54-story downtown Melo tower to add 824 apartments

A family company that has brought hundreds of new apartments to the City of Miami, helping to ease the city’s major housing needs, is planning another major mixed-use residential project downtown.

Owner-developer 6 Plaza LLC plans a 54-story multi-family residential tower with ground floor retail at 530 NE First Ave. and 46 NE First St. 6 Plaza LLC is affiliated with The Melo Group.

The project, known as Downtown 6, will be home to 824 residential units, 2,427 square feet of commercial space, and parking for up to 639 vehicles.

The city’s Urban Development Review Board has recommended approval of the project, with some suggestions.

Iris Escarra, an attorney representing the developer, said the property is within the city’s urban core in the Central Business District, immediately south of the burgeoning Miami Worldcenter development.

The site is bounded by Northeast Sixth Street on the north, Northeast First Avenue to the east, the historically designated Central Baptist Church and the recently completed Downtown 5 project to the south, and the site of the proposed Okan Tower development to the west.

The property consists of a lot of 35,910 square feet, or 0.824 acres that is currently vacant.

The site plan for Downtown 6 was prepared by Melo Architecture.

In a letter to the city, Ms. Escarra wrote: “The Property’s location makes it the ideal candidate for the proposed mixed-use development. The Property is located within walking distance of major educational and government facilities, including Miami Dade College Wolfson Campus, the James L. King federal government office building, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida.

“The Property is uniquely served by an extensive network of major public transportation facilities and transit corridors. The Property is located just one block north of the College North Metromover Station, a block east of the Brightline MiamiCentral transportation hub which provides connections to Metrorail, Metromover, Brightline and soon, Tri-Rail service, and within walking distance of the Government Center Metrorail station.

“The Property also provides convenient access to major thoroughfares such Biscayne Boulevard, North Miami Avenue, and NE First Avenue,” said Ms. Escarra.

The parking podium will be masked with habitable liners along the primary frontage (Northeast First Avenue) and with an artistic treatment along the secondary frontage (Northeast Sixth Street).

The developer is requesting zoning waivers allowing for:

■A substitution of one industrial loading berth for two commercial loading berths.

■Up to 10% reduction in the drive aisle width from 23 feet to 21 feet.

■A 10% increase in the maximum lot coverage.

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

■A 10% increase in the maximum building floorplate length above the eighth story from 180 feet to 198 feet.

Ms. Escarra told the review board the project is a rental building, rising in a “hot” area of the city developing rapidly.

Board member Robert Behar noted that he and other board members have been critical of Melo in the past.

He said, “I want to tell you this, in the past we’ve been very hard on you guys, but I feel for the first time you’re bringing a Melo building (that starts) to address our past concerns. That’s what I’m seeing.”

Ms. Escarra responded, “We try to get better each time.”

Mr. Behar said, “I like the verticality, the expression of the building.” He referred to the 3D screening of the garage and said he’s having a little trouble with that.
Ms. Escarra said, “We can continue to work on it.”

Chairman Ignacio Permuy said, “You’ve done a very good job. I like the elegance of the verticality, and I especially like the anchoring of the main tower.”

Agustin Barrera, the newest member of the board, said: “I like the tower (but) the podium garage seems inconsistent with the overall design. I’d like it better if the horizontal lines (on the building façade) continue across.”

Board member Anthony Tzamtzis said he finds the building design very massive and monolithic.

“It’s vertically too intense and lacking some articulation,” he said.

Board member Gia Zapattini said, “Make the main corner a little more prominent, bring attention to your entrance.”

The vote to recommend approval was 6 to 0.