction site. Of the two neighborhood food businesses displaced from that site, one went to the mainland and the other is moving only a block south down Collins.

The Public Half Came First

The City of Miami Beach celebrated Ocean Terrace Park's completion with a grand opening on October 3, 2025. The park covers about five acres along Ocean Terrace between 73rd and 75th Streets and cost $15 million. It was built under a development agreement between the city and Ocean Terrace Holdings, the group behind the private project next door.

The design comes from Raymond Jungles Inc. It includes a multilevel pedestrian promenade, three water features planted with aquatic species, custom benches, open lawns, turtle-friendly lighting and an upgraded stretch of the Beachwalk. The city's release also lists "a future open-air pavilion," with no date attached. In the same release, Sandor Scher of Ocean Terrace Holdings described the goal as transforming "oceanfront asphalt into a lush, welcoming landscape."

The park also connects a longer stretch of shoreline. The city says it creates continuous public space from Altos Del Mar Park through Ocean Terrace Park down to the UNIDAD Senior Center and Bandshell Park. That walk, from the dunes at Altos Del Mar to a show at 73rd and Collins, didn't exist as one unbroken route two years ago.

The Private Half Is Starting With Prep Work

The buildings facing that park are where the change now shows. According to The Real Deal, a notice of commencement filed at the end of August covers concrete remediation and façade reinforcement at 7430 Ocean Terrace, ahead of shoring. The Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board approved the project in 2021. The plan calls for partial demolition and restoration of the existing buildings rather than clearing the block.

Here is what the developers, Witkoff with longtime North Beach partners Alex Blavatnik and Sandor Scher, plan to build on the site, per The Real Deal:

The 15,000 square feet of retail is the line that matters most to anyone who walks this block for dinner, but it is about three years away. In the meantime, the storefronts that served the neighborhood have had to find new spaces.

Where the Block's Food Went

Taquiza was the first to go. Miami New Times reported that the taqueria served its last tacos at 7450 Ocean Terrace on July 31, as the Broadmoor Miami Beach hotel prepared for construction on the Ocean Terrace project. Chef-partner Steve Santana opened it in April 2018 as a short-term pop-up inside the Broadmoor's oceanfront footprint. It stayed eight years, built its name on house-nixtamalized blue corn tortillas and earned a Michelin Guide recommendation. Its new home is in Little River, which Edible South Florida confirmed is now open to customers.

The Love Loaf is staying in North Beach. Owner Suzana "Suzi" Rodrigues announced that the bakery would close its storefront at 7415 Collins Avenue on September 30 and move one block south to 7337 Collins Avenue, according to Miami New Times. Property records place the old address inside the Ocean Terrace site, which runs across nearly the full block between 74th and 75th Streets. Rodrigues estimated a reopening in the first half of 2027, once work on the new space is done.

Look at that new address next to the block's newest café. Sunshine Coffee opened its North Beach flagship at 7351 Collins Avenue in June, Time Out reported. Founders Alan Philips and Gelareh Mizrahi live in North Beach. The space has curved ceilings and a wave-shaped coffee bar. Once The Love Loaf reopens, 7337 and 7351 Collins will put a bakery and a coffee bar a few doors apart, south of the construction and directly across from the Bandshell's parking lot at 73rd Street.

The same thing is happening west of the beach. Chef Giorgio Rapicavoli and partner Alex Casanova are bringing Luca Trattoria to 933 Normandy Drive on Normandy Isle, with the opening announced for fall 2026. The two lived in North Beach when they opened Eating House in 2012, and Rapicavoli told Miami New Times that Luca Trattoria "will have a slightly more laid-back feel due to its proximity to the beach and neighborhood atmosphere." He also promised "a few more Malbecs on the wine list."

The Bandshell Calendar Is Unchanged

At 73rd and Collins, the Bandshell is keeping its usual pace despite the construction. These are the dates still ahead this season, from the Miami Beach Bandshell calendar:

The samba night shows how the place runs. The Rhythm Foundation presents it. A seven-member band plays seated around a giant table in the middle of the stage, doors open at 7 p.m. and the music starts at 8. A resident who walks over from Normandy Isle or the North Shore, shows ID and stays for the whole set spends nothing.

Driving is where the cost comes in. The municipal lot at 73rd Street and Collins Avenue is across the street from the Bandshell, and the venue now notes that it "is no longer free," at $2 an hour. When the lot fills, the Bandshell points visitors to street parking. Live calendars change, so check each event page before you go.

Getting There While 71st Street Is Under Construction

Most people who drive to this block come over 71st Street, and 71st is under construction too. The Miami Herald reports lane closures on 71st Street from Bay Drive East to Collins Avenue lasting until early 2027. The project page from the Florida Department of Transportation lists the closure windows:

• Eastbound, one lane: 6 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights, and 7 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights
• Westbound, one lane: 9:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights, and 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights
• Both directions, one lane: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., weekdays and weekends
• Eastbound, two lanes: 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. Sunday through Thursday nights, and midnight to 8 a.m. Friday and Saturday nights
• Side streets, one lane: 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. to 6 a.m., every day

The department says travel lanes and sidewalks close during non-peak hours "on non-event days." The listed windows are working hours, not continuous closures. The work covers high-emphasis crosswalks at every intersection from Bay Drive East to Harding Avenue, upgraded vehicle signals, pedestrian signals brought up to ADA compliance, new pedestrian curb ramps, repaving and a new video detection system. When the work is done, the street leading to the Bandshell should be easier to cross on foot.

The baseline is already slow. In May, the Miami Herald quoted the police chief saying it took nearly an hour to drive eight blocks on Indian Creek Drive, from the 63rd Street bridge to 71st Street, during rush hour. For residents within walking distance, the Beachwalk route through Ocean Terrace Park avoids all of it.

Azadeh Mesbahi follows how North Beach blocks like this one change over time: which storefronts move, which park pieces arrive first, and when the new retail actually opens. If you own near the Bandshell or along Collins and want to talk about what the Ocean Terrace timeline means for your building or your plans, Khosh Bosh Real Estate is glad to walk you through it. Book a Consultation.