In residential development glut, planned tower to be a parking lot

Written by Kelly Sanchez on February 18, 2026

Plans of the Miami Parking Authority (MPA) to renovate the Miami-Dade Cultural Center Garage in downtown Miami are on hold due to ongoing development, which includes multiple residential units already being built, according to the agency’s CEO, Alejandra Argudin.

Miami Today previously reported that the soon-to-be-developed garage space would contain 680 parking spaces as well as 740 residences. The parking authority is in the process of obtaining a permit to build an interim parking lot on the site at 50 NW Second Ave. until the project resumes.

“There’s a lot of standstill on development going on right now because there’s a lot of units already being built, and so development has stopped for a little bit, and so that’s why the project is not moving,” Ms. Argudin said. “We’re trying to make that project a temporary lot, at least, to provide some parking relief, because right now there’s nothing on that piece of land … because we took down the garage, and so we are trying to build an interim parking lot there until the development can start again.”

She said that the pause on development has affected not only this particular project but has stalled several others citywide.

“Throughout the city, you’re going to get a lot of that on the development projects. There’s a lot of standstill,” Ms. Argudin said. “And I’m just waiting for that to take off again so that we can build out … but we’re just waiting on the market, to be honest with you.”

The now-demolished parking garage was built across the street from the Miami-Dade Cultural Center, where the county’s main library, its history museum and the Center for Fine Arts was located until it departed and became the Perez Art Museum Miami. In September 2022, a plan branded as MetroCenter to redevelop about 17 acres of public real estate in downtown Miami was released. The library and HistoryMiami were planned to be relocated and rebuilt.