With its opening date only months away, Miami’s Time Century Jewelry Center is preparing to launch its one-stop jewelry center and serve as the anchor for the ambitious plans to redevelop a thriving jewelry district in the city.
Center developer Yair Levy is pushing forward with efforts to organize the Time Century Jewelry District, which he hopes will become one of the largest jewelry districts in the United States, comparable to New York.
To support the district’s development, Levy and city officials in a public-private partnership recently said they are developing an advisory committee to champion the project. The district also has the support of Miami-Dade County and its mayor, Daniella Levine Cava, as well as the Miami-Dade Beacon Council and the Downtown Development Authority, Levy says.
Levy is investing more than $50 million in the Time Century Jewelry Center, which is expected to house more than 250 jewelry-centric businesses and anchor the revitalization of Miami’s jewelry district, he says. He hopes the advisory committee will help speed up the district’s growth and reestablish Miami as a go-to destination for the public and the jewelry industry.
“We came in with something new, and we are excited about the area,” Levy says. “We needed the right building to move into, and we’re excited to get in there.… I’ve been in retail for 50 years, and I saw the area needed a new vision and the demand is there.”
The advisory committee will include local, national, and international jewelry-industry leaders who want to see Miami’s historic jewelry district come roaring back, Levy says. Members include jewelry manufacturer consultant Haygo Dimur and jewelry-industry trend expert Kirsten Darrow, Levy says.
City officials in a written statement said they are supporting the district’s redevelopment to help bring more jobs, businesses, residents, and tourists to the area to buy and sell jewelry.
“Global brands across industries establish a footprint in Miami-Dade to showcase the best of who they are—and jewelry is no exception,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement. “A thriving jewelry industry is a natural fit for a world-class, international destination known for its creativity, fashion, arts, and culture. We are excited to support the development of an advisory committee dedicated to the revitalization of this district and look forward to having these efforts drive jobs, growth, and investment in our creative industries and community as a whole.”
Levy, a New York–based real estate investor and developer, purchased the 225,000-square-foot building in 2018 and began renovations with the hope of creating a premier jewelry destination. It has four floors of retail and wholesale space along with four additional floors of offices. Its large, three-story atrium will welcome guests into the space, which will have state-of-the-art security and amenities, Levy says. He has said the Time Century Center will open in June or July 2022.
Additionally, Levy says he wants to see complementary tenants and developments around his Time Century Jewelry Center, including one or two restaurants as well as a jewelry-design school and a grading laboratory.
He also sees additional development coming through residential real estate investments around the area, bringing more foot traffic not only to the district and his building but also to Miami as a whole, which is already known as a top-rated walkable city.
“It’s booming,” Levy says. “I can tell you a lot of new buildings are coming in around us: hotels, apartments. There’s a lot of growth, and it will make the area more exciting.”
Top: The Time Century Jewelry Center is expected to house more than 250 jewelry-centric businesses and anchor the revitalization of Miami’s jewelry district (all photos courtesy of Yair Levy).
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter
Follow JCK on Instagram: @jckmagazineFollow JCK on Twitter: @jckmagazine
Follow JCK on Facebook: @jckmagazine
