Brothers turn Fort Lauderdale warehouses into an arts hub
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Thrive District has become Fort Lauderdale's newest arts and commercial destination. Photo: Naomi Feinstein/Axios
Jonathan and Abraham Fish aimed to create a new destination that would draw young people to Fort Lauderdale.
Why it matters: To achieve that dream, they turned blocks of industrial warehouses into a walkable arts district reminiscent of the early days of Miami's Wynwood neighborhood.
Catch up quick: The brothers envisioned a unique, pedestrian-friendly destination that wasn't on Las Olas or the beach, but near downtown.
- "A district, to me and to my brother, it means something that when you're walking around, you feel a part of it," Abraham tells Axios.
- The brothers stumbled upon rundown warehouses in Progresso Village and started buying them up in 2016. They invested $20 million to transform 10 buildings across five acres into what is now the Thrive District.
- It's comprised of a courtyard called The Music Square, unique businesses, artist studios and cafes, each surrounded by murals created by artists from around the world.
Zoom in: The 40 boutique businesses include a romance bookstore, the viral Alma Matcha cafe, a wellness coworking lounge, a record store, a brewery, fitness studios and a capybara cafe.
- Thrive offers street art tours, graffiti classes and art and wellness events in the square.
What they're saying: "The idea is what when somebody comes here, they could spend a day or they spend sometimes two days experiencing the district," Jonathan tells Axios.
The intrigue: Last month, Thrive won the Best Reuse and Rehab award at South Florida Business Journal's 2026 Structures Awards.
What's next: The brothers say two California mayors visited Thrive and wanted to replicate the project with their empty warehouses.
- 'They just wish this place could be in their city," Jonathan adds.