The City of South Miami is about 9 miles from downtown Miami and is what I consider yet another of South Florida's hip&happenin' spots. Townhouse and condo construction is not a stranger to this area, and I foresee even greater things for this city in the future. There are a ton of outdoor cafes, restaurants, bakeries, and creperies, etc (and obviously much shopping)...and its always a fun place to go and have lotsa fun!






http://img44.exs.cx/img44/7363/img19865xu.jpg



Looking South towards Downtown Kendall (1-2 miles away)


http://img44.exs.cx/img44/1003/img19847ze.jpg



http://img95.exs.cx/img95/1188/img19941ef.jpg



Looking North towards Downtown


http://img95.exs.cx/img95/5338/img19937nb.jpg



http://img44.exs.cx/img44/3278/img19806qc.jpg



http://img95.exs.cx/img95/330/img19969ep.jpg



http://img64.exs.cx/img64/8672/img19975uo.jpg



http://img64.exs.cx/img64/5761/img20021td.jpg



http://img64.exs.cx/img64/1589/img20041uk.jpg



http://img81.exs.cx/img81/9952/img20079ok.jpg



http://img45.exs.cx/img45/432/img20113at.jpg



There are more cranes than buildings in DT Kendall..lol


http://img45.exs.cx/img45/9633/img20136yj.jpg



Downtown Miami again


http://img96.exs.cx/img96/2111/img20180ak.jpg



http://img96.exs.cx/img96/724/img20211da.jpg



http://img45.exs.cx/img45/7232/img20268pf.jpg



http://img45.exs.cx/img45/6990/img20271pt.jpg



http://img45.exs.cx/img45/3842/img20329aq.jpg



http://img45.exs.cx/img45/1158/img20367wc.jpg



http://img45.exs.cx/img45/8696/img20383lt.jpg



http://img45.exs.cx/img45/7504/img20423bm.jpg



http://img44.exs.cx/img44/4308/img19598lg.jpg



http://img45.exs.cx/img45/5040/img20449zp.jpg



http://img41.exs.cx/img41/7687/img20459um.jpg



http://img115.exs.cx/img115/1097/img20461ua.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/8480/img20478bs.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/4565/img20492eh.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/1576/img20523dv.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/6660/img20538mu.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/1289/img20554av.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/8050/img20584sm.jpg



Office Condos


http://img145.exs.cx/img145/8870/img20639qi.jpg



http://img42.exs.cx/img42/5603/img19514eq.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/9502/img20660yp.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/9803/img20671ie.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/293/img20723wm.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/6774/img20775ak.jpg



http://img145.exs.cx/img145/6936/img20788zp.jpg



http://img156.exs.cx/img156/7282/img20792zu.jpg



http://img125.exs.cx/img125/1975/img20834xr.jpg



http://img125.exs.cx/img125/5986/img20859os.jpg



http://img125.exs.cx/img125/1870/img20867ma.jpg



http://img129.exs.cx/img129/9098/img20886cj.jpg



http://img129.exs.cx/img129/7876/img20937nd.jpg



http://img129.exs.cx/img129/3894/img20945my.jpg



http://img125.exs.cx/img125/2636/img20977pu.jpg



http://img34.exs.cx/img34/3600/img21009ar.jpg



http://img34.exs.cx/img34/6523/img20989ss.jpg



http://img34.exs.cx/img34/4198/img20997dc.jpg



http://img89.exs.cx/img89/8828/img21064rl.jpg



http://img89.exs.cx/img89/7200/img21072zw.jpg



http://img89.exs.cx/img89/4189/img21091kt.jpg



http://img89.exs.cx/img89/6462/img21103wi.jpg



http://img89.exs.cx/img89/2483/img21136oz.jpg



http://img83.exs.cx/img83/43/img21166zr.jpg



http://img83.exs.cx/img83/8308/img21185bv.jpg



http://img83.exs.cx/img83/7756/img21191wl.jpg



http://img55.exs.cx/img55/9020/img21219hb.jpg



http://img47.exs.cx/img47/5351/img21220lg.jpg



http://img110.exs.cx/img110/8951/img21238wk.jpg



http://img110.exs.cx/img110/4116/img21255ib.jpg



http://img110.exs.cx/img110/1900/img21260aj.jpg



http://img110.exs.cx/img110/4639/img21281zs.jpg



http://img110.exs.cx/img110/7993/img21293th.jpg



http://img110.exs.cx/img110/6703/img21300eq.jpg



Mutifamily-untis ONly!


http://img110.exs.cx/img110/4959/img21331vy.jpg



http://img20.exs.cx/img20/7720/img21397rz.jpg



http://img20.exs.cx/img20/3306/img21412ag.jpg



http://img20.exs.cx/img20/7220/img21421sf.jpg



http://img20.exs.cx/img20/1038/img21472zl.jpg



http://img20.exs.cx/img20/2179/img21534gt.jpg



Tacky colors but great infill


http://img82.exs.cx/img82/2355/img21554iy.jpg



http://img82.exs.cx/img82/8396/img21576el.jpg



http://img82.exs.cx/img82/8112/img21583gr.jpg



http://img82.exs.cx/img82/445/img21598gy.jpg



http://img82.exs.cx/img82/2163/img21603mt.jpg



http://img82.exs.cx/img82/6872/img21614mb.jpg



http://img82.exs.cx/img82/5118/img21720dp.jpg



http://img20.exs.cx/img20/9607/img21767uv.jpg



http://img20.exs.cx/img20/949/img21772jw.jpg



http://img20.exs.cx/img20/3116/img21785uh.jpg




:) :)

Great pictures! South Miami is truly a gem. I always enjoy shopping, dining or just people watching in this pedestrian friendly town.

Thanks for the wonderful picture thread.

AM
magic-city

Very colorful; excellent capture of streetlife and activity.

I like the ones you have on the traffic on US 1 and the Metrorail whizzing by... Those are the most profound.

great pics street!...I have always loved South Miami's downtown...very urban and dense for a city it's size.

I love it so much I live here :) You got my building in a couple of the pics. I posted a great new development in the area in the Coral Gables thread (there was no South Miami thread, and I try not to start new ones).

http://img87.exs.cx/img87/3529/ilivehere8jf.jpg

This looks like a really cool area I've never explored. Definitely will check it out next time I'm in Miami. Great pics!

South Miami Corporation is banking on a big new project for the city

By Frances Dubson

For several weeks now rumblings about the next big project heading to South Miami have stirred up speculation as to what exactly it will be. Now it’s official-plans are on file with the city and an application has been submitted for review and approval.

Pictured in this architect’s
rendering is the new
building that will house the new First National Bank of South Miami.

The applicant, South Miami Corporation, which owns three city blocks and is owner of the city landmark bank, First National Bank of South Miami, is planning a mixed-use development on more than four acres at and around 5750 Sunset Drive.

“The Hometown Plan is the vision of Downtown South Miami and this project literally embraces the Hometown Plan,” said Tucker Gibbs, Attorney for the South Miami Corporation. “We are going to be the first major project in South Miami that actually does what the plan says to do, and that is to bring residents into downtown which will truly make it a live and shop development.”

The four story project will have nearly 90,000 square feet of commercial space including four restaurants, offices, retail shops and residences. Its boundaries will extend from 57th Court to 58th Avenue on 72nd Street (Sunset Drive), and from 57th Court to 58th Court from 73rd to 74th Street.

First National Bank of South Miami will be staying where it is so loyal bank customers do not have to worry about finding a new bank. There is also a plan in place to keep an operating bank lane throughout the construction phase.
The project is also expected to provide two parking garages and a surface parking lot. Parking requirements will be met as the size of such a project requires 606 total spaces and there are 653 total spaces on the plans.

“We will have the required parking for retail and office space and a separate parking area for the residential part of the project and we will be above and beyond the required parking needs plus extra parking,” Gibbs said.
A major concern of South Miami citizens is what such a project will do to traffic in the already congested area. A traffic study will be conducted and presented publicly.

Victor Dover, of Dover, Kohl & Partners, is heading the planning and design.
“We are conducting a traffic study, but we are not concerned that it will cause a problem because we are building under the Hometown Plan threshold,” said Dover.

“We want the traffic analysis to make sure we have positioned the entries of the garages in a way that will optimize the operation of all of the intersections, which is where traffic congestion becomes most apparent. We’ve given the traffic engineer a special task to make sure our design is best for the neighborhood.”

According to the plans, the residential density is estimated at 24 units per acre. There will be 106 diverse residential dwelling units with studios as small as 420 square feet to almost 900 square foot one bedroom/one bath, two bedroom/two bath units ranging from 770 to just more than 1,500 square feet of living space and three bedroom/three bath units from 1,008 square feet to just more than 2,400 square foot units.

There will be Town Homes as well as Row Houses similar to those you would see along the French Quarter in New Orleans.
Residents won’t have to worry about looking at three city blocks looking like they came out of one mold.

“The idea is to take what sounds like one big project and break it down into a great deal of architectural variety,” said Dover. “There will be several architecture firms working on this development because the goal is to maintain the character of the historic, old time South Miami, which was created by adding up buildings.

Such an approach is advocated by the Hometown Plan so for us it’s a dream come true.”

It all sounds wonderful so far, but before this project gets the green light, the developer will have to iron out all of its needs and requests with the City Planning Board.

They’ll need the commission’s approval on two requests for Special Exceptions as well as approval for a Special Use for its planned 13,000 plus square feet of restaurant space.

The Special Exceptions requested are to get approval to permit four bank lanes rather than the two allowed according to the city code. Currently the bank has eight lanes which are there because they are grandfathered in since the bank has been on the premises for nearly fifty years. The bank lanes have also been designed inside one of the parking garages.

The second Special Exception request is for permission to build more lot coverage than what’s allowed.

Sandy Youkilis, Consultant for the City’s Planning and Zoning Department agrees that such a project would not only meet the Hometown Plan, it would help the city a great deal.

Youkilis said, “It would be a major investment for our downtown and bringing people to live downtown is extremely positive for any urban area. It will add life and it will also significantly contribute to the tax base of the city.”

What’s interesting is that this project is right across from the Shops of Sunset Place who have been having financial trouble for several years however the First National Bank Project will be nothing like their neighbor across the street.

Dover said, “The two couldn’t be more different – if one wants to find something good is that it provides us with an easy example of what not to do so quick. This project is not introverted, its extroverted, Shops of Sunset is introverted and turns its back on its neighbors and that type of development doesn’t make healthy streets. In our project the edges of our streets will have doors, windows, balconies and human presence.”

Ground breaking is projected for early 2006.
No cost estimates have yet been released.
A public hearing for this project before the Planning Board is scheduled for January 11th.

http://www.communitynewspapers.com/2004/spapers/pictures/architect-rendering.jpg

woow amazing pics street!!!

look @ that traffic on Us1 24 hours a day,

great shots of the skylines and sunset place!

neighborhoods like downtonw south miami and downown kendall are the future or miami, this is amazing, great pics man!

Does anyone know if all the constuction going on at the South Miami metrorial station is Hometown Station starting? It looks like now they are just digging holes.

yeah...something was going on around the Park and Ride Garage in early Jan, before I left Miami....anyone got any idea?

i was recently at the south miami metro station and it looks like some stuff is goin on there, although it mite be something totally seperate from hometown station, god, i really hope that gets done, thats such a kik ass projeect

Is this it?
http://www.chaelcooper.com/Hometown%20Station%20proj%20page%20downsampled.pdf
Station Location: US 1 and Sunset Drive (SW 72nd Street)

Project: Hometown Station

Phase II - 8-story, 157,000 sq. ft. County office building
Phase III - 13,000 sq. ft. of ground-floor retail space
Phase IV - 3-story, 150,000 sq. ft. market-rate rental apartments

Developer: Hometown Station, Ltd. (Tenant)

How Initiated: Competitive request-for-proposal process; initial proposal accepted December 18, 1998.

Status: Phase II construction to start summer 2004.

Financial: MDT receives guaranteed annual rent of $180,000 plus 5% of gross revenues; 90-year lease.

Comments: Leased area includes Phase II land fronting SW 59th Place, Phase III land fronting perimeter of rear garage on SW 59th Place and SW 70th Street; Phase IV air rights above the rear triangular garage. Phase I managed area is front rectangular transit-patron parking garage.


Contact
Info :

Public Official:
Organization: City of South Miami
Contact: Richard Lorber, Planning Director
Address: 6130 Sunset Drive
South Miami, FL 33143
Phone: 305-663-6327
Email: RLorber@cityofsouthmiami.net

Town Planner - Urban Designer:
Organization: Dover, Kohl & Partners
Contact: NA
Address: 5879 Sunset Drive, Suite 1
South Miami, FL 33143
Phone: 305-666-0446
Email: info@doverkohl.com

Architect:
Organization: Chael, Cooper, & Associates
Contact: NA
Address: 5879 Sunset Drive, Suite 1
South Miami, FL 33143
Phone: 305-666-0185
Email: mchael@chaelcooper.co

thats it, so i guess the office building is already under construction, though its really behind cause when i passed by it looked like they werent doin much more than site preparation, maybe some foundation work...

The big new project in South Miami will have Row Houses as part of the design. Does anyone know of any other places in South FLorida with row houses?



http://www.communitynewspapers.com/2005/spapers/local1_sm.htm

Residents and merchants voice concerns about newest project

By Frances Dubson

Development, development, development – traffic, parking and congestion! You rarely hear one phrase without the other, especially in the City of South Miami.

The team representing one of the latest, biggest development projects, ‘Project Sunset,’ which is slated for the heart of downtown, sparked plenty of dialogue when representatives came before the commission last week seeking special exception approvals.

The applicant is South Miami Corporation, owners of the city’s landmark bank, First National Bank of South Miami, and three city blocks. They are planning a mixed-use development on more than four acres at and around 5750 Sunset Drive.

Residents and merchants spoke about their concerns regarding the planned development.

“You are considering this project which is one of the biggest projects you will undertake at this time,” South Miami Merchant Eibi Aizenstat said to the commission. “They want to begin work in January. Have you thought of how this is going to affect your merchants — the traffic and the congestion?

They are going to be working on one of your busiest downtown streets, going straight through, and your garage will be going up on one of your second busiest streets in downtown. What will happen to your streets? Also, the bank provides a lot of parking in your area. During construction of this project, where will all these people park?”

City resident Yvonne Beckman also voiced her concerns over the project.
“I am concerned with the Richman project going up, the Brandon-Lurie — we don’t know the impact of that yet,” said Beckman. “The Codina project, even though it’s across the street, it will produce traffic. The new garage that’s supposed to be built on the Tire Kingdom property, the Venera Apartments and all those condos on 74th Street. We have no idea what the traffic impact is going to be. As it is right now your public does not have places to park when they come in to shop.”

Resident and former South Miami Mayor Cathy McCann suggested a city-wide study.
“I suggest that the city look at a traffic management plan,” McCann said. “We are looking at a project that is going to combine residences with businesses.

We have a problem—traffic is not going to go away and we have money from that mass transit tax that we all got fooled on. We should take that and look at our city and ask what can we do to manage traffic? It may say we can do nothing, and if it’s nothing we are all in the same pickle.”

A traffic study has been conducted under the City’s watch and Commissioner Craig Sherar, as the study indicated, does not believe this project will create a traffic problem other than what already exists.

“I don’t see this project as having a real impact on traffic,” said Sherar. “Everyone always gets up here and says this, that and the other thing, but no one ever comes up here with a solution. We are going to spend lots of money on another traffic study, one of which we had recently on 80th Street and the study said there’s no problem on 80th Street. The only reason there’s a problem we have is because I can’t sit here and blow up every car from Dade-county that is traveling to my city.”

That last line, of course, he threw in as a bit of twisted humor, something he often does, giving a good laugh to those listening.

By contrast, Mayor Mary Scott Russell was quite serious when she expressed her thoughts on the matter, with talk about a plan to alleviate congestion.

“Traffic and multiple construction are a concern,” said Mayor Russell. “You can see we have already taken steps to relieve congestion on Sunset Drive. We have our own parking garage scheduled to start in September. We are looking into trying to get the parking structure completed so we have usable parking as quickly as possible. Really it’s three sites although it’s one project.

We are looking at five construction sites in the next couple of years on this side of the highway. To address the needs of the merchants and the congestion downtown, the City Manager is working on a centralized valet parking service. We are working on something innovative. We are sensitive to it and the bank is sensitive to it.”

According to the plans, the four story project will have nearly 90,000 square feet of commercial space including four restaurants, offices, retail shops and residences.
The residential density is estimated at 24 units per acre.

There will be 106 diverse residential dwelling units with studios as small as 420 square feet to almost 900 square foot one bedroom/one bath, two bedroom/two bath units ranging from 770 to just more than 1,500 square feet of living space and three bedroom/three bath units from 1,008 square feet to just more than 2,400 square foot units. There will be Town Homes as well as Row Houses similar to those you would see along the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Overall the commission showed strong support for the project as a whole, as did most residents regarding its design, which was drafted to meet the criterion of the Hometown Plan.
Tucker Gibbs, one of the attorneys for the South Miami Corporation, addressed that issue.

“Our goal is to create a project that embodies the intent of the Hometown plan,” Gibbs said. “The bank is a 52 year resident of the City of South Miami. It is our goal to create a project on that site that every citizen and resident is proud of.”
A special exception requesting 72 percent, or 13,000 square feet, rather than the allowed maximum of 60 percent for lot coverage was passed 5 to 0 by the commission, as was a special exception to allow four drive-thru lanes rather than the two allowed.

A first reading ordinance to adopt a land development agreement with the city also passed. A special use exception to allow four restaurants was deferred with a four to one vote until after an upcoming workshop scheduled for March 14.
Mayor Russell was ready to vote on it, but her colleagues wanted time to discuss it at the workshop before casting their votes.

great shots of Dadeland/Kendall; the metrorail and station; and of downtown in the horizon. S. Mia. looks really cool. a definite must stop next time I'm on US-1.

^^great new project...rowhouses, like those in New Orleans' French Quarter....sounds lovely.


the article says it will break ground in January..so we're gonna have to be patient:)

Awesome tour!

Makes me wanna go back!

Project Sunset got its permits and its a "go" :) The link below has a small renderring.

http://www.communitynewspapers.com/2005/spapers/local2.htm

Project Sunset gets final approval by City Commission

By Frances Dubson


Architectural rendering of Project Sunset.
‘Project Sunset,’ a large scale mixed-use development project slated for the heart of downtown South Miami, now has received its final approvals of pending applications and special use permits after months of scrutiny by citizens of South Miami and the City Commission.

At last week’s commission meeting dais members voted 5 to 0 in favor of granting a special use permit to operate four general restaurants. They voted 4 to 1, the opposing vote cast by Commissioner Craig Sherar, on a second reading ordinance of the Development Agreement between South Miami Corporation (owners of the First National Bank and future home of Project Sunset at 5750 Sunset Drive) and the City of South Miami.

Victor Dover of Dover Kohl and Partners, the design team heading up the planning and design of the project, gave a presentation at the meeting which got high praises from dais members and residents. His slow, patient presentation covered everything from parking, design description of residential units and why they had strategically selected the locations to place the 13,000 square feet of restaurant space within their three blocks of building.

“We know that it would be good for the street scene to have active uses and summer time uses to create the vitality of our streets that you see in our images,” said Dover.

“We identified these locations as places that downtown would be safer and more fun to be in. We are here because restaurants are a Special Use, it’s like a valve—the city commission turns it on if they feel we don’t have too many restaurants; they keep it closed if they feel we are overwhelmed with restaurants some day.”

Dover said they wanted to apply for everything up front, leaving no room for surprises later on, and he did admit that they have no specific restaurants in mind yet for their four locales which are now approved.
President of the South Miami Homeowner’s Association, Jay Beckman favors the project.

“This is a very appropriate and a very responsible project,” said Beckman. “It will make the City better. With regard to the restaurant issue I also think it is extremely responsible that these restaurants, if they create any type of problem, the city can shut them down. I have never heard any of other type of South Miami development project to be as responsible.”

When it came time for the Development Agreement, Commissioner Craig Sherar was not satisfied with the park land concurrency portion which obligates the developer to contribute up to .8 of an acre or the option of a “substitute payment” based on the average sales price of residential property in the city over the last year before the certificate of use and occupancy is granted for the first residential unit on the property.

Sherar wanted a commitment from the developer to donate the land without the option of donating money for park land, concerned that there may not be land available to purchase by the time developers need their Certificate of Occupancy some several years from now. City Planning and Zoning Director Donald O’Donnilly informed Sherar that the option to the developer was a state law.
Discussion over this concern went on for a long while and in the end Sherar, who supports the project overall, cast his ‘no’ vote to the Development Agreement. His vote, however, was not enough to stop the Development Agreement from becoming a new city ordinance.

Final design of the project, which includes four stories with nearly 90,000 square feet of commercial space including the four restaurants, offices, retail shops and residences with two parking garages and a surface parking lot, must still go before the Environmental Review and Preservation Board for their approval.
Residential density is estimated at 24 units per acre with 106 diverse dwelling units, including one bedroom/one bath studios as small as 420 square feet and three bedroom/three bath units as large as 2,400 square feet. There will be Town Homes as well as Row Houses similar to those you would see along the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Ground breaking is projected for early 2006.

great! this project is moving forward... gonna b great for downtown south miami

I agree...I can't wait for 2006/7:)

Cool photos, Miami looks great!!

An article on the development going on in my neck of the woods in South Miami:

Oh, and the CAVE dwellers he refers to are Citizens Against Virtually Everything.

http://www.communitynewspapers.com/2005/columnists/MichaelMiller/article-Michael.htm

"A bigger and better City of Pleasant Living

Oh boy, the CAVE dwellers of yesterday must be beside themselves, since they and their present day successors have failed so miserably at keeping the city of south Miami stuck in the 1950’s. You know, with all the construction that has and is about to take place in the City of Pleasant Living. So, here’s a look at some of the building that is in the works, starting with the 100,000 sq. ft medical office building and the 700 car parking garage built by South Miami Hospital.

And under construction on the north side of Sunset Drive is a five story, 40,000-plus sq. ft. building of medical offices and a facility for more than 100 cars. Then of course you’ve got the 250,000 sq. ft. complex, compliments of the First National Bank of South Miami, which will be built on the east side of S. Dixie Hwy., on Sunset Drive and the surrounding area.

Then you’ve got the Codina property (formerly known as the Abraham property) on 57th Ave. and 67th St., which will be home to a 400-plus unit apartment building as well as lots and lots of parking.

And the list goes on: the city just approved the Ricard Brandon property on SW 62nd Ave and 71st St., where a beautiful six story medical office building will be built along with a parking garage.

And then there is the city parking garage on SW 73rd St., which will also include retail space on the bottom floor. This long overdue building could be four floors or more and construction should start before too long.

And there also is the expansion of the Metro Rail station, which includes a new eight story building, as well as four more stories on top of the existing structure
And I hear that a couple more projects are in the works and should hit city hall real soon...."

OH MY...that's a whole lot more than I thought! I knew South Miami had a few project coming online but damn...this i awesome, keep us posted!!:)

Love the pics, you're putting other parts of Miami on the map besides regular Miami.

Great tour!

I was in one of those sushi places with my uncle in January!

I see a lot of new buildings under construction here. Any updates on those? Any more activities in South Miami?

Perhaps we should start a South Miami development thread. I just went through the development pages and there is no south miami thread. If the thread is made we should put up those dover kohl master plans. They are always fun to gawk at, especially with how much success they are having just 16 blocks south.

south miami is my next stop for a photo tour

Don't forget the Doc Thomas house.