Super-tower from Swire, Related Companies faces another test

Brickell City Centre is growing, wide and tall.

Helping that achievement is recent action from the Miami City Commission.

At its last meeting before the August break, commissioners unanimously approved on first reading two resolutions that would amend the current Special Area Plan, or SAP, for the sweeping mixed-use development in the heart of the city’s financial district.

The latest moves are designed to allow a third amendment to a previously approved Development Agreement to make provision for the One BCC Signature Office development, an alternate concept for the One BCC parcel, which may utilize design flexibilities that includes larger tower floorplates.

Second and final readings may be set for September.

The first resolution amends the Special Area Plan, and the second would allow an amendment to the previously approved development agreement regarding One BCC, to rise at 700 and 710 Brickell Ave. and 799 Brickell Plaza.

What it will mean is more – more office space, something the developers, Swire Properties Inc., and new partners, Related Companies, see a tremendous need for in the coming months and years.

Swire Properties Inc., headquartered in Miami since 1979, is the main developer of Brickell City Centre, which began in 2013.

Swire and Related announced in June their collaboration to construct the largest commercial building in Florida.

They unveiled One Brickell City Centre, an approximately 1,000-foot supertower designed by architectural firm Arquitectonica.

The partnership says the Class A office building is the second phase of Brickell City Centre, a $1.05-billion, 4.9-million-squarefoot, mixed-use development that opened in 2016 and was developed by Swire Properties Inc.

Swire and Related report that One Brickell City Centre will encompass 1.6 million total square feet of office space and feature the largest floorplates in Miami for a Class A office building.

The company said it is designed with the modern office in mind and is ideal for tenants in Miami’s fastest growing sectors including financial services and technology.

“One Brickell City Centre solidifies Swire Properties and Related Companies’ belief in the future of the Miami real estate market. This monumental structure, which will be the tallest commercial building in Florida, brings an exceptional level of commercial space that the market has yet to see,” said Kieran Bowers, president of Swire Properties Inc.

“As the city continues to evolve to become a global hub of commerce, finance and technology, One Brickell City Centre will play an important role in attracting exceptional companies that want to make Miami their home,” he said.

Stephen M. Ross, chairman and founder Related Companies, said: “This is a groundbreaking partnership between Related Companies and Swire that will result in a truly world-class commercial office building in the heart of Miami.

“The leading companies demand commercial office space that fits their needs with the best finishes, amenities, flexibility, and service – and we’re proud to bring that level of development to Miami.

“Skyline and neighborhood defining projects are what set our companies apart and together we look forward to delivering the best office building in Miami’s history,” said Mr. Ross.

One BCC is to feature spacious floor plans, outdoor terraces on every floor, column-free interiors, indoor/outdoor spaces for meetings and gatherings, state-of-the-art technology features throughout each floor and access to Brickell City Centre’s 500,000 square feet of shopping, food and entertainment offerings, said the company.

Construction for One Brickell City Centre is slated to begin in 2023. The building will soar above Brickell Avenue and offer 360-degree views of the ocean, Miami River, and Downtown Miami.

It is at the entrance point to the Brickell City Centre, which includes the 352-key East Miami hotel; the condominium towers Reach and Rise; two additional office towers providing 260,000 square feet of space; the $30 million sustainability system Climate Ribbon; and 2,600-space underground garage.