The City of Miami Beach Planning Board on Sept. 9 approved a conditional use permit for Superhuman, an experiential art museum proposed for the former Regal Cinema at 1100 Lincoln Road.

The museum, led by founder Steve Burke and backed by owner BH Properties, will repurpose the 78,000-square-foot, 18-screen theater into rotating interactive galleries, ticketed timed entries and ancillary food-and-beverage service. Staff recommended approval with conditions addressing transportation, hours and event management; the board voted unanimously in favor.

Superhuman’s presentation emphasized visitor flow and technology. “Each room is gonna have 3 or 4 different scripts per room,” Steve Burke said during his presentation, describing the use of wearable NFC bracelets to personalize guests’ visits. Paul Savage, the applicant’s attorney, described the project as “a proper bonafide art museum” blending blue-chip works with high-tech experiential installations.

The museum's proponents argued that converting the space is preferable to leaving a large box vacant. Brian Park, the owner’s representative, told the board the property’s operator had been on reduced rent and that Regal had not been achieving pre-pandemic sales, leaving the landlord with unsustainable carrying costs.

“You will not be able to get the movie theater to stay here by the Planning Board,” Paul Savage told the board during rebuttal, explaining that the national cinema operator’s financial struggles — including bankruptcy filings cited in public comment — left owners limited in options.

Opponents urged the board to protect the neighborhood’s movie theater. Residents submitted thousands of emails and a petition; speakers asked whether the property owner had made good-faith efforts to retain a theater operator. “We want a movie theater,” said a caller who identified herself as Lucia Prado, who said local patrons would rather keep the theater if possible. Several neighbors also raised concerns about traffic, nighttime hours and the scale of commercial events.

City staff and the applicant repeatedly told the board that the conditional use permit would require site-specific conditions and that future events beyond the approved conditions would require additional permits. The applicant agreed to a set of conditions recommended by staff, including required commissioning tests, limits on special events and compliance with transportation mitigation required by the city.

In a roll call after discussion, Planning Board members voted to approve the CUP. The board’s formal record shows unanimous affirmative votes by Creighton, Petey, Marks, Toney, Needleman, Elias and Smith.

What happens next: the action returns to the city for permitting and will be subject to building permits, transportation review and any future special-event approvals. The redevelopment is already under discussion with city departments, and the applicant said construction could move quickly once permits are obtained.

The approval drew mixed reaction from the community: Lincoln Road business leaders and the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District supported the project as a cultural anchor and economic driver, while many nearby residents asked the board to require stricter operational limits and stronger guarantees that any future noise or events would be constrained.

The Planning Board’s approval is limited to the conditional use permit described. Any major changes to hours, occupancy or entertainment beyond the permitted scope will require separate city approval.