Week of April 5, 2012
| Massive construction job might shut South Miami Avenue By Patricia HoyosThe construction of Swire Properties' massive CitiCentre project in Brickell could result in part of South Miami Avenue closing for an unspecified period as construction advances. During March 21's Brickell Avenue Construction Coordination Meeting, representatives from the county's public works department said that the county expects that Swire will submit a request to close the avenue around the project's site, which is a block west of Brickell Avenue between Southwest Seventh and Eighth streets, said Cesar Garcia-Pons, senior manager of planning, design, transportation and services at the Downtown Development Authority. The project's 9.1-acre site is divided by South Miami Avenue. So far, no official request has been submitted to the county and no details are available as to when or for how long South Miami Avenue would be closed if Swire deems the closing necessary for construction, he said. Gayle Love, public information officer for the public works department, said in an e-mail, "The maintenance of traffic (MOT) has been discussed briefly with Swire; however, Swire has not yet determined the extent of the impact for South Miami Avenue. We have asked Swire to submit their plans for South Miami Avenue to the Department for review and approval." Although Swire's construction takes place on land that is under the City of Miami's jurisdiction, the South Miami Avenue roadway belongs to Miami-Dade County. "Swire continues to explore best practices for traffic management, together with all aspects of construction, as we progress the design development of Brickell CitiCentre," Megan Kelly, Swire's executive vice president, told Miami Today in a written statement. "It is premature to comment further because many ideas about the best way to do foundation work are still under investigation or discussion with the relevant jurisdictions." Once complete, the project is to encompass about 500,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space, a 290-room hotel, 77 rental apartments, 455-unit condominium towers and over 900,000 square feet of office space. CitiCentre is slated for completion in late 2015. To read the entire issue of Miami Today online, subscribe to e -Miami Today, an exact digital replica of the printed edition. |
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