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The Truth Behind the "Save Wynwood" Campaign

Posted at 2:09 PM, Mar 09, 2020
and last updated 2020-03-09 14:26:14-04

Last week, the Wynwood BID (Business Improvement District) held a press conference in regards to the "Save Wynwood" campaign which was started by a group of organizers stating that Wynwood is in jeopardy.

One of the organizers behind the petition is billionaire real estate developer, Moishe Mana, who owns Wynwood Marketplace.

Currently, there has been an issue claiming that the establishment has been bypassing city rules by operating with the event production agency, Swarm, under temporary licenses for years.

Property and business owners of Wynwood were in attendance setting the record straight regarding the petition.

"There's a campaign out there called 'Save Wynwood.' I would say ninety-percent of the bars and restaurants are not on board with that campaign because it does not reflect their reality. No one is trying to close us down. The city is saying that this person [Moishe Mana] has been operating illegally. One of the things they're doing is breaking the sound ordinance. You guys [Wynwood businesses] are operating mostly legally but we also have an issue with the sound ordinance. The one thing we all agree on is that the sound ordinance doesn't work and that's something we want to work with the city on," said owner of Gramps Wynwood, Adam Gersten.

Adam states that this petition benefits Mr. Mana and his temporary permits for Wynwood Marketplace.

"In him doing this petition, it's really self-serving for his temporary use permit. He does not have a building permit. He has never paid the fees that we have to pay. All these tiny little business owners have paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to open their businesses and he, as the largest land holder, has to pay a $200 fee for a permit that's expired. He continues to operate and makes millions of dollars every week with largest square footage nightclub," added Gersten.

The Wynwood Marketplace is currently shutdown and Mr. Mana had a few comments to make about the situation.

"Let's it make it clear. We're not fighting about the [Wynwood] Marketplace, the fight is about the future of Wynwood. Do we want to make it an entertainment hub of art, entertainment, and business? Or do we want to make it another friendly neighborhood," said Mana.

The next Wynwood BID meeting is on March 11th and they will be taking the next steps in working with city officials to find a resolution with Mr. Mana.