Way cleared for Miami Fire Station 4 inside 64-story tower

The City of Miami amended an agreement with the developer of a 64-story tower in Brickell to expedite the project and a complementary fire station included in the deal.

Commissioners last week unanimously approved an amendment to the public benefits agreement with 191 SW 12 Owner LLC, an affiliate of the New York-based JDS Development Group behind One Southside Park. The amendment clarifies the developer’s obligations for the temporary relocation of Fire Station 4 to maintain emergency operations and expedite construction.

In February 2020, JDS bought city-owned property along Southwest Second Avenue downtown for $23 million to develop One Southside Park. The land includes the old fire station at 1111 SW Second Ave. The deal requires the developer to fund the $8 million cost of a new, state-of-the-art fire station, $2.2 million for new fire trucks and other public benefits.

Fire Station 4 is to be temporarily relocated into a 5,500-square-foot space within Southside Park. The amended agreement stipulates several changes the developer must provide for, chiefly the necessary water and sewer connections.

A background memo states the fire department won’t occupy the temporary station until it’s connected to water and sewers, expected by 2024. The station is projected to use 550 gallons of water a day.

A public entrance from Southwest First Court and the Underline to the temporary fire station will be secured so citizens have clear access without having to pass through any storage or parking areas.

Other changes include wider gates, plumbing cleanouts and setbacks between trailers, installation of a doorbell on the exterior fence, and any other adjustments or equipment that the Miami Fire-Rescue Department may request.

The agreement also stipulates the fire rescue department has the right to occupy the temporary and then the new, permanent station at no cost until 30 days after a temporary certificate of occupancy is issued, the superstructure is topped off and cranes are no longer active at the site.

ODP Architects, headquartered in Hollywood, is architect for the temporary fire station. JDS has the commitment of Advance Modular Structures for repairs, restoration and replacement of the temporary fire station.

Southside Park, where the new fire station and massive tower are to rise, is designated a brownfield – a property where expansion, redevelopment, or reuse is complicated by environmental contamination.

Southside was one of seven city parks closed for cleanup in 2013 and 2014 after high levels of toxic metals, including arsenic and lead, were found in the soil. The city planned to remediate the land by burying the contaminated soil under two feet of clean fill.

At the time, citizens were concerned that a new layer of soil wouldn’t solve the problem. Their suspicions were validated when a report found high levels of arsenic remained in the soil. In October 2022, Southside Park was deemed a brownfield for the second time in the past decade.

Under Florida’s Brownfields Redevelopment Act, such properties are eligible for financial aid. Since receiving the designation, the development of One Southside Park stands to benefit from the incentive program, which offers Voluntary Cleanup Tax Credits to offset expenses related to the site’s cleanup and a $2,500 bonus tax refund for each new job created by an eligible business on or next to the site.

The portfolio listing for One Southside Park describes it as “a new urban gateway and mode of urban living in Miami.” Construction is underway on the mixed-use tower that combines commercial, residential, office, event and wellness spaces.

The 2.48 million-square-foot project is to include 1,175 multifamily units, a 200-key Treehouse Hotel, nearly 200,000 square feet of offices, full service and fast-food restaurants, a banquet hall and a fitness center.

Once completed, the permanent fire station is to occupy 32,000 square feet at One Southside Park.