Restaurant complex plan meets Miami River’s grit

Champions of the Miami River appreciate that the city has a working river, with vibrant marine-industrial uses up and down both banks. A working river means imports and exports, jobs, tax base and more – including noise and smells.

As the building boom continues and the river becomes more attractive to developers, a balance has to be reached, say the men and women guiding the river’s future.

The Miami River Commission is considering a plan from developer Shahab Karmely to transform a trio of old warehouses into a dining and event space called River Arts Complex.