Coral Gables project would add live-work units

Coral Gables commissioners got to hear Tuesday a newly proposed mixed-use project for the city’s Craft Section.

The Planned Area Development would take up about a city block at 300 Catalonia Ave. Called “Alexan Crafts,” the project consists of 22 live-work units on the ground level, 263 residential units on upper levels and 364 parking spaces onsite.

“We’re very excited to be here to present the new project in the Craft Section. This is a low-scale pedestrian-oriented residential project that will really complement a lot of the office shops and restaurants that you currently have in your downtown,” said Jorge L. Navarro, who was representing Maple Multi-Family Land, Alexan Crafts’ contractors.

This project was reviewed multiple times by the Coral Gables Board of Architects and was ultimately unanimously approved in accordance with the city’s new Mediterranean style standards that were adopted a few months back, he said.

The initial project started with the goal of increasing and taking that pedestrian realm to another level, said Alberto Cordoves of Corwil Architects, the mixed-used project’s architects.

“What I mean with that is we exercised … and articulated to be able to increase the green space throughout the entire project,” he said. “We took the percentage of open space not to 10%, not to 20% as regulated by the path projects, typically, but we took it just under 30%, which also includes an open park just under 7,000 square feet.”

One of the visions of the commission is to step up the green space when there is going to be a new development, added Mayor Vince Lago, who thank the crafts section development team for the efforts. “I wrote that piece of legislation that increase the footprint of green space on the first floor and that required the green space to be on the first floor.”

“I’m trying to achieve with the support of my colleagues and the commission that I know they’re on board is to have it in every development,” the mayor said, “even if it means you got to give an additional floor and height on every development. Hopefully, we can connect them as things happen in the downtown to have a green space.”