Appeal Filed Over City Approval Of 60-Story Edgewater Tower

Approval of a 650-foot apartment tower in Edgewater is being appealed.

Aimco is planning a 60-story tower with 241 residential units at 560-640 NE 34th Street.

The appeal was filed by Bay Park Towers Condominium Association Inc., which neighbors the property to the south.

The 13-story, 254-unit Bay Park was built in 1961, and multiple developers have been trying to buy out condo owners there in order to redevelop it, according to a 2021 report in The Real Deal.

The appeal documents list multiple reasons why the city should reconsider approval of the new project.

Miami’s Planning, Zoning and Appeals Board is scheduled to consider the appeal at a meeting on January 18. A December 21 hearing was continued.

 

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Anonymous
10 months ago

seems to me this project would help elevate bay parc values….aimcos tower is nicely done and really attractive bayfront retail portion …i hope aimco can continue forward

Save Edgewater
10 months ago

We should just zone Edgewater for planned urban-city townhouses. It’s already too crowded and not even in downtown Miami where people can metro. Edgewater can be nicer without going up high.

Marco
10 months ago

Totally agree with that. Taller doesn’t necessarily means nicer. I live in Edgewater for the last 15 years and I think it’s time to build better and smarter. Like in Wynwood, little buildings (30 floors max) are great too for a better quality of life.

Smart Miami - Communicate to Zoning Officials
10 months ago

Agree with Marco! The city agrees. Build smarter, build lower around the water, and build taller in the central metro Miamk core.

Anonymous
10 months ago

I agree too, only west of Biscayne Boulevard transitioning to low-rise areas of Wynwood, with mid-rises along Biscayne Boulevard. That ship sailed years ago, and tall buildings are now needed interior between Biscayne Boulevard and the bay to conceal the a** ends of the bayfront buildings.

Save Edgewater
10 months ago

Please read the appeal: “The waiver violates the city waterfront side setback requirements.”

Allowing a waiver does not seem like a good idea at all, and should be carefully considered.

Confused
10 months ago

Funny but in the render I see this proposed project sitting just as far back from the water as Bay Park Towers with more people walking around.

Checo
10 months ago

“Side Setbacks”
The property owners were granted the following:

At about 80 feet in the air, Miami21 requires 20″ setback and the owner’s design asks for 2 whopping feet up in the air above the 8th floor in the front of the building.

Again, 80 or so feet up in the air, the property owner is asking for 3 ft on the South Side of the property.

Give me a break. Miami21 steals the creativity of the architect and impedes the ability of developers to do interesting things.

I carefully considered it. 2 feet on the front? 3 ft on South Side? Relax.

The text quoted directly:
· A Waiver pursuant to Section 7.1.2.5(29) of Miami 21 to provide an 18’ Principal Front Setback above the eighth floor where 20’ is otherwise required;

· A Waiver pursuant to Section 7.1.2.5(29) of Miami 21 to provide a 27’ South Side Setback above the eighth floor where 30’ is otherwise required;

Full Time Miami
10 months ago

Is there even a deep setback for Miami residents to enjoy recreation on the water?

Or is this another vacant Airbnb property that will sit empty most of the time? The city urgently needs housing around metros and preservation of waterfront parks for city residents. Tax revenues can come from any new development.

Anonymous
10 months ago

Which of the newer towers in Edgewater is a “vacant Airbnb property”?

I love to assume
10 months ago

There you go asking an intelligent question…

Checo
10 months ago

Q 1. Yes. Of course.
Q 2. No.
Q 3. What is your evidence that the “city urgently needs housing around metros”? Is it the rapid decline in population? Are people dying in the streets?

As long as I have been studying this situation (30 years), the population of Miami continues to increase, the quality of housing continues to improve.
The 2000’s were better than the 1990’s. The 2010’s were better than the the 2000’s. It is better now than the 2010’s.

Never in 30 years has there been a park that hasn’t been preserved; or at least not that I am aware of.

Never in 30 years has any developer who wants to develop around the Metromover or Metrorail been prevented from doing so.

Nathaniel Talcott
10 months ago

Obviously you cannot legally air bnb a residential unit in Miami. If you are aware of people doing so then please report for a fine.

I run legal commercial air bnb in Miami Beach. You can bet if I see people air bnb their residential condos then I report the illegal (and unfair) competition.

Nathaniel Talcott
10 months ago

Bigger issue is non-residents buying Miami condos as vacation homes (and investments) and then not living there more than a few weeks a year. This does have a negative impact. But any effort to punish this behavior will just drive the investment to other cities.

Checo
10 months ago

It would. No doubt.
But these condo commandos are always shooting themselves in the feet.
Developers nearly always start with the amount of profit they need/expect, work backwards from the estimated sell out revenue and subtract out hard costs, soft costs, and are left with the land costs.

The developer then offers the Bay Park Condo owners (for instance) a fair price. 49 out of 50 times, the most owners are ready to sell, then one residential Realtor and her Realtor daughter ban together with a few others to extract a higher value than what is reasonable. Happens all the time. Then deal dies.

This same mentality leads wackos to sue someone for improving their value, market, and community with a new luxury tower where an old junkie building used to be.

Melo is sigma and Chad
10 months ago

It gives needed ground level restaurant & retail space to this part of edgewater.

Anonymous
10 months ago

I love seeing the skyline growing❤️

Anonymous
10 months ago

I’d love to see as much attention to the ground floor level as the skyline ❤️

???
10 months ago

If we can’t buy you out, we will build around you!

Anonymous
10 months ago

Bay Park needs to go asap! Out with the old, in with the new.

Anonymous
10 months ago

no

Anonymous
10 months ago

What, they’re appealing this solid development but had no problem with Related’s poorly designed monstrosities?

Amicus Curiae: Pause Supertalls on the Bay
10 months ago

Hope the Appeal is successful! So proud of the City for taking action against these unnecessary and menacing high rise condos on the bay. There is NO need for super tall towers along the bay. It raises insurance premiums, at risk of flooding and long term erosion of infrastructure. They block the sun and views for the entire city, and just turn into Airbnbs for people who don’t live here. There is NO need for housing in these areas. We need high-end housing like this near our metros, to alleviate traffic and because people can’t afford to have cars AND pay for the increase in rent costs.

Anonymous
10 months ago

Edgewater is not “near our metros”?

Anonymous
10 months ago

Edgewater is becoming really beautiful thanks to these ever-increasing towers. Let’s keep building!

Weighing All Sides in 360 Miami
10 months ago

I’m all for development on the bay AND around metros, but if we build super talls all along the bay aren’t we making it harder for creation of future metro-focused developments? There would be limited views and less waterfront parks. If you think people are naturally gravitated to the water now, imagine how hard it would be to develop around metros if we continue down this path…

On Second Thought
10 months ago

I may have spoke with certainty too soon. All sides should be considered. On second glance, I see some type of setback and possible public waterfront restaurant. This could make it more useful than a standard condo that extends all the way to the bay.

I think we should still consider the impact of supertalls on the bay on future possible luxury development around metros.

What the?..
10 months ago

“menacing high rise condos on the bay”

Really? You don’t say…

And here I was afraid and worried about the menacing dogs that people have who live in these condos.

Anonymous
10 months ago

Metromover extension up Biscayne would help a lot. It could create a North Loop with the one going up N Miami.

Anonymous
10 months ago

What “one going up N Miami?” LOL, and if residents don’t like more towers, they certainly aren’t going to like a giant flyover along Biscayne Boulevard for your beloved hobobus.

Anonymous
10 months ago

Metromover doesn’t have to capacity to help with traffic. You need a full rebuild of it a la Tokyo Yurikamome Line, or use Metrorail or streetcars instead.

BROD Miami City
10 months ago

BROD (Brickell, Riverside, Overtown and Downtown) have a huge metrorail line, with lots of capacity to fill, waterfront views and space for new thoughtfully designed development…

I can't believe...
10 months ago

Amazing, the Metromover has been in place for over thirty years and idjits nowadays don’t know or can’t figure out what to do with it.. smh..

Checo
10 months ago

What?
Knocking down an old building and replacing it with a state of the art modern building raises insurance premiums??
They block the sun for the entire city?? Like….they block the sun all the way to Coconut Grove?

Please do your homework before ranting on this.
There may be 1 or 2 people reading here who don’t know that Aimco stands for the Apartment Investment and Management Company, and that thrive on annual and more leases.
They do not do AirBnB’s.

So, apart from being absolutely wrong with every point that you made there…..
Great post. Keep up the good work.

Maternus Forniticus
10 months ago

If they can afford high end housing then they can afford cars 🤡