Midrise residence near Midtown and Edgewater win OK

A new midrise mixed-use residential building is planned for an area near Midtown and Edgewater in the City of Miami.

Owner-developer TF Edgewater Apartments LLC has presented plans for Residence 27, a 20-story building at 2728 NE Second Ave., to be home to 247 residential units, about 7,800 square feet of retail, and liners around a parking garage podium for 347 vehicles.

The city’s Urban Development Review Board recommended approval of the project with conditions.

Carlos Lago, an attorney representing the developer, said the property is on the west side of Northeast Second Avenue between Northeast 27th and 28th streets, near the Edgewater, Wynwood, and Midtown neighborhoods.

He noted that the area has recently seen rapid population growth and business expansion.

In a letter, Mr. Lago wrote; “This property is well served by public transit as it is located within a transit corridor and provides convenient access to the Miami Trolley and various bus routes.”

The property consists of 42,304 square feet, or 0.971 acres after required right-of-way dedications.

“The project has been designed to activate this portion of Northeast Second Avenue and enhance the pedestrian experience in the area. The project’s design along the ground floor responds primarily to human scale and pedestrian interests.

“The project provides inviting sidewalks with landscaping, hardscaping, and other improvements. The proposed pedestrian amenities promote pedestrian interaction and provide a connection to the surrounding area,” Mr. Lago wrote.

The developer is asking for waivers to allow:

■Up to a 10% parking reduction. The request notes “the applicant is proposing liner units along the property’s principal frontage (Northeast Second Avenue) and the north secondary frontage (Northeast 27th Street). These liners significantly reduce the space available for parking.”

■Parking to encroach into the second layer, above the first story, along the secondary frontage beyond 50% of the length of the frontage, with an art or glass treatment approved by the planning director.

■Substitution of one commercial loading berth for two residential loading berths.

Miguel Campo Rodriguez, of SB Architects, told the board the project will be 20 stories, with an eight-story podium. The architectural language of the design is represented in “three intertwining gestures,” including a strong podium base, he said.

He said the design plays with horizontal and vertical elements. Amenities will include a swimming pool and a skydeck with views of downtown.

Board member Gia Zapattini said, “I’m not a fan of the three languages. I wish you’d stick to one, or three that complement each other … I see three different buildings. It’s really not cohesive.”

Board member Anthony Tzamtzis said his first reaction to the building was “the podium is too large, excessive proportion.”
He added, “It’s a very interesting project. I’m not against it.”.

Board member Robert Behar agreed the design is contradicting.

“You need to blend this together … It’s a good project. My recommendation is, go back and restudy the base to be more complementary to the tower,” he said.

Board member Agustin Barrera said, “I agree. I love the elegance of the tower (but) with the other components, it doesn’t look like it’s connected.”

Board member Dean Lewis had similar comments. “The three languages become competing,” he said.

Board Chairman Ignacio Permuy said while the developer has three very good things happening, he was “struggling with the three working together.”

A motion passed unanimously to recommend approval of the project, conditioned on the developer studying design changes to better integrate the three uses “so it reads like one cohesive building,” including bringing the tower forward, closer to the street.