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Aessotariq Burg

Aessotariq

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4,235 housing units up for Miami commission vote

By Yeleny Suarez

Miami Today

The Miami City Commission is to vote today (1/27) on adding 4,235 housing units to the city's burgeoning supply.

"I think none of the projects going before the commission for the major use special permits will face any impediments, but all is possible," Commissioner Joe Sanchez said.

Each of the six projects would include retail space, a combined 120,440 square feet, and two would have office space totaling 225,800 square feet.

The six are among 233 housing projects with 66,648 units in the city's pipeline. They are:

  • Opus, by Development Group, a 57-story building at 1237 Biscayne Blvd. and 324 and 444 NE 13th St., is to include 408 units with 17,160 square feet of retail and 570 parking spaces.

  • Riverfront West, by Miami River, is to consist of four structures at 90 SW Third St. with 1,462 units and 38,728 square feet of retail, 203,000 square feet of office space and 1,832 parking spaces.

  • Riverfront East, by Neo Epoch 1 and Downtown River Village, is to include three buildings at 300, 350 and 400 S. Miami Ave. and 15, 24, 25 and 39 SW Fourth St. with 1,424 units, 41,994 square feet of retail, 52,800 square feet of office and 1,671 parking spaces.

  • South Bayshore Tower, a 47-story building by South Bayshore Tower LLC, at 1300 and 1390 Brickell Bay Drive, 171 and 183 SE 14th St. and 180 SE 13th St., would have 364 units in 447,989 square feet, 10,000 square feet of retail and 501 parking spaces.

  • Ellipse, by Thirteen Biscayne Associates and Morocco Enterprises at 1776 Biscayne Blvd., will be a 24-story tower to include 267 units with 6,793 square feet of retail and 438 parking spaces.

  • Marquis, a 63-story tower by Pelican Hotel LLC at 1100 Biscayne Blvd., is to include 310 units, 5,765 square feet of retail and 525 parking spaces.

"We as commissioners listen to both sides and review facts and evidence," Mr. Sanchez said. "It is a fair avenue for those to present cases where we act as judges."

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pawnmaster Unincorporated Area

pawnmaster

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There is that darn Opus again! Really hoping the county sees the bigger picture....we have plenty of high-rises going on already, lets put 395 underground.

We will see what prevails tomorrow.

4,235 housing units up for Miami commission vote

By Yeleny Suarez

Miami Today

  The Miami City Commission is to vote today (1/27) on adding 4,235 housing units to the city's burgeoning supply.

  "I think none of the projects going before the commission for the major use special permits will face any impediments, but all is possible," Commissioner Joe Sanchez said.

  Each of the six projects would include retail space, a combined 120,440 square feet, and two would have office space totaling 225,800 square feet.

  The six are among 233 housing projects with 66,648 units in the city's pipeline. They are:

  • Opus, by Development Group, a 57-story building at 1237 Biscayne Blvd. and 324 and 444 NE 13th St., is to include 408 units with 17,160 square feet of retail and 570 parking spaces.

     

  • Riverfront West, by Miami River, is to consist of four structures at 90 SW Third St. with 1,462 units and 38,728 square feet of retail, 203,000 square feet of office space and 1,832 parking spaces.

     

  • Riverfront East, by Neo Epoch 1 and Downtown River Village, is to include three buildings at 300, 350 and 400 S. Miami Ave. and 15, 24, 25 and 39 SW Fourth St. with 1,424 units, 41,994 square feet of retail, 52,800 square feet of office and 1,671 parking spaces.

     

  • South Bayshore Tower, a 47-story building by South Bayshore Tower LLC, at 1300 and 1390 Brickell Bay Drive, 171 and 183 SE 14th St. and 180 SE 13th St., would have 364 units in 447,989 square feet, 10,000 square feet of retail and 501 parking spaces.

     

  • Ellipse, by Thirteen Biscayne Associates and Morocco Enterprises at 1776 Biscayne Blvd., will be a 24-story tower to include 267 units with 6,793 square feet of retail and 438 parking spaces.

     

  • Marquis, a 63-story tower by Pelican Hotel LLC at 1100 Biscayne Blvd., is to include 310 units, 5,765 square feet of retail and 525 parking spaces.

  "We as commissioners listen to both sides and review facts and evidence," Mr. Sanchez said. "It is a fair avenue for those to present cases where we act as judges."

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Aessotariq Burg

Aessotariq

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Posted on Thu, Jan. 27, 2005

MIAMI CITY COMMISSION

Deal could rejuvenate Overtown

Miami commissioners will vote today on a settlement that could usher in an ambitious redevelopment project in Overtown, but critics say housing may be too pricey for community residents.

BY MATTHEW HAGGMAN AND OSCAR CORRAL

[email protected]

The Miami City Commission today will consider a settlement that could pave the way for the biggest development ever in Overtown, a potential building block in the long-desired revitalization of the struggling, historically black neighborhood.

City leaders hope the project will be a catalyst that inspires renewed building and brings homeowners, families, retailers and office workers back to Overtown.

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz said Wednesday that the city, the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency and the project's former developer, Ted Weitzel, have reached a settlement of two lawsuits. That deal could allow a $200 million project with condos, townhomes, shops and offices by Michigan-based developer Crosswinds Communities to go forward.

The City Commission is scheduled to vote on the settlement today.

Miami's unprecedented spate of development has resulted in cranes dotting the city's skyline from the Brickell area and downtown to the shores of the Miami River, Park West and Edgewater. But Overtown has gone almost entirely ignored.

''I really believe that this is the rebirth of that area,'' Miami City Manager Joe Arriola said.

The bulk of the residential units would be sold at market rate but at prices significantly lower than the high-end condos currently marketed across Miami, said Matthew Schwartz, urban development director for Crosswinds.

While cautioning that prices have not been set, Schwartz said market-rate units would go for somewhere between $130,000 and $300,000. ''The intent is to get a market that is affordable for people who earn between $40,000 and $90,000, which is generally not served by current projects,'' he said.

PRICED OUT OF TOWN

But critics fear that the project, which will be built on vacant land, may price Overtown residents out of the market. They say it also could change the character of a neighborhood where boxer Muhammad Ali once lived and the likes of Count Basie and Billie Holiday performed at the Lyric Theatre.

More than half of the community's residents live below the poverty line, according to the 2000 Census, and the area's population has dwindled from about 40,000 in its heyday of the early 1960s to about 7,000 today.

Crosswinds, a privately held developer with projects in six states, proposes building 1,050 residential units in seven buildings ranging from four to 17 floors. It also plans 75,000 square feet of retail and office space.

The mixed-use project would occupy a 3

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Aessotariq Burg

Aessotariq

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Posted on Thu, Jan. 27, 2005

REQUIREMENTS

Community given a larger stake

BY OSCAR CORRAL

[email protected]

City Hall's push to revive Overtown with a $200 million private development deal hinges on its ability to persuade the community that the project serves its best interest.

So, Miami has ordered the developers to give Overtown a larger stake in the project.

Under the current deal, Crosswinds must set aside 20 percent of the units for poorer families, such as a family of four that earns $40,000 to $63,000 a year. Of those 200 or so units, the city will get 50 as compensation for its land, a deal worth about $8 million. The developers and Miami plan to offer current and former Overtown residents first dibs on these units.

''The deal as it is being planned right now is far better than when we first discussed it,'' said David Alexander, president and CEO of St. John Community Development Corp., one of Overtown's oldest redevelopment groups. ``The city has extracted from this developer some really meaningful commitments, and I'm glad to see that they are backed up by dollar penalties if they don't meet them.''

But not everyone thinks residents will benefit.

''The average income in that area is less than $10,000 a year, so when they talk about affordable units at that price range, those people are excluded,'' said Anthony Cutler, an Overtown activist and former resident.

The city has required Crosswinds to make affordability and black participation mandatory, said Matthew Schwartz, Crosswinds' urban development director.

Black construction workers hired by Crosswinds will go up from 21 percent to 28 percent, as will the number of blacks in property management and the sales and marketing team.

''It's about time we got some development going,'' said Overtown Advisory Board Chairman Irby McKnight. ``Let's do it.''

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streetscaper Whistle-Stop

streetscaper

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omfg...as I said before, If this thing doesn't get approved and built...I'm gonna be super pissed.....these types of projects are waaay more important than the luxury high-rises in terms of downtown revitalization. I don't see why anyone would disagree with this, it's bringing in jobs to community that desperately needs it, and there are plenty of units that are "affordable." I think the Gentrification of Overtown would be the best thing for Miami.

I like this project... 7 buildings, ranging from 4 to 17 stories!! Overtown will become a vital, urban, walkable neighborhood.

I hope someone can update the forum as to whether this was approved today!! Thanks!!

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Brickell Burg

Brickell

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Crosswinds plan approved... what about Opus? anybody know?

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/10754438.htm

Deal on Overtown plan OK'd

Miami City Commissioners approved a legal settlement boosting the prospects for Overtown's largest proposed development ever.

BY MICHAEL VASQUEZ

[email protected]

Despite concerns by some that it would push out the poor, Miami City Commissioners unanimously paved the way for a $200 million development expected to radically change Miami's long-downtrodden Overtown neighborhood.

A key legal settlement embraced by the commission Thursday greatly increases the chances that the proposed 1,050-unit Crosswinds condominium project will be built. Crosswind's developers, however, must receive more city approvals before shovels can hit the ground.

''I truly believe that this project will serve as an engine for jobs and economic opportunity,'' Mayor Manny Diaz told commissioners in pressing for their support.

Palm Beach investor Glenn Straub argued the city could get more revitalization bang for its buck if it let him have the city-owned property being leased to the developers of Crosswinds. Straub, owner of the Miami Arena, said he would build a similar project that would net the city $3 million more than what Crosswinds was offering, while setting aside additional condo units as affordable housing.

City leaders declined the offer, and Straub left City Hall vowing to sue.

`STRUCTURAL RACISM'

Power U, an Overtown-based grass-roots organization, complained the Crosswinds proposal reeks of ''environmental and structural racism'' because they say it builds housing that is largely unaffordable for the poor residents of historically black Overtown.

''Property values are going to go up,'' Power U member Mirene Charles told city commissioners. ``And low-income people living there are going to have to move out.''

More than half of Overtown's residents live below the federal poverty line -- defined as an $18,850 annual income for a family of four. Meanwhile, a majority of Crosswinds condo apartments will be sold in the $130,000 to $300,000 price range.

It is rising rents prompted by an influx of redevelopment that Crosswinds critics fear.

Project planners envision building 75,000 square feet of retail and office space along with the condo units. The mixed-use, 9.1-acre project would occupy a vacant 3

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Brickell Burg

Brickell

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Opus out... FDOT in!

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/10762708.htm

FDOT to buy land near PAC

The Florida Department of Transportation said it plans to buy the property sandwiched between Interstate 395 and the Performing Arts Center, allaying fears of a high-rise condominium next to the much-anticipated venue.

BY MATTHEW HAGGMAN

[email protected]

The Florida Department of Transportation said it plans to buy the triangular parcel at the corner of Interstate 395 and Biscayne Boulevard slated for a high-rise condominium, a move that would avert the possibility of a hulking tower blocking views of Miami's Performing Arts Center.

On Thursday morning -- shortly before condo developers planned to request the final approval necessary from the Miami City Commission to build on the site -- FDOT formally made an offer for the property.

Paul Murphy, who is leading the development group that proposed building a 57-story condo called Opus One, did not immediately accept FDOT's offer.

But he deferred the permit request with city officials for 60 days to complete negotiations with FDOT.

''We fully expect to have a satisfactory settlement for everyone,'' said Lucia A. Dougherty, a lawyer for the Opus developers.

FDOT spokesman Brian Rick made plain the state agency's plans: ``We intend to purchase the property.''

FDOT has said it needs the parcel for future changes to I-395 but had not previously made a formal offer to buy the property.

Many in the arts community have worried about the specter of a high-rise tower rising immediately next to the PAC, which has cost hundreds of millions in public funds.

If built, Opus One would be located directly across the street from the PAC, a scenario critics call unsuitable for a venue hoped to have the significance of, say, the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

Adding to critics' worry: city leaders said current law left them with limited options to stop the high-rise condo, unless a third-party bought the site.

''Thank God,'' Parker D. Thomson, chairman of the Performing Arts Center Trust, said about FDOT's move. ``We've got the [Performing Arts Center] buildings close to finished and they are going to change Miami. They need to be seen, we don't need other buildings in front of them.''

City leaders similarly expressed relief.

''It is good news for us,'' said Miami City Commissioner Johnny L. Winton. ``The city of Miami is no longer stuck in the middle of this situation.''

The Opus One parcel is bordered by Northeast 13 Street, N. Bayshore Drive, Biscayne Boulevard and I-395.

Murphy proposed building a 408-unit condo tower with 570 parking spaces and more than 17,000 square feet of retail and office space, according to city documents.

FDOT also made an offer for the two blocks immediately west of the Opus One site, which each run alongside I-395 and are also owned by the Murphy-led group, Dougherty said.

Murphy controls the three parcels with a group of investors who he declined to name.

The state agency said it remains uncertain exactly what changes will be made to I-395, but the three parcels are necessary for whatever it does.

Attorney John Shubin, who is leading the PAC's efforts against the Opus One project, expressed optimism the Opus developers and FDOT will strike a deal.

'It is my hope that the developers' willingness to continue the matter is a sign discussions are going favorably,'' Shubin said.

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Urban_Legend Town

Urban_Legend

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Well, I hope that eventually FDOT will be able to submerge I-395, allowing for a better connection from the PAC area to downtown. But a new building, along with street retail would've been nice next to the PAC, IMO. Now, we may just have this magnificant building surrounded by surface parking.

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pawnmaster Unincorporated Area

pawnmaster

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Well, I hope that eventually FDOT will be able to submerge I-395, allowing for a better connection from the PAC area to downtown.  But a new building, along with street retail would've been nice next to the PAC, IMO.  Now, we may just have this magnificant building surrounded by surface parking.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey, does anyone now what the deal with the surface parking was? I remember the Miami Herald has placed it up for sale and heard of it being bought?

Any updates?

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Brickell Burg

Brickell

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http://www.globest.com/news/212_212/miami/130861-1.html

All-Loft, 47-Unit $20M Condo Breaks Ground

By Marita Thomas

Last updated: January 31, 2005 02:03pm

MIAMI-Star Lofts on the Bay, a 47-unit, all-loft condo, has broken ground at Northeast 25th Street. Starlofts Associates Ltd., the developer, is a joint venture between two locally based firms: Agincourt VII LLC, headed by Thomas W. Fawell, Stephanie Herman and David Hirschfeld; and Starlofts Investors LLC, headed by Mark Rousso and Lauris Boulanger.

The construction cost is estimated at $20 million. The JV obtained a $16-million construction loan, which was arranged by loan officers Pedro Gomez and Jim Dockerty, from locally based Mellon United National Bank. Hal Taylorson of Miami Beach-based Majestic Properties is the project

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