48-story Midtown residential tower wins OK

A developer is bringing a residential skyscraper to the north end of Midtown in Miami.

Terra and Lion Development Group are proposing a 48-story mixed-use tower, Midtown 1, with 400 residential units, more than 26,000 square feet of commercial, and a parking podium for up to 500 vehicles, on a vacant site at 3501 NE First Ave.

The city’s Urban Development Review Board recommended approval with two conditions: incorporate transparent glazing around the northeast corner on the ground floor to emphasize and extend the retail use, and substitute shade trees for palms wherever possible.

Brian Dombrowski, an attorney representing the developer, said the property is in the Midtown neighborhood which continues a rapid population growth and business expansion.

The property is a portion of Tract I of the Midtown Miami East Plat. The property fronts Northeast 36th Street to the north, Northeast First Avenue to the west, and Northeast 35th Street to the south.

East of the property is the FEC rail line.

The property is surrounded by multi-family residential, office, and commercial uses within the Midtown District.

In a letter to the city Mr. Dombrowski wrote: “The project provides retail use for 100% of the primary frontages, with back of house and lobby spaces located along secondary frontages or the eastern side frontage. The project provides liner uses on all levels of the parking structure except in areas where liner uses interfere with the ventilation requirements.”

Mr. Dombrowski noted that all new construction within the Midtown Overlay District requires a Class II Special Permit.

Additionally, a Class II Special Permit is requested to permit the maneuvering of trucks within the public right of way for off-street loading.

He said the developer is also requesting a 10% increase in the maximum height of a parking structure, subject to the approval of the planning director.

The project, designed by Arquitectonica, has a floor area of about 606,856 square feet.

The 598-foot-tall Midtown 1 structure will be home to 400 condominium units, ranging from 868 to 2,200 square feet, with a penthouse at the top.

Mr. Dombrowski wrote: “The parking structure façade has been thoughtfully designed to provide active liner uses which screen the parking. The garage façade has been redesigned to provide active liner uses along the Northeast 36th Street frontage and Northeast First Avenue frontages.

“At the second story, the Rainforest Garden has been implemented, (providing) tenants with an outdoor space and lush garden areas. At the third story, the active liner is the Library Garden, providing landscaping, pathways, and seating areas for tenants which features a double height space,” he wrote.

He said at the fifth story will be a Sculpture Garden, as well as enclosed amenity space for tenants, featuring double height spaces. The seventh story features a Healing Garden, with seating areas and landscaping.

“The open air corner allows for a larger landscaping feature and serves as the focal point, tying together the liner uses,” concluded Mr. Dombrowski.
Iris Escarra, an attorney for the developer, reminded the review board that the Midtown special zoning district began back in 2003-2004.

This new tower will rise on land considered a “gateway site,” she said.

Arquitectonica principal Bernardo Fort-Brescia explained some design details to the review board, stating, “Iris noted the unique location of this property, it’s at the tip of Midtown, very visible from the road.”

The ground floor will be lively with retail uses and restaurants, he said, and all loading and unloading will be done next to railroad tracks and off a sideroad in back.

Mr. Fort-Brescia detailed an unusual design feature: placement of the drop-off area on the second floor.

“The drive up is elevated. It liberated the space for ground floor retail. It’s a common issue and we came up with the alternative solution, removing cars from the street,” he said.

Mr. Fort-Brescia showed renderings of the façade, and explained how landscaping greenery will be woven through the screening on the podium levels.

Board member Agustin Barrera said, “In looking at the site I really appreciate the fact that you were able to maximize the retail usage and make it more friendly. And the scale … the way the layers between the parking garage and the street and the greenery introduced into the parking garage, brings it down to a good pedestrian scale.”

Mr. Barrera said the vocabulary of the podium and the tower are different but integrate well.

He also likes placing all drop-offs on the second floor.

“I like the introduction of the drop-off on the second level,” he said. “There’s so much happening on the ground floor it’s actually nice to separate that circulation of the pedestrian and the car … overall I think the project is well proportioned, well designed, I would be in support,” said Mr. Barrera.

Board member Robert Behar agreed, saying, “I think you did a great job. Ditto what he said. I’m in support.”

Board member Gia Zapattini suggested design changes to improve a highly visible corner on the northeast.

She said, “It seems like a very solid façade for a very important corner.”

Mr. Fort-Brescia said they could add more glass to that corner.

Ms. Zapattini encouraged that, saying, “You have an opportunity to have a strong corner between the Midtown District and the Design District … and it seems to me you’ve treated it like a secondary elevation, a loading docks elevation, when it’s a prominent corner.”

Mr. Fort-Brescia responded, “There is opportunity. We could open this up as well,” he said, pointing to the corner and eastern elevation.

Ms. Zapattini said, “I wish, for this iconic corner, it would be something more unique and important.”

He reiterated that they can add more glass and make a landscaped planting taller.

Ms. Zapattini continued, “I think the building is a very beautiful building. I love how you’re treating the podium and incorporating a lot of landscape.

Hopefully the owner and the condo association maintain it so it looks as beautiful as your rendering.

“The podium is very well executed, and the scale for pedestrians is great. And I do like the drop-off area on the second floor,” she said.

Ms. Zapattini was the one to suggest more shade trees in place of some planned palms.

Board Chairman Ignacio Permuy said, “I think it’s a beautiful design. I commend the entire development team … it’s a great project.”