Miami Beach broke up with spring break. Now it's rolling back some restrictions

Catch up quick: City leaders — who actively discouraged party crowds through viral marketing campaigns — have attributed the relative calm of the past two spring breaks to these efforts.

• But as some struggling business owners beg for a return to normalcy, and with high-profile events planned for March, the City Commission voted Thursday to give the city manager flexibility to roll back some measures.

Driving the news: City manager Eric Carpenter says he plans to remove most traffic barricades from the South Beach entertainment district, reopen parking garages and sidewalk cafes and extend nighttime beach access.

• His administration has argued that the existing measures may conflict with fitness- and finance-related events being held on the Beach next month.

Yes, but: City and police officials say to still expect a heavy police presence, DUI checkpoints, license-plate readers and open-container enforcement. (The full rules will be posted on the city website.)

• Carpenter still has the discretion to reimpose stricter measures if he believes the need arises.

What they're saying: Carpenter said this week that the city's new fitness-themed spring break marketing campaign reflects its new approach to spring break.

• The new message, he said, is a shift from discouraging spring breakers to "encouragement, while still articulating that we have rules here on Miami Beach and we expect people to honor those rules."

Commissioner Alex Fernandez said Thursday that he supports removing "aggressive" barricades, except in specific hot spots where they are necessary.

• "We shouldn't normalize a lockdown posture where a managed opened condition can work safely."
• Other commissioners agreed the city was ready to move forward: "We're changing, we're growing up and I think we're gonna be in a good spot this year," Commissioner Monica Matteo-Salinas said Thursday.

Yes, but: Fernandez tells Axios the city is "definitely not getting back together" with spring break.

• "There was a lot of drama to move past from and now we've found a new, more mature match focused on health, wellness and enjoying Miami Beach the right way."

What they're saying: At a committee meeting on Wednesday, South Beach bar, club and hotel owners said they appreciated the city's actions to address violence, but it was time to welcome tourists back.

• "We've seen so many businesses empty out in the last couple of years," Twist owner Joel Stedman told commissioners. "We have to stem the tide of that."

David Wallack, owner of Mango's Tropical Cafe, said barricades and traffic loops may have been necessary during the city's "war" on spring break, but the city needs to welcome back its paying customers.

• "We now need to recognize that the war is over."

Editor's note: This story has been updated with Thursday's commission vote