Written by: Publisher • March 2, 2015• Coral Gables In the Community

Miracle Mile receives “Golden Age of Glamour” Makeover for the Holidays

During the holiday season, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and a myriad of Holiday sales bombard shoppers, keeping their attention focused on big corporate stores. In response, American Express launched Small Business Saturday back in 2010 to address the small business owners’ most pressing need: more customers. Held each year on the Saturday following Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday intends to support the small businesses that create jobs, boost the economy and preserve neighborhoods around the country.

On November 29, customers were invited to shop small and support local businesses without the overwhelming crowds of the large toy stores and malls. To commemorate the fifth year of Small Business Saturday, five “main streets” across the country received makeovers from professional designers which were revealed leading up to the busy shopping holiday weekend. Coral Gables’ Miracle Mile was one of the lucky five selected locations. Other participating cities included San Francisco, Hoboken, Chicago and Washington, D.C. “This project will make Miracle Mile even more attractive and festive during the holiday season, and we’re grateful to have been selected for this downtown makeover by American Express,” said Coral Gables Mayor Jim Cason, in anticipation of the event. Marking the fourth year that the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce has been the architect of these events, President of the Chamber Mark Trowbridge was proud to have been presented with this wonderful opportunity as a way to commemorate Coral Gables’ local retail scene. “We always look forward to Small Business Saturday as a day when we celebrate the shop small movement and support our amazing local retailers,” Trowbridge said.

To facilitate the makeovers, Lori Dennis, renowned interior designer and Star of HGTV’s “The Real Designing Women,” oversaw a team of designers that included Michael Delao, Kelly Lackner, Jenny M. Khol, Jenny Velasquez, Helene Hollub, Jason Glassman, Peter Durbin, and B Pila Design Studio. Thanks to the team, Miracle Mile storefronts were transformed into a holiday wonderland, bringing the golden age of glamour to the Coral Gables streetscape. “Our small businesses are incubators for innovation, vital to our economy – and provide a vibrant and delightful shopping and dining experience for our residents, our workforce and visitors,” said Mayor Cason. As a result of the holiday transformation, shoppers were able to enjoy the festive atmosphere while supporting the smaller local businesses that help give Miracle Mile its unique appeal and charm.

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