Brickell City Centre OK’d for major expansion
Brickell City Centre is poised for another major growth spurt, adding 972 residences in two towers, stores and entertainment venues, parking, a ground-level plaza, and enhancements around the South Miami Avenue Bridge.
The sweeping development from Swire Properties Inc. continues to transform the Miami neighborhood south of the Miami River.
The city commission on Jan. 24 approved a third amendment to the project’s Special Area Plan (SAP) and a second development agreement.
As a bonus, Swire committed to divide $1 million equally among the five commission districts earmarked for affordable housing or anti-poverty efforts.
What commission Chair Ken Russell calls “very generous” is money he helped garner in meetings with Swire moving forward on the latest plans. First reading and approval votes came Dec. 13, as commissioners debated the best way to spend the $1 million.
Akerman attorney Neisen Kasdin, acting for Swire, said then that Swire would agree to the money going directly to the city but that no payment would be made until building permits are issued for the next phase.
He said construction’s start would be “market dependant” but probably in two to three years.
Swire plans to redevelop adjacent sites: the former Associated Photo at 19 SW Sixth St. and the former Tobacco Road bar at 650 S Miami Ave.
The third amendment to the previously approved SAP adds 2.39 acres for a total of 13.96.
Pedestrian bridges are to connect the new residential towers to the existing Brickell City Centre.
The expansion will include 87,284 square feet for commercial (retail/entertainment), 1,231 above-ground parking spaces, a public riverwalk, and more.
Brickell City Centre began rising in 2013. It includes two condominium towers, two Class-A office buildings, its EAST, Miami Hotel, and a more than 500,000-square-foot shopping center that opened in 2016.
JC Gomez
February 6, 2019 at 5:13 am
I am excited to see the continued growth of the downtown market. Swire has done a great job with BCC and I am hopeful that the trend continues.
Judith Anderson
February 21, 2019 at 12:45 pm
I agree that they have done a very fine job, with the exception of allowing the LED Saks sign, which is way too bright and intrusive to the surrounding residential condos. There is flashing / strobe effect and gets much brighter with distance. While it is fine at the street level, it is unacceptably offensive several blocks away…LED gets stronger with distance. All the other lighting and signage is appropriate and tasteful. How can this continued to be allowed?
Willie Benbrook
February 26, 2019 at 7:42 am
There wasn’t any mention of the City Commission’s recommendations regarding increasing the street capacity for all the additional vehicular traffic this expansion will create. The area is already becoming gridlocked as it is now. OF COURSE officials will continue to blame the traffic on the operating schedule of the Brickell Avenue bridge. When I first began working in the Brickell area it took about 3 minutes to get from SE 1st Ave. to I-95. Yesterday it took me 24. Leaving the Brickell Plaza Federal Bldg. after 5:00 p.m. is nearly impossible. Traffic coming from 4 directions, pedestrians from 3, plus trying to see past the supports for the Metrorail to “make a dash for it” makes for a very dangerous exit for us Federal employees (when not on furlough). Good thing I’m often able to use Metrorail when it’s operating properly.
MIA Parking
April 26, 2019 at 12:13 pm
This expansion is going to be amazing! I can’t even remember what Brickell was like before the city centre came into play. There are so many fun restaurants and unique shops, and it is so close to the airport and the beach