39-Story Brickell Tower Submitted For Zoning & Plan Approval: New Renderings Released

Chicago-based developer Focus has filed for plan and zoning approval for a 39-story tower in Brickell, with new renderings released.

The residential tower is planned for the former Starlite Motel property in Brickell. The motel was demolished earlier this year.

The zoning and general plan applications were submitted to Miami-Dade County on August 30 (the developer says it intends to file for Administrative Site Plan Review separately). The project is being process through the county’s Rapid Transit zoning approval process, which has become a popular alternative to the City of Miami approval process.

Renderings were updated from an August 4 pre-application submittal.

According to the latest filings, the tower is planned to rise 424 feet and include:

  • 517 residential units
  • 8,282 square feet of ground floor retail along both the SW 7th Street and SW 8th Street frontages
  • indoor/outdoor and rooftop amenity spaces on level 8 and 39
  • 506 parking spaces in a six-level garage

Renderings and elevations show metal guardrails on balconies, rather than glass.

The project also includes cross-block connectivity at the ground floor via a driveway and walkway
on the west side of the property that will improve both vehicular and pedestrian circulation within
and around the development, the developer said in a letter

Gensler is the architect.

 

(images: focus/gensler)

 

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Rich
1 month ago

Absolutely loving the blend of Chicago ingenuity with the Miami aesthetic! Please, continue this fantastic work in Brickell. Chicagoans have a special place here and we’re all for it!

go fish
1 month ago

chicago balcony buildings also love metal bar railings. I didnt realize this design style was “back”. Looks cheap if you ask me.

Anonymous
1 month ago

Looks like most Arquitectonia buildings, complete with a cheaply-covered parking podium. Sad for Gensler, who designed L.A. Live and the Shanghai Tower.

Bruno
27 days ago

I’m with you. Aluminum railings are cheap, and they don’t seem to age well.

Ana
1 month ago

Chicago ingenuity? Um sure

Anonymous
1 month ago

Exactly the type of development we should be attracting in Brickell! More of this please!

Living4Brickell
1 month ago

Excited to see the ongoing development in Brickell, especially around SW 2nd. It’s not just the towering skyscrapers, but also the more accessible mid-rises that are getting a boost. This is fantastic for the city and those eager for its interior to flourish. I hope the new constructions here will adhere to this elevated design standard – no more plain rectangular boxes. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Anon
1 month ago

Very Miami to the next level – chic, wavey, modern and a little retro. Totally cool.

Anonopolis
1 month ago

Exactly. Tipping the hat to MiMo and it works!

Anonhappy
1 month ago

Let’s do rest of Brickell like this.

Anonymous
1 month ago

Why not have architectural variety, modern, New Classical, and futuristic.

Anon
1 month ago

Love seeing more Mimo and Art Neuvou – would be cool to get a Mayfair type building in this part of Brickell.

Anon
1 month ago

This…..isn’t remotely Art Nouveau…..

Anonymous
1 month ago

I know but it could compliment the simple concrete buildings well.

Anonymous
1 month ago

MiMo is the Fontainebleau, winged Publix stores, and some gentrified motels. Simply put, imported Googie. There was never a MiMo style until architects years later made it up.

Anonymous
1 month ago

Is MiMo short for mid century modern? That’s like west elm and Palm Springs right?

Bruno
27 days ago

Miami Modern.
Check.out the Geller Building on 41st St in Miami Beach. One of the best examples.

When you hear someone pronounce “MiMo” with a long e sound instead of the long i sound, you will know that they don’t know architecture or real.estate.

Name
27 days ago

This is more BriMo “Brickell Modern”

Anon
1 month ago

Ew! jk this is replacing that

Organic Modern Brickell
1 month ago

This new building epitomizes Brickell’s signature Organic Modern style. Featuring wavy balconies, glass, steel, wood, and concrete, it seamlessly merges urban elements with nature. As the Organic Modern trend flourishes in Brickell, it leaves a lasting impact, extending harmoniously with new developments from Miami Avenue to 2nd Avenue.

Daniel
1 month ago

The RTZ zoning is really uplifting Miami and enabling Brickell to evolve into an even more remarkable locale. Exciting times ahead!

Anonymous
1 month ago

metal guardrails is an interesting choice, i cant tell if it will age well, seems very 80s.

Anon
1 month ago

The 80s were fun! Miami was its best in the 80s.

Name*
1 month ago

300 murders a year.

Anonymous
1 month ago

Sounds like every big Blue city since May 25, 2020.

Anon
1 month ago

Miami is a blue city isn’t it?

Sven
27 days ago

Since Miami was founded in 1896 and for next 59 out of 61 years, there were Republican Mayors.

For the next 39 years from 1957 through 1996 (you know, when I-95 “separated the communities”) there were all Democratic Mayors in Miami.

From 1996 until now, 27 years, there have only been 2 Democrat Mayors; Mayor Manny Diaz and and our current Mayor’s Father, Mayor Xavier Suarez.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_mayors_of_Miami

Satire
1 month ago

According to DeSantis if they died from loss of blood it was death by natural causes not murder.

Anon
1 month ago

It was a coke-den.

Anonymous
1 month ago

…and you’re probably a pothead.

No Name
1 month ago

McDuffie says otherwise

Anonymous
1 month ago

Clearly he means architecturally speaking, which is true. We got some of the city’s best buildings like CenTrust Tower, and Arquitectonica was actually a respectable boutique firm rather than a cookie cutter box factory for Related.

Anonymous
1 month ago

that was when Elizabeth Plater Zyberk and Andres Duany were partners ….. after they left the “FIRM” to create great architecture with DPZ Architecture and U of Miami Architectural School…. the other two just went very downhill, sadly… and here we are now. Condos Condos all nasty lights facing I95. Zero creativity. Sad.

Sven
27 days ago

Arquitectonica did an exceptional job with Brickell Citi Centre, the Federal Courthouse and many, many, many other great projects in Miami. That this little Miami firm has large scale projects and offices all over the world should be a source of pride.

Anonymous
1 month ago

Wow, drop dead gorgrous!

Luis
1 month ago

I like the amount of green in the renders, let’s hope it actually comes to fruition

Anonopolis
1 month ago

Gensler on the right track. All others take note.

Anon
1 month ago

Looks like something from 1985.

Anon
1 month ago

In a cool Miami Vice meets the future way!

Anonymous
1 month ago

and that is a good thing IMO

Ol' Riley
1 month ago

The alternating balconies are nice, they give each balcony a wedge of direct sun exposure. You can lay out there and tan. Or grow your weed, man.

Azarius
1 month ago

Mash the approval

Anonymous
1 month ago

You mean crush the approval?

Cover the Podiums
1 month ago

Is that glass covering the podium? No more tacky stucco

Anonymous
1 month ago

Still looks cheap with that checkerboard effect.

Anonymous.
1 month ago

Pretty colors. It’s a vibe ❤️

Anonymous
27 days ago

In related news, I saw BLD Kosher on his flip phone calling his mom to come pick him up from the skate park.

Name*
27 days ago

Sixty nine. Six to nine days between updates.

Name*
1 month ago

City center blocker.

Anon
1 month ago

Another city center block coming soon!

Brickell hoe
1 month ago

Metal railings? No thanks. It’s giving poor

C.C.
1 month ago

Starting off all classy with those elegant rounded balconies and intricate design elements, plus that touch of fancy with the expansive glass components – you’re, like, totally defying convention and unleashing mad material creativity while keeping that air of sophistication intact. Oh, and by the way, major bonus points: this whole approach is totally gonna save you from any unfortunate “looking poor” situations, unlike those basic all-glass rectangular structures. Cha-ching! 🤑

AbyNormal
26 days ago

Nothing more than another concrete box, with Metal Railings. Don’t have to look too far to find this…Grove towers and Yacht Harbour in Coconut Grove have metal railings. I would expect Gensler to be a little more creative than this.

Anonymous
29 days ago

Nice building but they should respect the zoning height limitation of the area. What if you had purchase a unit under certain height limitation and suddenly your view is lost forever?.

Sven
27 days ago

They could go taller as of right.
The developer chose not to max out the allowable height.

If I had purchased a unit nearby, I would love it. This building will increase my property values and make the are much more beautiful.

Anonymous
27 days ago

Not true about the height. That’s why the hotel next door and all the surrounding properties have certain height. East of the Metro (BCC) is lower than west. This is one the west side.

Anonyssa
26 days ago

Low talk about an East/West divide has become irrelevant due to recent zoning changes, as the absence of an RTZ and the implementation of the Live Local Law have allowed for greater height and scale on this side❗️❗️❗️

Some of the super-tall buildings in Brickell will rise even higher with these new regulations.

However, I personally prefer the boutique-sized, higher-end luxury developments, and find this to be a lovely size for the location. You know it’s not always about the size, right?

Anon
26 days ago

The ultimate luxury is having a location and building like this with less tenants to share your amenities with. Love the height. Quality over quantity.

Anon
1 month ago

Metal railings? Really? Even the Melo buildings have glass…..

Anon
1 month ago

These don’t bother me, maybe because they curve and look thin and black. It’s pretty unique and attractive. Surprised.

Anon
1 month ago

It doesn’t reflect light, and its a less expensive option than glass.

Anon
1 month ago

And they all look the same

It’s a cheap move
1 month ago

This is a cost cutting move by the developer and the review board should push back. Sitting on a balcony and looking through metal bars sucks. I’ll take my glass walls all day every day.

Anon
1 month ago

I’ve had both metal and glass railings and yes the metal bars suck.

Anon
1 month ago

Another stucco box

Anon
1 month ago

You can’t say every building is another stucco box when it’s not. You lose the cred when it’s actually a stucco box that needs to be better designed, like Domas Flats II and Empire.

Anonymous
1 month ago

Empire is fine. Domas Flats is dumbass design.

Anon
1 month ago

Empire is hideous, be for real

HAVANA WINNING
1 month ago

another win for the east side of little havana!

Coconut Grove Winning!
1 month ago

East Little Havana is east of the Underline. This is North Coconut Grove.

Drugs Winning!
1 month ago

No way man, this is like South Hallandale or North Homestead.

Haha
1 month ago

No that’s park west

Anonymous
1 month ago

Brickell in the city center, east of Riverside & the Roads.

Manhattan Winning
1 month ago

This is Manhattan South

Haha
1 month ago

This is close to the river so it’s more likely the new riverside neighborhood. #brickellshrinking lol

❤️
1 month ago

Heart of Brickell #BrickellRising