As Wynwood continues to change, a brief history of Little San Juan

Why it matters: Many people don't recognize the history of Miami's neighborhoods, in part because many residents have been living in them for only five years or less, Megan McLaughlin, director of preservation projects at Plusurbia, told Axios last month.

• So as Wynwood — and the city as a whole — continues to grow and develop, understanding a neighborhood's history and story can help residents advocate for it, she said.

The latest: A pair of developers proposed a new 36-story, nearly 300-unit building in the neighborhood under the state's Live Local Act, the Real Deal reported.

• The Miami Urban Development Review Board is expected to vote Wednesday on the proposal.

Flashback: Many of the civic and institutional facilities in Wynwood Norte have names of historic Puerto Ricans who contributed to the area, including Jose de Diego Middle School and Mission San Juan Bautista Catholic Church.

• The area's beginnings in the 1920s as a garment and industrial district "laid the groundwork for what it is today, including it being the arts district," McLaughlin said.
• "The large, open buildings are very flexible."

The intrigue: In 2001, Plusurbia published a community-led plan for the neighborhood to address concerns about its future and how to move forward while protecting the area's cultural identity.

• The plan, however, was not a preservation project. Instead, it offered ways of incorporating character to inform future development.

The big picture: In the last few years, as high rises have shot up and tech companies have moved into the area, beloved establishments like Gramps and bars like J. Wakefield Brewing announced their closures — causing residents to fear the end of Wynwood's arts and culture offerings.

• On Tuesday, another establishment, Brick, announced it was closing after 11 years.

Yes, but: The changes the neighborhood is seeing today are nothing new.

• "There's always been a lot of demographic shifts" in Miami, including in the smaller neighborhood enclaves, McLaughlin said. "And not just in the '50s and '60s. ... It's always been very transient."