its for soil testing.....they place the wieghts on top to see if the soil has the ability to maintain the wieght of the building and to test if the designed foundation is sufficient.

so this is procedure? and the crains will return? right? . . . .

SHouldnt they do that before they borrow millions and sell condos?

Do they consider this part-and-parcel of 'groundbreaking' ?

I ask because they announced recently their plan to break ground early February.

SHouldnt they do that before they borrow millions and sell condos?
I dunno, I like the ring to "the leaning tower of Brickell"

Are the trucks back ? :)

Are the trucks back ? :)

No, DALE :) , but the indian people are still digging with their hands at the last two blue and white tents left on the site, No, Cranes , no backhoe diggers, no hardhat men, on the site. :cheers:

um, when will they return? and will they return? oh god. should my nerves be acting up like this?! lol.
*asked above, not answered*
is this procedure and how long does this last?

whats up with met 3?

^ i walk by it daily in 2nd ave/biscayne junction daily on my way to my new job, there is still very little going on at either 2 or 3s site, but its hard to see over the marketing wrapping the fences.

BUT there will be two giant beauties going up; roight?!?!

oh yeah the crane with the drill is there and theyve been moving dirt as usual all appears to be in prep just getting the artifact people out of there and getting ready for foundations and piles.

oh yeah the crane with the drill is there and theyve been moving dirt as usual all appears to be in prep just getting the artifact people out of there and getting ready for foundations and piles.

Well, if it's other than artifact work I take that as good news.

so this is procedure? and the crains will return? right? . . . .
Mad Hatter was on the right track - what those things are/were are weights (tons) which are placed there to bear on top of the test piles that were installed into the ground with the crane with the long auger. This is done to measure the bearing capacity of a typical pile, and the results are used by the structural engineer to aid in the design of the foundation system. If that test started around the beginning of the month, then they're probably gone by now.

The time from the end of testing of the pile to the start of the foundation usually isn't more than a month or two, depending on various factors (finalization of the foundation system design by the structural engineer, obtaining the foundation permit, availability of the foundation contractor, etc...)

An April start date certainly is possible, assuming those grave diggers are finally kicked off the job site.

they have the skeleton of a crane tower or something box truss-like on the NE side of the site, and there is only a small tent now but today there were still people digging in it on the SW side of the site.

How are they doing on Met 1? Any progress pics guys?

Drove by the site today and they have put new tarps around the Met 2 and3 sites. The Met 2 site had teh new rendering all over it. The met 3 tarp had their rendering on it. Looks pretty promising.

Hello!

Pics and info appeared in a spanish main newspaper.

The advertisiment propose to invest in the tower:

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/kiko5/CIMG5672.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/kiko5/CIMG5673.jpg


http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y118/kiko5/CIMG5674.jpg


76 floors

Lower prices at 320000$

End of works at 2008

i am so happy to see that Met 2 is sticking with the sleek, glass, stunning, iconic look!

MET 2 will be the Espritu Santo Bank of the CBD...Its a great addition and will further improve the CBD...This building is the main reason Isupport the renaming of NE 2nd ave to Brickell ave, because I think it will help developments such as this and we will see more Iconic office buildings sprout up in the CBD....

Keep Brickell in Brickell. enough already with the crazy talk about bringing brickell into the cdb and what not. if have to rename a street to something else just so u can make more money, then you're not doing too good of a job marketing the damn building by itself. work on that.

that said, the only name changes i'll support, and in the following order:
1) Julia Tuttle Ave
2) Metropolitan Circle*
3) Dupont Circle*

Anybody hear anything abour a Met4? A guy from BovinLL is on SSP saying there's going to be a 4 somewhere.

Anybody hear anything abour a Met4? A guy from BovinLL is on SSP saying there's going to be a 4 somewhere.

Maybe he's talking about Met Square which will be the 4th phase built.

^ id think met square also, but maybe since met2 has 2 towers he meant that. at any rate met 1 is going great, got the garage going vertical now.

met 3 however has still just got the frame for a crane sitting there in pieces, and no major activity. still a small tent for the archeologists, but no construction activity at any level.

The same forumer on SSP has informed us that Met 3 was chopped by the FAA to 828 ft

Which begs the question, if they're going to chop projects in the center of the CBD, where will they allow Miami to really build tall ?

I think the street name change to Brickell Ave would be very classy. Anyone have pics of Met1 and its progress? I'd like to see how its doing.

Its better than 803 but still sucks that even the frickin CBD is not exempt from the FAA.

I hope this guy just made a mistake, or it was a typo ...

"A lot of the product that was coming isn't [mentions 1390 Brickell and Premeire Towers] ... and I heard that Met 3 would be reinvented as a hotel and then an office building."

www.miamitodaynews.com/news/060413/story3.shtml

Im guessing its a typo, i think they're talking about met2...could you imagine having to redesign met3 into an office tower a month after foundation permits were issued...that would suck lol

Mad Hatter - you would be surprised how incompetent some of these developers are in terms of understanding how their indecisiveness and constant changes affect both the construction costs and the schedule. A lot of times they want to push the GC to go and get started without the drawings not even being 50% completed. This inevitably results in tons of changes in design, as one issue after another comes up, which of course usually ends up costing the developer time and money.

I agree with you in hoping that this change in Met 3 is really for Met 2 instead, because who knows how long a change at this stage would delay Met 3 from ever getting out of the ground.

I heard that an issue with the foundations having to be redesigned at 900 biscayne was a big reason for it to be delayed and sit idle for all that time last year.

Keeping my fingers crossed for Met 3. Its been a long road with this one,and I want a big building before this boom is done :D

^ i 2 am keepin em crossed but i went by today on metromover and the overhead view revealed no more tents and archeologists but a parking lot for construction workers with the crane structure still stacked in the corner gathering dust. the new banners are nice for met 2 and 3 but there is lots going onn at met 1.

Met 3 in Miami, Florida, should be 75 floors, 828 feet, test piles were finished this month. I have new photo to upload, if someone show me how to do it.

I am working for Bovis Lend Lease, and we are building Met 3, so this is first hand information. Current drawings for our GMP pricing were still showing 888 feets, but FAA cut it down. A long story.
The number 828 feet was directly from Mr. Ian Swanson, VP of Construction of MDM Development, the developer of Met 1 (under construction by BLL also), Met 2, Met Square, Met 3, and Met 4, a total $1 billions of development in downtown Miami, Florida. BLL will build all of them
As soon as our Stage One GMP is completed and approved by the Lender in a couple of months, production piling will start right away.
BTW, BLL will also start construction of Miami Freedom Tower this year, or another name as 600 Biscayne Condo project right behind Historic Freedom Tower this year.
I will try to upload new photo again
As I said, it is a long story, but I can forward you a recent Miami Herald article about flight safety vs high-rise building heights for fligts approaching from East to Miami International Airport (if you are familiar with Miami metro area, you should know what I am talking about)
Many Miami downtown high-rise buildings went thru FAA cut and design delay and I can give you many expamples, because BLL Miami operation is specializing in high-rise construction and we ran into FAA height cut almost on every project.
Met 4 is still on drafting board, and I don't have too much info to report here.
Developers change plans whenever they need to and what you heard today may not be the actual plan later on. For example, Met 3, a year ago, was designed as high-rise office building, and now condo. How about that?

just got back from LA peer reviewing a BLL project called "Wilshire Western", and stayed at downtown Standard Hotel for two nights.
Answering your questions as below:
Why the holdup? they are waiting for my GMP $$ acceptable to their lender
Other projects: Met 2 - upcoming, Met Square - for next year, 600 Biscayne -2 months away to start GMP, Met 1 - half way thru construction, Ten Mesum Park - top off two weeks away, Three Midtown - in the middle of GMP, Overtown 2 - in the middle of GMP, and many others less than 295 feet tall. There are more coming and I would be glad to keep you posted
FAA article - for real, give my an email address and I will forward it to you/


on the next episode of as met3 turns.........

I'm cautiously optimistic that Met 3 will make it. And it would appear to be Miami's only hope of getting a new tallest out of this cycle. Sorry for the pessimism.

look...i believe chuck when he said he spoke to the sales lady and she said they were expecting an april groundbreaking... come on... patience.... after may, and no action... start freaking out.

Well, first it was December. Then if was February. Then it was April. Now it's two months.

Still, I'm betting on it. And one of the reasons I'm betting on it is Whole Foods.

Well, first it was December. Then if was February. Then it was April. Now it's two months.

Still, I'm betting on it. And one of the reasons I'm betting on it is Whole Foods.
DALE :hi: , don't worry, be happy :tongue2: , MET 3 will be built :applause: , ther's NO doubt about it.
:rock:
The Third and final Indian " Digging "tent came down :bash: today, and will be cleared out by tomorrow :cheers: , then as the special sales lady told me, the special day of actual groundbreaking as planned should be by the end of this month.
Its a real thing going on here, and the pictures are up at each corner of the site with 76 stories on each poster.

Everyone :grouphug: , This is Real, :nocrook:
I know it will be built and OPEN Spring, 2010 :okay: with the New " Whole Foods Market " :righton: all on the ground floor.

and again, my friends :wave: ,

Go Cranes !!! :banana: :cheer: :pepper:

I'm tired of those damned Indians. ;)

I'm tired of those damned Indians. ;)
DALE :wave: , we just went over 16,000 posts in the North American :dance:

Thanks everyone, Again, :bow:

WE DID IT :cheers: , :cheer: :cheers1: and back to the Thread, if this MET 3, dosen't start with real foundation drilling, I'm very upset at the special sales lady, LOL. :jk:

I noticed on the Herald webcam today that there are cranes (small ones) up and working on the Met3 site again.

SCORE!

Does any one know what it is that the Cranes are doing? Is this a sign that construction is imminent?

^ i will go investigate on my lunch break as to whats there...

I think it was a false alarm. The picture on the webcam is much better today and it looks like the cranes I saw are actually in the foreground at the Dupont Site. Met3 is just being used as a parking lot with a hole in the ground:

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/dave8721/met3.jpg

:(

Agreed, Dale

confirmed, its epic with a red crane truck and met1 has got a ne concrete pouring crane for the parking garage.

Well, I suppose one day I'll click on this thread and Met 3 will actually be u/c.

This, however, is not that day. *sighs again*

Met3 is so disappointing, I wish it would start already, it's been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long!!!

Not true ders a backhoe doing some digging on the site last time i checked.

Met3 is so disappointing, I wish it would start already, it's been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long!!!

Well, for perspective's sake, about a month ago, WHH47 of SSP said groundbreaking was about two months off. He works for Bovis, so I guess he ought to know.

But the 'false alarm' got me hoping against hope that the timeline had been moved up.

Not true ders a backhoe doing some digging on the site last time i checked.

Still doing archeological digging ?

Well, for perspective's sake, about a month ago, WHH47 of SSP said groundbreaking was about two months off. He works for Bovis, so I guess he ought to know.

But the 'false alarm' got me hoping against hope that the timeline had been moved up.

Sends himself to the corner and hangs his head in shame for the false alarm :doh:

don;'t worry about it dave....anyways when did epic start construction?

Sends himself to the corner and hangs his head in shame for the false alarm :doh:

No hard feelings, dave. You've carried this subforum on your shoulders in recent weeks. And I attribute your 'seeing cranes' to the fact that you want this baby up-and-running as badly as I do. :hug:

Still doing archeological digging ?

It doesnt look like it. the tents are gone and so are the large numbers of 'digggers'. but i still dont see that backhoe digging (which it is there pushing dirt around) anywhere near the construction phase. there are still workers parking on the north half of the met3 site.

they still have the crane tower in the corner as a set of pieces but im beginning to wonder if that wont be the second crane tower for met1's garage.

From the Summer 2006 newsletter for the Met Project:

http://www.metropolitanmiami.com/press/images/Summer2006_Met3.pdf

The fact that they list Met1 as 10 stories up tells you its a few months old.

They list the completion time for Met 1 has being summer 2007.
They say they will break ground on Met Square by October 2006.
They say they will break ground on Met3 during the first quater of 2006 (hasn't that passed?) with a completion date of 2009.
They say they will commence Met 2 in August 2006 with a completion date of 2009.

^that must be pretty old, met1 is pouring the real 20th (elevator listed as 21st) floor as we speak, and the backhoe has left met3 though the parking has not. and i do believe the first quarter ended at the end of march ?? maybe im wrong.

mathematically yes; the first quarter of the year ended on the last day of March. According to developers, apparantely 2004 will really take place in 2013. Oh well.

Met2 will probably end up breaking ground before Met3 jeez, we're almost already into the Summer, half the year's about to be gone, and Met3's yet to start work -sigh-.

Met2 will probably end up breaking ground before Met3 jeez, we're almost already into the Summer, half the year's about to be gone, and Met3's yet to start work -sigh-.

Well, again, a poster on SSP who works with Bovis Lend Lease said, about a month ago, that his company and MDM were in the process of hammering out a contract agreeable to the lender, and that the process would take about two months. And that as soon as an agreement was struck piling would begin.

But even that info didn't prevent me from getting my hopes up for an earlier start.

If it's any consolation, I believe that Met 3 was originally supposed to have been the last phase of the project.

Well, again, a poster on SSP who works with Bovis Lend Lease said, about a month ago, that his company and MDM were in the process of hammering out a contract agreeable to the lender, and that the process would take about two months. And that as soon as an agreement was struck piling would begin.

But even that info didn't prevent me from getting my hopes up for an earlier start.

If it's any consolation, I believe that Met 3 was originally supposed to have been the last phase of the project.

I will just be happy if they build Met 3, Met 2 is gravy.

Does anyone know how much of Met 3 is pre-sold? (my aplogies if it's been posted before)

I dunno...something seems amiss with it after this long. The delay is more than "archeological digs" imo.

I want that building going up as badly as any of you, but the endless delay has me wondering if the boom hasn't gone "pfffft"...at least with residentials.

In any regard, I'm removing this one from the "tallest" list until it's actually topped-off...let alone even begun.

Met 3 goes back to theoretical until proven otherwise.

According to a South Florida CEO Magazine article dated November, Met 3 was 40% sold at that time, which could have been Sept/Oct.

Archeological digs were a real issue. And again, a poster on SSP who works for Bovis Lend Lease said over a month ago that MDM and his company were hammering out a contract and then piling would begin immediately.

i wouldnt worry about construction here the economy will be better
to support all the buildings

with a new president in office the world will be a better place

met 3 will get built



little secret 3 huge office buildings are being announced soon all close to the 1000 ft mark from my understanding......

Oh yes... this would be good news indeed Rx727 (the office towers that is)!

I hope we aren't speaking about 600 brickell?

rx, only if those heights hold after being ravaged by the faa

rx, will you clarify your "little secret" statement above, I would also like to make sure your not talking about 600 brickell or Brickell Citi Centre. Thanks

rx, only if those heights hold after being ravaged by the faa

True, given that even Met 3 has been chopped to 828' (according to WHH47 on SSP), I can no longer get excited about pending announcements of near thousand-footers.

True, given that even Met 3 has been chopped to 828' (according to WHH47 on SSP), I can no longer get excited about pending announcements of near thousand-footers.

Dale :) , my friend,

I was there Friday, at the sales center, and my special lady was out at the time, but, two other ladies told me, its a Go, at 76 floors, and NO change in the height of 866 feet, the ads still stay at 866 ft,
Please tell me who's this WHH47, and have him come in here and tell me where is he getting his information from,
This tower is starting next month by BOVIS Construction corp. :cheers:

p.s. DALE :) , my friend, I did more research after this post,

please check this out, The Facts are here, please read them all
important, check out the Ceiling heights of each of the 75 floors.
Met 3 measures way over 850 feet with ceiling heights,

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=196560

everyone :) , This website is the facts Go Cranes !!! :cheers:

I will take your word on this, Chuck.

866 sounds good to me (nearly 100-feet taller than Four Seasons) and a far better design---at least on paper---than just another condo like 10 Museum.

I'm watching the Comcast tower going up here in Philly...a 975-footer behemoth...but am hoping for Miami.

Hey all, while driving today to lay out at the pool at One Miami, I noticed a new sign at the Met 2 site advertising the new office tower and the new hotel. Forget the name of the hotel at the moment but wanted to share with you guys that atleast this project seems hopeful.

When you say the office tower, you mean the awesme blueish green one; right?

Met Marquis, it says...

Could it be a Marriott Marquis???

Yeah I saw the sign yesterday. If that's the design it could be the nicest scraper in Florida. Right now Espirito Santo has that title on my opinion.

What gives with Met 3, anyway? Does anybody have some concrete information (no pun intended) about what is truly happening with the project?

I remember seeing posts here about it breaking ground last December. That was half a year ago!

Yes, I'm aware of the archeological dig...but certainly that's not still causing a delay, is it? That would be truly hard to believe.

Something tells me that if the sales and financing were in order, this thing would be rising by now. Instead, it seems nothing is happening.

I'm really beginning to wonder if it's going to happen at all...but would love to be wrong about that.

What gives with Met 3, anyway? Does anybody have some concrete information (no pun intended) about what is truly happening with the project?

I remember seeing posts here about it breaking ground last December. That was half a year ago!

Yes, I'm aware of the archeological dig...but certainly that's not still causing a delay, is it? That would be truly hard to believe.

Something tells me that if the sales and financing were in order, this thing would be rising by now. Instead, it seems nothing is happening.

I'm really beginning to wonder if it's going to happen at all...but would love to be wrong about that.


SPELLBOUND :rock: , its A Go , in just less than a month after they conplete building the HUGE RED Cranes which is ON SITE, NOW :llama: :righton: :wave: ,

Finally the Archeological :bash: Tent is Removed, and the Ground has been Leveled where the Tents :bash: Were, :runaway:
:speech:
Its Now a GO !!! I've been there Bugging my special Sales lady there for the lasr two months, Shes convinced it will start before the July 4th Long 4 day weekend !!! :righton: :applause: :soon:

Well that's good news, Chuck. Thanks!

Met 3 may not be the supertall we'd all like to see (I honestly couldn't classify anything under 950' that way in this era), but Miami absolutely HAD to come out of the boom with at least one new tallest...so here's hoping it rises quickly.

I know there's other proposals for taller projects, but I've learned not to get too excited about that stuff until they actually start building them. Plenty of 'em remain on paper only.

But it's a relief to hear that Met 3, at least, seems ready to go.

I miss 1101 - But this kinf of consoles. Is there ANY hope for the lost projects?

does anyone have a pic of the met 3 model?

Well I cant say I havent waited for this one. Ive waited and worried that it would be built. This is they icing on the cake folks, the gravy if you will. This one has to happy for me to be happy :D. Actually that is not true, the boom has been great for the skyline, but it would be fantastic for Met 3 to top off as the new tallest for Miami. And to make it an even better day there was this in the paper today http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/images_sizedimage_154003817/resources_photoview It wont be the tallest in Mankato, but will be a nice new addition to downtown :)

You GO Mankato! :)

Rider of ROHAN :bowtie: , I hope it gets completed, That Hilton Hotel looks nice !!! :cheers:

Any Pictures of Downtown Mankato :) , there, my friend ??? :cheers:

closed. go here:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=8754188#post8754188