With the masterplan being released this week for the herald site i decided it was time to create a thread about this project which is expected to be about the size of midtown miami,or riverfront--and will be a truly mixed use project featuring retail,office,residential,hotel,and entertainment facilities.

Herald property sells for $190M
The same developer who bought the Freedom Tower and land around it last month has also purchased the 10 acres for sale near the Miami Herald building.

The property, which went on sale in November, brought Miami Herald Publishing Co. parent company Knight Ridder $190 million. The buyer is Terra Group, headed by Pedro Martin.

The San Jose, Calif.-based publishing company noted the sale has not officially closed, though. Larry Marbert, Knight Ridder (NYSE: KRI) vice president/production and facilities said the parties must complete due diligence.

"It could take a few weeks and it could take some months," Marbert said.

Martin estimated closing to take a few months.

The land has a low-rise garage, surface parking lots and one, two-story building on Biscayne Avenue.

So far, Terra said its preliminary plans include residential, office, hotel and retail components. The company said it plans to audition architects to develop a master plan.

When Terra bought the Freedom Tower and other property not far from the Herald building, it said it planned a mixed-use development with residential and retail components. The developer also said it plans a museum within the tower, a long-promised community amenity.

The deal with the Herald likewise carries some requirements beyond a straight-out sale, though. Terms calls for Terra to provide 740 parking spaces for Herald employees and not interfere with the newspaper's delivery trucks.

However, Knight Ridder said the new deal also gives Terra right of first refusal if the company ever sells the main Herald building at 1 Herald Plaza. However, Marbert stressed that property, which is on the bay, is not for sale
bizjournals.com

Now this is very, very exciting! The Metromover, jobs, and community amenities are the key to development...no surprise to people that have lived in major metros with a train or rail.
Sadly, the "transportation problem" for residents remains a problem for those residents that live outside the brackets of the Metromover.
Sell your cars and move to Miami Herald land or the Central Business District!!!!

Sell your cars and move to Miami Herald land or the Central Business District!!!!


and you only have to sell a few dozen cars to be able to afford living there!

Now this is very, very exciting! The Metromover, jobs, and community amenities are the key to development...no surprise to people that have lived in major metros with a train or rail.
Sadly, the "transportation problem" for residents remains a problem for those residents that live outside the brackets of the Metromover.
Sell your cars and move to Miami Herald land or the Central Business District!!!!

any news to the streetcar on the miami side of the bay - i know on SoBe side our elderly favoring mayor dermer and the rest of the jesters i mean city commision have done everything in their power to push it back a good decade or so and have decided to rebuild washington ave for the 9th time in like 5 years instead. if the streetcar is postponed both ways then the whole thing is pointless it should be a pre-amble or concurrent development project to the towers if it happens afterwards it will be a few years of disastrous traffic and hectic construction - but then again what would miami be withouth traffic and unplanned construction? utopia maybe....? maybe not....

any news to the streetcar on the miami side of the bay - i know on SoBe side our elderly favoring mayor dermer and the rest of the jesters i mean city commision have done everything in their power to push it back a good decade or so and have decided to rebuild washington ave for the 9th time in like 5 years instead. if the streetcar is postponed both ways then the whole thing is pointless it should be a pre-amble or concurrent development project to the towers if it happens afterwards it will be a few years of disastrous traffic and hectic construction - but then again what would miami be withouth traffic and unplanned construction? utopia maybe....? maybe not....

There was an article in the paper last week about the transportation bill passed by congress and said that it included the City of Miami Streetcar (along with the North-South and East-West metrorail extensions, minus the baylink of course) as being eligible to compete for Federal Funding.

Considering its the Terra group (900 Biscayne, 600 Biscayne..) we can be pretty sure what architect they will hire and what the buildings will look like. My guess? They will be 649 feet tall, very wide, and have pointy balconies on the sides.

Or maybe I'm wrong and Terra will follow their thin model they used for Quantum and Metropolis at Dadeland.

A mix would probably be best.

Massive!

I have a feeling that they are going to go for a "town center" kind of mixed use concept. That is a lot of land, and I'll bet there are some towers and lots of town homes with retail with a very pedestrian feel in the works. This will be a place where residents hardly ever drive, and people will take the Metromover in to hang out. The PAC is right there, Margaret Pace park (bayfront) is two blocks away, and Museum park (also a bayfront park) is about 3 blocks away.
Students from the Fine Arts College (in the Omni) will hang out as well as the 10's of thousands of Miami Dade College students.
I'm hoping for something like Washington Square....Manhattan in the spring time!

roark... no way in hell they would build town homes rite in the middle of downtown!

I wouldn't doubt them building a sort of "downtown dadeland" on that site. Maybe w some highrises, similar to Metropolis in dadeland. That would be a nice fit for that area. There needs to be a town feel next to the PAC and that would be a perfect location for it.

roark... no way in hell they would build town homes rite in the middle of downtown!Ohh Nimby...I thought you were the creative one....
What about the kind of townhomes like the ones you see on 13th and West Ave on South Beach...or the townhomes that you see at the corner of Meridian and 17th?
You know...townhomes with little yards and wide sidewalks that clad larger strcutures or parking garages...
There just might be a way in hell if you are not mis-using your imagination.

Maybe townhomes being the ground level facade of a larger structure might be possible (see the townhome additions to the Flamingo in South Beach).

Maybe townhomes being the ground level facade of a larger structure might be possible (see the townhome additions to the Flamingo in South Beach).That's what I'm talking about. Not only maybe and might be...they are possible and that would be a nice element to the neighborhood. That's what I've heard on the street, and even though Nimby says, "No way in hell", it makes more sense to side with the other sources on this one! Sorry Nimby...

http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/index.html

Real Estate Review: Planning

Commercial-retail split in mind for Herald project

By: Oscar Pedro Musibay

Pedro Martin has focused on residential developments, but market reality may mean site will have plenty of office and retail space.

Martinizing Miami (http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/Web%20Links//Martinizing_Miami_Chart.pdf)

mileage,you need an account and on the other site its just a blank page

no im reading it try again hatter http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/Web%20Links//Martinizing_Miami_Chart.pdf

yea but i'm trying to see the article which you need an account for....

I don't have access either, I though someone here would.

Posted on Sat, Sep. 03, 2005

DEVELOPMENT
Two towers are planned if Herald agrees to sell
Building plans submitted by a developer Friday include two more high-rise condo towers in Miami, including one on the site of The Herald's headquarters.
BY MATTHEW HAGGMAN AND MICHAEL VASQUEZ
mrvasquez@herald.com

Developer Terra Group submitted plans Friday to the city of Miami for two condo towers on bayfront property now owned by Knight Ridder, corporate parent of The Herald, according to Knight Ridder's broker.

Pedro Martin's Terra Group agreed in March to purchase 10 acres of land surrounding The Miami Herald building, which sits next to the MacArthur Causeway, for $190 million from Knight Ridder. The deal does not include the roughly three-acre waterfront parcel on which The Herald's six-story headquarters sits.

Yet the plans show one of the buildings rising on a portion of that site. Excluded from the plans is the northernmost section of The Herald building that now houses the massive printing presses.

The remainder of the building ''would obviously have to be demolished,'' said Edie Lacquer of Laquer Corporate Realty in Miami, Knight Ridder's broker.

Laquer said there are still no plans for Knight Ridder to sell the Herald building.

UNCERTAINTIES

''It's very prudent for my client, Knight Ridder, to contemplate the future,'' Laquer said. ``We never know what the future holds for any of us.''

Still unknown is what Terra Group will do with adjacent Herald parking lots it is under contract to purchase.

Martin did not return calls for comment Friday. Knight Ridder Vice President Larry Marbert could not be reached for comment.

The plans submitted Friday deal with only two parcels, Lacquer said. The first, a 1.3-acre Herald parking lot

Martin has pledged to buy, would be the site of a 551-unit condo that includes 720,000 sq. ft. of residential space with a small retail component.

The other parcel: the roughly three-acre property upon which the Herald's Miami offices sit. A 542-unit condo built there would house 963,000 square feet that is primarily residential but also includes 23,000 square feet of retail.

Knight Ridder has given Martin permission to include the Herald building in his plans -- a valuable right even if he never ends up buying that property.

The Herald building site is important to Martin because it sits between Biscayne Bay and the 10 acres of property he has committed to buying.

LINE OF SIGHT

If Knight Ridder chooses to sell the land later on and Martin does not purchase it, he risks having another developer build large towers that block sight lines and water views.

Getting plans approved for the entire property helps Martin design his 10 acres while knowing what's proposed for the One Herald Plaza site.

If the Miami City Commission approves those plans, Martin is protected against the possibility of a developer buying the site and building towers that block views.

''Assuming someone else bought it,'' Lucia Dougherty, Martin's land-use attorney, told The Herald earlier this year. ``It locks in for him view corridors, where the site planning will be for buildings, and if they want to change that, they will have to start [the approval process] all over and he will be able to protest it.''

Dougherty added: ``It happens all the time that you master plan someone else's site and purchase it later. Of course, you need the cooperation of the owner.''

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/12549621.htm

High-rises planned for Knight Ridder lots near Herald

Developer Terra Group filed plans to build two high-rise towers and a giant retail center on the land it plans to buy from The Herald's parent company, Knight Ridder.

BY MATTHEW HAGGMAN AND ELAINE WALKER

mhaggman@herald.com


Terra Group and two other developers have submitted plans for a a seven-story retail shopping mall called City Square along with two 62-story condominium towers on the three city blocks immediately west of The Herald's bayfront headquarters in Miami.

The move ends months of speculation about what Miami-based Terra intends to build on the property it is buying from The Herald's parent company, Knight Ridder, for $190 million.

Terra's filing with the city of Miami begins the permitting process. ''We are waiting for more specific comment from the city,'' said Terra CEO Pedro Martin. He wouldn't elaborate.

The three parcels lie east of the under-construction Performing Arts Center and Biscayne Boulevard, between Northeast 13th and 15th streets. Now, the property is mostly parking lots.

Martin is doing the project with New York-based developer RFR and Maefield Development in Indianapolis. The plans say the City Square retail center, designed by Arquitectonica, and two condo towers will cost $370 million to build.

The proposed 965,798-square-foot retail development would likely face stiff competition from other large projects nearby, such as The Shops at Midtown Miami on the old Buena Vista Rail Yard, and Bayview Market. Further, the location of City Square is an emerging area that previously failed to support a large shopping destination, the Omni International Mall.

Edie Laquer, who brokered the land sale and is involved in the development's planning, compared the project to the recently completed mixed-use Time Warner Center in New York City.

She said the development would be pedestrian-oriented with large outdoor open spaces, along with high-end shops, restaurants and cafes that would ``economically support the Performing Arts Center and enliven it.''

Industry experts agree that the area, given all the redevelopment activity, potentially can support a retail center that would serve as a gathering place and catalyst for future development.

But Terra must move cautiously with both the timing and the type of tenants, they said.

''It's the frontier,'' said Cynthia Cohen, president of Strategic Mindshare, a Miami-based retail consulting firm. ``Whoever goes in first is a pioneer. You have got to have true grit to stick it out.''

Retailers are likely to remain skeptical of the market's viability until they see the condominiums in the area completed and people living in them, an expert said. The key to attracting retailers initially may be the developer's willingness to offer such attractive leases that the tenants can afford to wait for the market to catch up.

''It's not going to happen overnight,'' said Herbert Leeds, president of Leeds Business Counseling, an Aventura-based retail consulting firm. ``I doubt it will happen before 2009 or 2010.''

Terra's filing, meanwhile, comes four weeks after it submitted plans to build a 64-story condo tower on a parking lot located immediately north of the Herald's headquarters. That property is part of the $190 million deal with Knight Ridder.

The developer also filed plans to build another 64-story building on the land on which the Herald's bayfront offices are currently located. Those plans, however, are contingent on Knight Ridder selling that land and relocating The Herald's operations.

Larry Marbert, Knight Ridder's vice president of production and facilities, reiterated earlier statements that the San Jose-based company has no plans to sell.

''Never say never,'' he said, ``but we are not actively pursuing the relocation of the Miami Herald or the sale of the property that it sits upon.''
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/12788074.htm

another shopping mall is he crazy.........900,000sqft in city square
mary brickell village 175,000 sqft
shops at midtown 600,000 sqft
bayview market 650,000 sqft
omni-----200,000sqft

all of this within 10minutes of each other, and almost every new building in cbd-uptown has atleast 1 sqft of retail.

and why is it that he has 10 acres to build high and he builds a mall,100million paid and only two towers?

atleast we have something to look forward to,a mall designed by arquitectonica

Mad Uptown Hatter :wave: , I like it, Great update, Get yesterday's Miami Herald,Friday, 9/30/05, :okay: NOW, I mean it, its got a gloss pullout of all 118 tower projects inside the Downtown Focus, but, you must get it, and has the villa Magna, in it, All 54 floors " Twins " :happy: at www.villamagna.com :cheer:

You'll thank me ,later. :laugh:

p,s, The website is so Great, the pictures make The " Jade " condo tower look like a miniature building, LOL. :cheers:

So, did I miss it ? Or will the Omni remain intact ?

wow, a mall, where he could have put another 60 story tower, w/e, something different

So, did I miss it ? Or will the Omni remain intact ?


no this is the herald project,which is seperated by the metromover from the omni.

I like that there are a lot of malls in the area. The more malls in walking distance from the condos, the more people walking. I can't wait to see Arquitectonica's designs for the mall.

Terra's filing, meanwhile, comes four weeks after it submitted plans to build a 64-story condo tower on a parking lot located immediately north of the Herald's headquarters. That property is part of the $190 million deal with Knight Ridder.

The developer also filed plans to build another 64-story building on the land on which the Herald's bayfront offices are currently located. Those plans, however, are contingent on Knight Ridder selling that land and relocating The Herald's operations.



_____
which projects are these?

another shopping mall is he crazy.........900,000sqft in city square
mary brickell village 175,000 sqft
shops at midtown 600,000 sqft
bayview market 650,000 sqft
omni-----200,000sqft

all of this within 10minutes of each other, and almost every new building in cbd-uptown has atleast 1 sqft of retail.

and why is it that he has 10 acres to build high and he builds a mall,100million paid and only two towers?

atleast we have something to look forward to,a mall designed by arquitectonica

Thats exactly what I was thinking hatter. That much money on the lot and only two towers? How does this guy think he is going to get his investment back? He must be asking a lot for those condo units. These must be rather wide buildings to take up 10 acres. Is this maybe just the start of something? We can hope. But for now..2 62 story buildings isnt bad for the skyline now is it :)

well theres a another thing,vertical shopping malls are pretty much an experiment,they still haven't been proved to be successful. reading a story about the time warner center which is i believe a 5 or 10 story vertical mall,which went through great lengths to get people to go up to the top floors,including making the glass atriums transparent and making it easier to access the upper floors,the thing with shoppers is that they're generally stick to the first floor and try to avoid going from floor to floor looking for things,also the amount of signage and open space are reallyessential,but the main issue in the end is tenants which decide to lease space....

don't forget location location,

Does anyone have renderings of the miami herald terra projects. I am interested in the actual locations of the towers and proposed mall in relation the to the parking parcels and the herald building. Any help would be great. Thanks.

this is not a real rendering,not even close but i did this to show the placement of the towersand mall
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/enyers/heral2.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/enyers/heraldone.jpg

Funny I thought that they didnt want any towers blocking the view of the PAC. Guess they should have built that some place else. Good work hatter.

I agree with Rider of Rohan :wave: , here we go again :old: , OPUS :weird: , remember the blocking the view of the P.A.C.,. if anything its the second :okay: picture which is not blocking the P.A.C.,., I hope they don't protest this project like they did to OPUS. :tyty:

Chuck its crazy to put it that close to the cbd and the bay and not think someone will someday build a skyscraper, crazy.

Mad Hatter, thank you very much for putting that drawing together! I will keep adding anything I find regarding this project on this thread as well. I read someone else's comment regarding OPUS. I was one of those that had a reservation with those bastards for over a year... and at the end suffered the consequences of the project not getting approved, etc... I wonder what will happen with this project, the PAC, and the adjacent buildings to the Herald such as VENETIA. Best regards.

Maimidude :wave: , Welcome to the Miami Forum, dude :hi: , I hope you vote in the Florida Forum's thread, " Which favorite city do you like overall ", Miami is only 3 votes from that " Magic City 100 " :cheer: , we got to make that goal :okay: , soon. :soon:

Yes :yes: , its a strange area where this Performing Arts Center was first proposed over 25 years ago and approved by voters back in the late 70's. The reason wht its being put in this area, because back then this land north of downtown was cheap and low income living in the area after Sears first closed its doors, J.C. Penney and Jordan Marsh closed in the Omni Mall, and the Jefferson's department store closed accross the street from the Omni. the land where the P.A.C. is going up was given to them free by the knight Ridder which owns the Miami Herald, and since has gotten that important start by many private donating funds. :2cents:

I remember when Tibor Hollo :master: had such a hard time back then in the 70's just trying to start the VENETIA condo tower with the lawyer Dan Paul always trying to cut down his towers, If Hollo had his way, all his proposed towers back then would have been over 50 floors up to the Woman's club building. He wanted to build a " City within a City ". He had enough money to build a future glass dome over his towers like the old movie, " Logans Run ", a movie about global warning where cities had to cover themselves with glass domes and air conditioned them with huge air conditioners and cooling towers. :cheers:

OPUS :sleepy: , its a shame this project is dead :bash: , they should have built this project 5 years ago when they had the chance, but with the P.A.C. under construction and almost finished, it was too late for OPUS to get their approval and get started on construction. :sleepy:

Tibor Hollo :bow: back then was smart, he quietly got his approval and permits first, before the critics started cutting down his VENETIA, he just waved his permits at the critics and said, " You can't stop me from building what I already have in my hands ", so he built both his huge Venetia and the Grand Towers east of the Omni. And no one could stop him. :hm: :nono: :applause:

Funny I thought that they didnt want any towers blocking the view of the PAC. Guess they should have built that some place else. Good work hatter.True....sort of....as you look at the PAC, it oriented to the SouthEast with big big curtain glass looking to the cruise ships, bay, and downtown skyline. There are no windows facing the Herald (due east). As you can imagine, in a theater, only the lobby has light flowing in.

I remember when Tibor Hollo :master: had such a hard time back then in the 70's just trying to start the VENETIA condo tower with the lawyer Dan Paul always trying to cut down his towers, If Hollo had his way, all his proposed towers back then would have been over 50 floors up to the Woman's club building. He wanted to build a " City within a City ". He had enough money to build a future glass dome over his towers like the old movie, " Logans Run ", a movie about global warning where cities had to cover themselves with glass domes and air conditioned them with huge air conditioners and cooling towers. :cheers:

:

Chuck I love that movie (Logans run) have an old copy of it too, as well as Damnation alley which I believe is NW 79th street as it goes through lake arcola lol. Actually Chuck they never really say what happened to the world in the movie, just that there was something bad and that they could no longer live in the outside world (war, pollution, global warming?) Anyway they are planning to make a remake of the movie and should be out in 2007 I hear. Hope so.

ChuckScraperMiami#1,

Your message was awesome, filled with insight and information that I did not even know... Since my Opus project never went through I actually bought a small apt. in venetia and these news kind of got me worried if Terra's plans will take away the view I have. We will see but I will continue to post information to this thread as well. You are always welcome to send me messages as well... Where can I vote on the site so Maimi is ranked about the top 100 cities? I would love to contribute.

Have a great week and best regards to everyone on this thread.

tchau dudes.

Opus Opus Opus... i too liked Opus, until i realized its location. It was to be located on the northern side of I-395.... which, would have incurred future construction for the highway. I am a very big proponent of the submerged highway plan that FDOT has studied on.
*Note, the PDF's in this post are over 200 pages in size.

Below is an image taken from the City of Miami's Community Redevelopment Agency's (http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/CRA/Default.asp) PDF (http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/cra/pdf/Omni%20Redevelopment%20Plan.pdf) on the Omni Redevelopment Plan Update (June 2005)
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/BornInTheGrove/Highrises/Realignment1.jpg

This image is taken from another PDF (http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/cra/files/Plans/SEOPW%202004%20Plan.pdf) on the CRA's website. Basically... the top is an overhead view of I-395 now... and the bottom is what it could look like with a submerged highway.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/BornInTheGrove/Highrises/expressway-final.jpg

This image shows what it could look like from ground level.
http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a31/BornInTheGrove/Highrises/I-395Concept.jpg


Now i was reading,( i forget whether it was a PDF or a webpage) on the I-395 realignment project, and it was talking about how the major hurdle for the FDOT is the downward slope people going east will have to face because of the FEC rail line they have to clear under.

How much do you think a project like that would cost? I like it, that way there would be less of a division between the CBD and the PAC. Wow that is a long pdf.

Ok... again... on that pdf/webpage that i saw the talk about the I-395 project, they were saying the two options would be have a split elevation realignment or a trenched realignment. Now the trenched realignment would cost about 200 Million... while the split elevation would be around 150 Million. They gave pro's and con's on both of the options... but the split elevation realignment received more con's than pro's because of the fact i was still an elevated highway, which would lead to bums, drug tranaction areas, what have u.

Looks nice. But what is the timeframe, realistically ?

10 years to construct excess dirt would be enough to build a nice man made island like venetian causeway...

Chuck I love that movie (Logans run) have an old copy of it too, as well as Damnation alley which I believe is NW 79th street as it goes through lake arcola lol. Actually Chuck they never really say what happened to the world in the movie, just that there was something bad and that they could no longer live in the outside world (war, pollution, global warming?) Anyway they are planning to make a remake of the movie and should be out in 2007 I hear. Hope so.

Wow, Rider of Rohan :rock: , another " Logan's Run " Movie :righton: , that would be great to see, I hope they have another Logan 5, and Jessica 6, I got that old movie on one of my VHS tapes somewhere in my dusty closet, lol. :banana: :carrot: :applause:

I briefly had a crush on Jenny Agutter.

Rendering of towers at night (http://www.miami.com/multimedia/miami/news/1001kr_render.pdf)

sweet! where'd you find this, milageman?

the project looks pretty cool. i like the glass facade on the towers by the circle where the towers & retail portion meet. should be a nice spot. & it's definitely an arquitectonica design, which i like.

i find it funny that the towers are gonna be right smack in front of the east pac building, exactly the issue that people bitched about with opus. wonder how long it will take til someone complains about it. probably as soon as the approval meeting with the city commission.

Personally I think the towers add something to the PAC. I mean Lincoln center has highrises around it, right? The views of a vibrant nightlife would do it well.

Whoa those are some sweet towers,very citicentreish,i like the colors on the border,the roof looks nice and that mall is sweet but i hope it has a nice glass atrium on the other side.

very sweet towers....MILEAGE are these going to be in the herald 2moro

this would have been perfect for the sick few (like me) who liked the opus'. the pac would have been embedded in a field of towers and lights and media screens (i wonder if miami would really ever be that fun about it)
but i agree this won't fly as is. the architecture is super arq. but super prelim - and does anyone else see the mall as a mini version of the arq courthouse ?

Those pictures were on the Herald website under 'today's extras', I don't know if/when it will be in the print edition.

If you guys get on terragroup.com click on our version of miami, you will see a pretty cool clip of 900 Biscayne and 600 Biscayne and downtown. Thought it was pretty cool.

The only difference is that the towers will be to the north of the PAC rather than to the south of it. The giant mall is to the East. I'm not so sure if I like the mall though. Its cool looking and all but on the other hand it is a mall, with all shops facing inward (rather than to the street) like malls usually do. Its almost like losing the OMNI mall and replacing it with a prettier version.

well we still don't know if were losing the onmi

Also keep in mind that the property just to the west of these towers (the blank property next to the other PAC building) is 1400 Biscayne, which also has a 62 story condo tower in the planning stages.

it does...........or are you talking about cardinal symphony?

The last city of Miami report had a 62 story 648 foot condo tower at 1400 Biscayne Blvd. Cardinal Symphony is at 1650 Biscayne. Its going to be quite a neighborhood.

ok now i see---1400 biscayne 2buildings 727units 200million by arquitectonica 62/648


erriely reminiscent to opus

seems the "keep the tall buildings away from the PAC" people will have their hand full.

Hey Mad Hatter,

Question? When you say "ok, now I see ----1400 Biscayne....
Where are you looking? New to this fourm so I interested where you are seeing these future projects.

Thanks!

Hey Mad Hatter,

Question? When you say "ok, now I see ----1400 Biscayne....
Where are you looking? New to this fourm so I interested where you are seeing these future projects.

Thanks!

The City of Miami Planning Department puts out a report of all the projects that have submitted papers. It gets updated every month or two. It hasn't been updated since early August but it can be found here:

http://www.ci.miami.fl.us/Planning/pages/land_development/LargeScaleDev.asp

Thanks Dave8721,

Is there a way to see any renderings of the projects? I did not see them. Or was I looking in the wrong section.

:cheer: :speech:

well we still don't know if were losing the onmi

Well :) , to tell you the truth, Mad Uptown Hatter :bowtie: , the " Raddison Hotel " Omni is staying put, I mean its making a profit on the site. The old, but still very new ex-Omni hotel tower is still hurricane proof glass and its inside lobby, if you have been in there , like I have many times, is beautiful. You have to go up to its lobby level and see it for yourself, its modern and wonderful to tourists accross the world. It has the Raddison " Touch ". m))

Everyone :hi: , if anything happens to this Omin complex,, its got to happen around the Raddison Hotel, the tower itself will be there 10 years from now, I see it in my dreams in 2015, with at least four tall :righton: condo towers around it supporting it as a fortress. :applause:

Tear down :bash: the empty old Jordan Marsh area part , its been there way before the Omni Complex was ever built. I :ohno: remember when I was on my bicycle as a teenager, riding down Biscayne bvld in the late 60's, seeing the old Jordan Marsh, where the Miami Arts University of the omni complex is today. and the Old Jefferson's department store accross Biscayne bvld, where the Dade County School board headquarters is today., and also the huge SEARS tower department store was back then. :laugh:

:wave: I see in my dreams of 2015 :okay: , two tall condo towers rising where the old J.C. PENNEY used to be, its three floors of empty space now, and the old :old: one story house :ancient: behind it is falling apart and empty. Then I see two other tall towers on the south side, the one on the southeast corner facing the bay and the port of Miami as the tallest condo tower, and a office - condo tower rising on top of the Miami Arts university on the southwest side of the onmi complex.

p.s. everyone, what you all think about this dream I had of 2015 here in Miami :cool: , lol. :goodbye:

ok so i want to make sure im getting it right so far - 2 towers @ 1400 biscayne, 2 @ 1401 in night rendering (boulevard shops) and then the mall box is the 13 and 1400 blocks of bayshore drive but we still dont have a decision on the actual herald building - right?
also i think i c in the rendering that 14th street still exists in its original dimensions going through the mall, but 4 cars? hopefully its a pedestrian mall.

Thanks Dave8721,

Is there a way to see any renderings of the projects? I did not see them. Or was I looking in the wrong section.

nope,the renderings aren't shown

*smiles*

i like the the base that connects the towers, as shown in the renderings.

it's a mighty big project, we surely need to see a few more renderings (a day one), and some close-ups.

Hello everyone! I was in Downtown Miami this weekend and the area will be amazing. I was looking at the parking lot directly north of the Miami Herald building, just opposite to the VENETIA building. Is this the 1400 biscayne address you guys are referring to? That would be excellent if we could find some renderings of what that project will look like. I will try asking around but from the knowledge you guys have, I am sure one of you will get a copy first. Look forward to it. Wishing everyone a good week ahead of us. Tchau.

The only difference is that the towers will be to the north of the PAC rather than to the south of it. The giant mall is to the East. I'm not so sure if I like the mall though. Its cool looking and all but on the other hand it is a mall, with all shops facing inward (rather than to the street) like malls usually do. Its almost like losing the OMNI mall and replacing it with a prettier version.

Major downtowns around the globe in major urban centres have large downtown malls...Taipei, Buenos Aires, Mumbai, Chicago, New York City...it's a great thing to have. Michigan Avenue, considered one of the best shopping streets in the country, is home to four large malls - Westfield, Water Tower, 700, and Shops at 900 North Michigan Shops. Bringing elements of suburban lifestyle into an urban area isn't as bad as some people think. We can't forget that people love their malls, and having a major mall in downtown Miami is a major attraction to getting people downtown to visit, shop, eat, etc.

the mall will offer a major draw to get people into downtown... and then theyll stay for the smaller scale shops, restaurants, and mayb catch a show at the pac

maybe it will be as successful as the Omni mall next door...j.k. A least its a lot more attractive then the Omni.

^ yeah but the sad truth is thats what happened and ive heard horror stories about baysides #s in recent years (though i dont know if thats even true) but mega retail in downtown miami hasnt had a great history. maybe with all the housing it will me more desirable but they should be careful. and anyone remember the 'miracle center' arq has improved alot but this one needs to be very delicate regarding its introverted nature. (see omni here also). if it is open to the city via all facades having lots of exterior retail etc it will be okay.

^ yeah but the sad truth is thats what happened and ive heard horror stories about baysides #s in recent years (though i dont know if thats even true)Don't think that Rouse would call them horror stories...it is one of the best performing shopping centers in their system...at about $475 per sq ft in sales, it is better than Merrick Park...really impressive considering Merrick is selling Tiffany earings on their sq feet and Bayside is selling t-shirts and Hooter's chicken wings on their square feet.
I'd call it a great downtown shopping success story. It's busy just about everyday, and a great place to hangout before and after Miami Heat games.

don't forget the postcards and the victoria secret...big bucks there

and the comfy chairs at brookstone...

^ yeah but the sad truth is thats what happened and ive heard horror stories about baysides #s in recent years (though i dont know if thats even true)

It is not. It is one of the healthiest performing malls that Rouse owns. The mall is packed, daily, between October and April.

It is not. It is one of the healthiest performing malls that Rouse owns. The mall is packed, daily, between October and April.Good job Mah. Kudos!

wat about may to september?

http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/7343/night00krpropertybizho3yz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/514/condos00krpropertybizho5jp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

^ That's what I'm talking about.

http://img468.imageshack.us/img468/7343/night00krpropertybizho3yz.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img488.imageshack.us/img488/514/condos00krpropertybizho5jp.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Revuelta designed the bottom ones right? Sure looks like it, though I thought they were all architectonica. If it was Architectonica, I wonder if Revuelta can sue for copyright infringement on the Southern building.

Are the ones in the second picture in addition to the ones in the first? Or is it a totally new designe?

It looks like the darker design is for buildings on the parking lots adjacent to the PAC (see it in the rendering?) and abutting the Metromover. The lighter colored drawing is east of the MetroMover and on the bay. You're right on dave, that does look like Revuelta. It also appears from the waterfront rendering that they are keeping the Herald printing press building in tact. Nothing like a waterfront printing press for my entertainment dollar!!!

How ironic that, scant months ago, OPUS was regarded as Satan's spawn. Now a thicket of highrises that will surely obscure the PAC, from many angles, is being celebrated.

Who would want to buy and live in that area if the Herald stays? Is the herald a huge traffic generating business with the trucks and other related traffic? THE HERALD MUST GO!!! Plus, it is an ugly building if I remember right.

the second rendering posted by rx,were done by revuelta and would be the second phase of the city square project IF and WHEN,the herald decides to sell the land and its buildings,chances of being built around 25%

I thought The Herald was softening on its stance to remain in the old building.

How ironic that, scant months ago, OPUS was regarded as Satan's spawn. Now a thicket of highrises that will surely obscure the PAC, from many angles, is being celebrated.No really...you have to visit the site to understand...
These are theaters. There is only ONE facade with windows. These new highrises do not obstruct ANY of the windows or the curtain wall designed to orient to the water. Not only don't they surely obstruct, they definitely do NOT obstruct.
The only space that would have blocked the $420 Million (and counting) PAC would have been something on the Opus site.
I realize that very perspective on skyscrapers and buildings considers the inside of the building looking out in addition to what the building looks like from a distance, and it might be harder to grasp this if you hadn't had a hardhat tour of the PAC but trust me when I tell you...It's beautiful and it would be a shame if that entire wall looked at a parking pedestal.
You know I'm the last to promote limiting property rights (Opus), but if DOT wanted the land, I'm happy that they bought it and the views from the PAC will stay magnificent for the community and visitors to our great city to enjoy!!

Who would want to buy and live in that area if the Herald stays?Pick me!! I'll live there!!! Next to the MetroMover, on the water, and walking distance to Museum Park, Margaret Pace Park, American Airlines Arena, the Performing Arts Center, etc... Are you kidding!

With or without the Herald that is a great location. There are pobably 100 times less trucks coming from the Herald as there than are currently coming out of the Port of Miami and traversing Biscayne in front of Marina Blue, Marquis, 900, 10 Museum etc.

Roark,

I agree with everything you said. I was just wondering if that area where the Herald is could become a bottle neck with the Herald trucks. I guss it is not an issue.

I agree, I love the location. As on origional Opus purchaser, I saw the benefits to the location and the amenities. It will be a great project for Miami, no doubt!

900

How ironic that, scant months ago, OPUS was regarded as Satan's spawn. Now a thicket of highrises that will surely obscure the PAC, from many angles, is being celebrated.


loool,

i think the south tower is just "Jade" cloned

i think the south tower is just "Jade" cloned

No, its turned 90 degrees....its a whole different tower now

it sure does look like jade or ivy,now everyone see's what i'm saying-revuelta is just a copy and paste architect.

copy, paste, a lil rotation, and bam u got a new tower

The Herlad building may be going soon.

Shareholders are putting pressure on Knight Ridder to sell the company because of disappointing earnings and a stock price that has been sagging. A new owner may decide to make some big changes to whip the company into shape.

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2005/11/14/D8DSGCRO0.html

They could make a killing selling that bayfront land (the parcels that they have held on to)

BOARD APPROVES NEW CONDO PROJECTS
Developer Terra Group cleared its first hurdle Wednesday in its bid to win approval to build two 63-story condominium towers on land owned by The Miami Herald's parent company, Knight Ridder.
The Urban Development Review Board approved both projects, the first step in a review process that culminates with a Miami City Commission vote.
One condo tower would go up on a parking lot immediately north of The Miami Herald's printing plant; that land is part of Terra's $190 million purchase of 10 acres surrounding the media company's bayfront headquarters in Miami. The land purchase is expected to close this summer, according to Knight Ridder officials.
Meanwhile, the other condo considered Wednesday would go on The Miami Herald's current offices at 1 Herald Plaza.
Knight Ridder officials say they have no plans to sell the land and relocate operations but, they said, they're allowing Terra to pursue approvals to build there if the company ever chooses to sell in the future.

Ok, that sounds fishy. Allowing them to pursue approvals to build if the company ever chooses to sell? Holding out for a very large check? Weird.

it sure does look like jade or ivy,now everyone see's what i'm saying-revuelta is just a copy and paste architect.I've always understood what you are saying.
I think that Porsche 911's are pretty good looking cars. Some people might think that they look very similar in design (or cookie cutter) from year to year. Someone that really knows cars can tell you differnces in the year by looking at the subtle differences. But you really have to know the cars to be able to tell. If you don't know what makes a Porsche special as it evolves then fine. C'est la vie. But does that make it bad or the worst?
If you still have no idea what makes Revuelta special. Fine.
Ugo Columbo gets it. Edgardo Defortuna gets it. Pedro Martin gets it. People that have purchased Luis Revuelta creations get it.
Some people don't get Beethoven. Some people do. I have a friend who is certain that Motley Crew is the best assemblage of muscians that ever formed a musical group. You could say that he is entitled to his opinion, or you might say he just hasn't studied enough to understand what makes a good musician (everyone knows Iron Maiden is the best group ever)! :)
Just giving you some greif Hatter...was it you or Nimby that said, "Revuelta is the worst architect ever"? Either way, you should both figure out a way to get inside one of his buildings and check them out. With that perspective, and the new information, it is easier to figure out what makes him special.
Or...you could look at one of the buildings and guesstimate the square feet of glass over the square feet of concrete on the surface area of the buildings. Most architects have more surface area devoted to concrete than to glass. Reveulta is the opposite. Not many residential architects can make that claim. Really, check it out. Here is a picture of a Revuelta building next to THREE luxury Arquatectonica buildings. As a guy that truly appreciates skyscrapers, it is amazing to me that such a tall and massive building can support so much weight and still have curtain walls of glass. Some still don't get it.
http://www.restainer.com/skyscrapers/santa maria.JPG
And here is a shot that includes One Broadway...look at the size of the windows and balconies on One Broadway compared to a Revuelta building.
http://www.restainer.com/skyscrapers/SantaMaria_ParkPlace.JPG
If you think Revuelta is a "cookie cutter" architect or "the worst" architect, would you be prepared to put Cohen, Encinosa, Friedman (Yacht Club at Portofino, One Broadway, The Mark, Brickell on the River, etc)in a position higher on the orignality scale? That becomes a point pretty hard to defend, unless you are a concrete salesman!!
Hope that is helpful in the understanding. Don't mean to offend anyone, but it seems like the phrase "cut and paste architect" was a phrase meant to deride a damn good architect, and a local boy done good! You may not like all the glass, and you may resent the fact that the prices to construct and to buy are some of the most expensive in the area, but give a little credit where credit is due.
Again...if you get a chance to see a Revuelta from the inside, take a not of the concrete walls supporting the ceiling. I think this is a pretty good looking design for a 9 year old building. There are exactly 7 available for sale out of 174. Any ideas as to why no one wants to sell???
http://www.restainer.com/skyscrapers/revuelta_santamaria.jpg

How ironic that, scant months ago, OPUS was regarded as Satan's spawn. Now a thicket of highrises that will surely obscure the PAC, from many angles, is being celebrated.If you look at the PAC, you can see that there are a very limited amount of windows. Not too surprising for a theater. duh. There are not any windows that face east. Only to the Southeast.
Guys...go get a tour of the PAC, you'll see what a great building it is and why putting a skyscraper accross the street from the grand reception rooms that have views to the bay and the park would be bad for the public. No buildings except the ones on the Southeast would obstruct that $500 million dollar view that we paid for.

If you look at the PAC, you can see that there are a very limited amount of windows. Not too surprising for a theater. duh. There are not any windows that face east. Only to the Southeast.
Guys...go get a tour of the PAC, you'll see what a great building it is and why putting a skyscraper accross the street from the grand reception rooms that have views to the bay and the park would be bad for the public. No buildings except the ones on the Southeast would obstruct that $500 million dollar view that we paid for.
actually roark the lobby for the easternmost one (carnival hall or whatever) faces north and would have all of the herald/omni towers in its view - im okay with it but i wouldnt be surprised if they said something about obstructing the view of the metromover or something trivial - but i have to tell you i see the pac from my new unit at the loft and can see inside that south lobby of the west building from my balcony and still am not feeling any love for the pac - in fact id rather see the opus towers to be quite honest but im a bit of a megalomaniac regarding towers and clusters of them.

http://www.miamidda.com:16080/implementation/pipeline/Slide95.jpg

actually roark the lobby for the easternmost one (carnival hall or whatever) faces north and would have all of the herald/omni towers in its view - im okay with it but i wouldnt be surprised if they said something about obstructing the view of the metromover or something trivial - but i have to tell you i see the pac from my new unit at the loft and can see inside that south lobby of the west building from my balcony and still am not feeling any love for the pac - in fact id rather see the opus towers to be quite honest but im a bit of a megalomaniac regarding towers and clusters of them.I hear you...the view from the inside of the west building looking out is extraoridinary (not sure if you can see you balcony at Loft though!).
Seriously, you've got to take the hard hat tour! I'm sure that the most ardent bashers would change their minds when they see how important this building is.

yes i see the west lobby from the loft (im on 22nd floor facing NE - ps the loft is really a nice lower cost development) and the PAC is better from above and afar then up close and personal esp. at night. i may be a big PAC/peli hater (im an architect so im ultra critical) but i prefer it to nothing, i just wanted something more dramatic and powerful in its presence. when they have it lit at night it looks interesting. but im curious to see what will develop inside. this is the view towards pac from my balcony my office computer sucks and wont let me use the insert image or smimlies etc. what a jip anyways heres the link.
http://img499.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc017371mk.jpg

and the PAC is better from above and afar then up close and personal esp. at night.Oh, great!! So you have taken the hard hat tour and you really have been up close and personal!!
I stand corrected. Most people that hate the Performing Arts Center have never been inside (up close and personal as you say). Hmm...wow...you've been inside and still hate it? That's surprising to me, but okay, doesn't make you a bad guy!!
i may be a big PAC/peli hater (im an architect so im ultra critical) but i prefer it to nothing, i just wanted something more dramatic and powerful in its presence. when they have it lit at night it looks interesting. but im curious to see what will develop inside.I'm passionate about architecture and have worked with/for some great ones, but knowing about how challenging that career choice is, I can't say that I hate anyone's work. Hats off to the architect that designed the Loft! The ratio of concrete to glass, doesn't appeal to me, but it is easy to appreciate what a cool building the Loft is. If you want to build inexpensively, use concrete or concrete block, don't use glass. Glass doesn't allow for much support of the higher floors. You really have to be an engineering whiz to be able to design like Revuelta.

^easy guy youre hugging the pac so tight youre going to squeeze the fabric off the seats !!!! jk anyways no hard hat tour, i have been by it a thousand times driving and walking and in the metromover on my way to/from omni station.
i meant as a volume/form its better further than close, i still feel a prison aesthetic with the cladding. and i dont HATE peli i should rephrase hater to skeptic. and the loft design is ok but its not great and im renting not owning there, and to be quite honest IMO i dont like the glass thing so much anymore - its more cool to look at/out of but its often ineffective and contextually inept as most condos are hermetically sealed except for their sliding glass doors and have complete floor to ceiling southern eastern and western glass - imagine your ac bill at 10MP!!!!

i will be speaking at the metropolis green florida conference about an FIU solar project i was the PM for.
(http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=1670)
these topics are harshly criticized by all, the thing is in sofla we are happy to get density height street retail etc that we dont notice the other inefficiencies or inconsiderate elements of their designs. trust me the rest of the arch/development world north of florida is very critical of how we are contextually inconsiderate of alot of our environmental factors. before i go further let me state that i am not a tree (or PAC) hugger or hippie or radicalist, just a concerned architect who wants the best for sofla despite how cynical i may appear.

here are some quotes from the article/author that inspired the conference.
http://www.metropolismag.com/cda/story.php?artid=1761
"On a bitter winter morning a few years ago, as winds whipped sleet into tiny missiles, I headed to the airport, going south for some sunshine. I was obsessed on this trip to Miami with blue skies, tropical breezes, and sheltering vegetation. Upon checking in to my hotel I imagined opening the windows and falling asleep to the rustle of palms. But this was not to be: I was in a sealed building with a humming air conditioner that ran 24/7, even during those balmy days. In fact everywhere I went--architects' offices, museums, shops, galleries, and private homes--I bumped into the same steady 70-degree wall of machined air.

This wasteful reality led me to think of how much more pleasant and beautiful Miami would be if the architects who had designed the buildings there loved and respected the sun, the breezes, and the flora instead of forcing these natural resources into technological straitjackets."

"At one point the Floridians e-mailed a dramatic illustration that ran in the Miami Herald of some 100 new buildings about to scrape the city's sky. I discerned no mention of green features in this unprecedented building boom. At a time when the architecture and planning community knows more and more about things like solar collectors and wind turbines, no one in Miami seemed interested in these solutions. All I saw was a lot of modern glass boxes and duded-up Post-Modern behemoths that could be designed for any city anywhere in the world by architects who still believe that the International Style gives them a license to ignore local climate, resources, and cultures. But this can no longer be the way of architecture. "Tropical Green" (February 9–10) will search for the new language of twenty-first–century Modernism, one that is uniquely regional and specific to hot and humid zones."

Well, days where it is in the 70s around 2 pm are rare in Miami. Most of the time it is way to hot to shut off the air. Anyhow, Im sure this will not surprise you archi, but about 47% of Florida's energy usage is in buildings (as opposed to transportation or industry). About 30-45% of a building's energy usage can be attributed to air conditioning. I got the stats from the Florida Solar Energy Center, BTW.

^thats a great stat, and the FSEC people have alot of cool stuff, they were our 'advisors' on the solar house. ps the fiu solar house along with the virginia tech one have been asked to go to the beijing 2008 olympics as part of a tech. expo !!!! FIU is getting on the map folks .... now if we could only get the football thing going.......jk

as much as i would love to open myself to the sun, the breezes, and the flora... on the average day the sun beating down on u can heat u up to the 80's... and no matter how romantic they make it seem, no one wants to sit with the sun hitting them and its 80 degrees outside

breezes? romanticism again... i am 200 feet from the bay the majority of the day mon-fri and they aint so much there... again, as much as we love to imagine lounging on the beach with the sun hitting up but were actually not hot and the breeze cooling us off along with our corona/margarita/ice tea/coke, it aint real miami

now as for the flora... that one ill give you... walk around the grove or the gables, then walk around kendall or north miami and u tell me which one u prefer and would more willingly pursue a pedestrian lifestyle in...

as much as i would love to open myself to the sun, the breezes, and the flora... on the average day the sun beating down on u can heat u up to the 80's... and no matter how romantic they make it seem, no one wants to sit with the sun hitting them and its 80 degrees outside

breezes? romanticism again... i am 200 feet from the bay the majority of the day mon-fri and they aint so much there... again, as much as we love to imagine lounging on the beach with the sun hitting up but were actually not hot and the breeze cooling us off along with our corona/margarita/ice tea/coke, it aint real miami

now as for the flora... that one ill give you... walk around the grove or the gables, then walk around kendall or north miami and u tell me which one u prefer and would more willingly pursue a pedestrian lifestyle in...

^heating u up to the 80s would actually be a cool down as we are all about 98.6 (id put a smiley jk here if i could) they are a bit overambitious/moderately hippie at times in their ideals of the whole green atmosphere thing but i think they mean other things for example;
i have lived 10 days in downtown and have only used the ac on 2 of them because my windows are all operable allowing the wind/breeze to cool the house, granted its not summer of course but if you could live in 10MP right now you couldnt do that cuz your windows arent operable they only allow heat and light in but no air circulation w/o ac. that was the hit on the international style.

Was this thread something about the terra or something? Beginning to read like weather.com lol

I rarely used air condition when I lived on Miami Beach from like November to April. Mostly I opened the windows and used ceiling fans when I had to. Nothing beats an ocean breeze when you live 200 feet up in an oceanfront building. Nothing.

Planned big-box mall in Miami cut in two

By: Oscar Pedro Musibay

City Square project is redesigned to be two buildings on land now owned by Knight Ridder.

http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/news.html?news_id=38336

6 600 footers? Man I hope so...

Property owner plans six-tower project at Omni Mall site

By Deserae del Campo
Argent Ventures plans a six-tower project with 5,766 residences to replace its 1 million-square-foot Omni Mall on Biscayne Boulevard, a project a city review says could become a "city within a city."
The owners want the $1 billion Omni Development to include 192,170 square feet of retail, city planning records show.
"This project is in the pre-preliminary stages," said Chloe Keidaish, architect with Arquitectonica, who declined further comment. Calls to Argent were not returned.
Miami's Planning and Zoning Department reviewed pre-application plans in March and found that the package "is not sufficiently developed and does not include enough detail to be fully reviewed at this time."
Argent, a real estate investment company, bought the failed Omni Mall in November 2000 for $33 million.
Its plans would break the site bounded by Northeast 17th Terrace, Biscayne Boulevard, North Bayshore Drive and Northeast 15th Street into three sections. Northeast 17th Street would cut between the first and second parcels and Northeast 16th Street would divide the second and third.
Two high-rise towers, one 62 stories, one 58, would rise at 1701 Biscayne Blvd., as would two-story structures that would include lofts and one-, two and three-bedroom town homes.
The section at 1601 Biscayne would have two towers, 64 and 62 stories, and town homes. The site at 1501 Biscayne would have two towers, 66 and 61 stories, and town homes.
The city's design-review committee said the design "presents a great opportunity, through sheer size and location, to become a great urban space. The proposal for six towers within this project indicates that it could become a 'city within a city.'"
The committee did not approve 6,154 proposed parking spaces, saying it is "concerned by the bulk of the parking garage and its impact on the pedestrian experience."
"The city envisions the Entertainment District as an area of mixed-use, walkability and ultimately shared or reduced parking," the committee reported. "In light of this vision, consider reducing parking to the minimum required for this site."
Bigger is not always better, said Michael Cannon, managing director of Integra Realty Resources. "The site is not conducive for condo housing," he said, "but for emerging retail that will better-serve the community."
Omni Mall, vacant except for the Miami International University of Art & Design, 25 years ago was a luxury mall fostering revitalization in the surrounding area to the point that the city tried to limit growth.
Developer Tibor Hollo assembled land for the mall in the early 1970s at $7 to $8 per square foot in a crime-ridden area. The $67 million mall opened in 1976 with anchors Jordan Marsh and JC Penney department stores and luxury-clothing and auto dealers.
Eventually, tenants drifted down the scale as the Omni and its movie theaters became a neighborhood leisure site instead of a luxury mart. No retail tenants remain today.

If this is intended to represent the Terra proposed existing Herald waterfront project, it is a false rendering. The actual project is comprised of 2 64+ towers with approximately 600 units EACH...on the existing Herald land on the water...not one tower as depicted here.

Toucano, you realize that if this project happens, the Miami Wall will extend all the way up to Paramount Bay! Thats almost two straight miles of skyscrapers, with a few gaps here and there.

Toucano, you realize that if this project happens, the Miami Wall will extend all the way up to Paramount Bay! Thats almost two straight miles of skyscrapers, with a few gaps here and there.
Paul :hi: , also remember the Huge gap in the " MIAMI Wall :bowtie: " being the OPUS planned 3 towers taken over by the F.D.O.T. :bash: over a year back for the future underground level with no top I-395 Expressway leading into the Future billons dollars Port of MIAMI :cool: tunnel, wow :applause: ,
2016 , Here we Come !!! :righton:

Maybe the " Island Gardens :runaway: " two Hotel - Condo towers might be completed by then, LOL !!! :cheers:

The view from the Island Garden Hotel will be spectacular...Hopefully they will be so kind as to put an observatory or bar or restaurant on the top floor...

Hopefully they will be so kind as to put an observatory or bar or restaurant on the top floor...
.... but what if they don't.... seriously. this is something i never really thought of, much less considered. they need to have an observatory of some kind on the top floor of that hotel... with such a great view, it can't be wasted.

i say we start petitioning or something... make sure it gets heard.

It would have a decent view of Miami Beach as well. It is the perfect vantage point for both Miami skylines.

http://citysquaremiami.com/

.... but what if they don't.... seriously. this is something i never really thought of, much less considered. they need to have an observatory of some kind on the top floor of that hotel... with such a great view, it can't be wasted.i say we start petitioning or something... make sure it gets heard.There is a lot of amazing spaces accessible to ther public. I saw the developer present this project last year and he called it Bal Harbour shops Jr. Very high end retail with incredible spaces open to the public. He tried to have a floating barge for a symphony to play concerts with the Miami city skyline in the backdrop, but DERM nixed the idea.
The views from the waterfront will be awesome, but don't hold your breath if you expect the Shangri-La Hotel, or the Westin Hotel to open up their lobbies and elevators to let every Tom, Dick, and Harry stroll through to observe the skyline. Realistically, that isn't going to happen. It would be great to put a restuarant or bar up there similar to Noir at Espirito Santo.

http://citysquaremiami.com/Wow! Looks like an excellent project!

Is is going to happen? And anybody know what stores are going to be there?

This article that I posted over in the Midtown thread makes it seem like the developer (Mark Siffin) has loads of financing but then again the Herald tries to shoot down the proposal by pointing out the rumors that the guy was a drug trafficer in the 1970's:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=8943526&postcount=13

^^Like the alliteration? :D I was reading an article in the Sun Post ( http://www.miamisunpost.com/forthstoryfrontpage.htm) about the removal of an easement on the Miami Herald’s property and was surprised to see our friend Patty Mayor of the Miami Shoreline Alliance get some serious coverage. She first appeared in the Herald back in May when the Miami Zoning Board rejected the One Herald Plaza proposal. Now, she’s in the Sun Post, fighting against Citisquare.
Easing Through
Venetian Islanders Uneasy After Zoning Board OKs Easements for Miami Herald Property

“The traffic and other impacts from the retail and residential development on the parking lots should be considered cumulatively ... ” — Patty Mayor, Miami Shoreline Alliance

http://www.miamisunpost.com/images/j5_zoning%20board%20miami%20Herald_Bld-40862.JPG
One Herald Plaza. File photo by Mitchell Zachs/Magicalphotos.com

By Bonnie Schindler

During its regularly scheduled meeting Monday night, the Miami Zoning Board unanimously passed the closing of easements located in front of One Herald Plaza, an action that could help pave the way for a plaza that will complement a proposed mixed-use project.

“It is found that the vacation of the easement [located in vacant Miami Herald parking lots between NE 13th Street, NE 15th Street, Herald Plaza and NE Bayshore Drive] is required to complete a mixed-use project, more specifically known as City Square,” the Miami Planning Department reported in its analysis of the abandonment application, which was filed May 5.

The Zoning Board’s approval mirrors that of the Planning Department, the Public Works Department, and the Plat and Street Committee. According to Assistant City Attorney George Wysong, the requested easement is on private property.

“It was never the city’s property,” Wysong said. “The Platt Committee is basically saying ‘Thank you very much for letting us use your property; we don’t need it anymore.’”

In addition, there are other areas serving emergency access and utility vehicles, said Iris Escarra, an attorney with Greenberg Traurig, the firm acting on behalf of Citisquare Group, a subsidiary of Pedro Martin’s Terra Group, and Knight Ridder, the former owner of the Miami Herald.

“The easement is being closed because the utilities will be redirected to other locations and there is ample emergency access already provided on North Bayshore, Herald Plaza and 15th Street surrounding the property,” Escarra said.

The easements appear to interfere with Citisquare Group’s proposed project, which involves creating a plaza and pedestrian walkway that would connect to the adjoining One Herald Plaza, home of the Herald newspaper, and a bayfront park area, according to Escarra.

On May 8, the Miami Zoning Board rejected an application to rezone One Herald Plaza and adjoining parking lots for mixed-use, with some members noting Martin’s application for a proposed 64-story tower, then called Herald Square, included in an April 30 Herald piece written by Andres Viglucci.

Members of the Venetian Causeway Neighborhood Alliance believe the park and plaza will compliment proposals for the 64-story condo, hotel and retail shops if they go through. The project may also serve those attending events at the Miami Performing Arts Center – set to open its doors to the public this October – according to Loretta Alkalay, who resides at the Venetia, a condo across 15th Street from One Herald Plaza.

“I expect [the developers] believe there’s a market for retail to serve all the condos going up and people going to MPAC,” said Loretta Alkalay, who resides at the Venetia, a condo across 15th Street from One Herald Plaza and is fighting the proposal to build on the water at the foot of the Venetian Causeway.

Alkalay said it was not that she would not welcome boutiques and cafes, but like other concerned residents, she feels the plaza is an ill-conceived idea, much like the Omni Mall – a mega-structure that opened in the late 1970s and included various expansions, only to eventually close down completely on the last day of 1999 following the exit of its anchor stores, leaving the huge mall abandoned and dark.

The real issue lies within the foundation of the development.

“Appropriate solutions come from decisions using conscience and responsibility, with focus on the long term, [but] developers did not approach the community before drawing the plans,” said Patty Mayor of the Miami Shoreline Alliance.

And, according to Alkalay, the developers did not seek the community’s support when they were designing the Performing Arts Center, which is only one block from One Herald Plaza.

“The city of Miami’s typical rush to approve development plans is particularly distressing since the MPAC area should be developed with care and sensitivity – given the proximity to the shoreline,” she said.

Alkalay questions why the city of Miami would allow developers to split their development proposals for the Herald properties: One Herald Plaza and the Herald parking lots.

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to consider the proposals as one?” she asked. “This would allow for better planning for the portions of the property along Biscayne Bay.”

Concurring, Barbara Bisno, president of the Venetian Causeway Neighborhood Alliance, told the board that its members might feel differently about the project’s proposal if they saw the whole project.

While Wysong agreed it would be beneficial to see the entire proposal, he said it is the job of the board to look at each parcel. “I believe that each item stands on its own legs, and its own merit,” he said.

Alkalay said another good reason to combine proposals is the issue of traffic.

“The traffic and other impacts from the retail and residential development on the parking lots should be considered cumulatively with the impacts of the two 64-story towers planned on the One Herald Plaza property,” she said. “Traffic problems, in particular, since their impact will be on the same few streets that border both projects, should be jointly assessed, with solutions considered jointly for both projects.”

In addition to road congestion, Bisno feared a literal wall of steel and glass on the shoreline would obstruct views, but commercial renderings presented by Citisquare at the Urban Design Review Board showed otherwise.

The drawings depicted separate but attached buildings 10 stories high and running from the bus turn-around on 15th Street, over 14th Street and on to 13th Street/I-395, according to Bisno, who said she would most likely not have a negative reaction to this type of low-height design.

Currently, two of the retail areas in the proposal are zoned C-2, which includes a maximum height of 120 feet, or under 10 stories, said Mayor.

“It is felt that C-2 is precisely the correct zoning code for the waterfront: to maintain the height limitation under 10 stories and prevent walls of skyscrapers along the shore,” Mayor said.

And while the height of the retail buildings may satisfy these residents, they still worry about signage if this proposal goes through.

“The Citisquare retail buildings bring with it exterior signage, which appears to be mammoth and very much modeled after New York’s Times Square in concept ... large, bright, can’t miss it....” Mayor said.

Mayor said the developer should be asked certain questions: Will they be bright, blinking signs? Will they be lit throughout the evening? How often will ads be changed? What types of ads will be posted? Will they allow political signage? Will nudity be permitted? Will anyone be able to buy advertising space?

These questions may be answered at the July 5 Planning Advisory Board meeting.

Mayor stresses the need for residents to become involved and pay attention to the details, such as the signage, because it is their community being impacted.

“Developers are learning that people matter. [Developers] come and go, [but] we the people are here, and stay,” she said. “Living with their creations year after year is easier to do when we have had input, and they have listened, and corrected the concerns. The people, after all, know their needs best.”

So i heard some ppl saying that the decision on citisquare approved? I thought it was on hold till sept for both the mall and condo building.

Also heard they want to put a best buy, finele's. Nice!

Cool! Was wondering what had happened to the projects in this area.

He said he heard... but is there anyone that can actually confirm if CitySquare was approved or not?

This is gonna be perfect.

He said he heard... but is there anyone that can actually confirm if CitySquare was approved or not?

It was not approved, it was postponed until the Sept. 7th Commission meeting.

So, the comissioners meeting for the Citisquare project was held today.

They didn't pass the Herald Plaza parcel 1 project (the south tower on the current Herald lot), but they did pass the parcel 3 project (the North tower, on the current Herald parking lot, just south of 15th St).

The retail part was approved, and so were the 2 residential towers on the lot South of the bus depot and North of the PAC.

-James.

So, the comissioners meeting for the Citisquare project was held today.

They didn't pass the Herald Plaza parcel 1 project (the south tower on the current Herald lot), but they did pass the parcel 3 project (the North tower, on the current Herald parking lot, just south of 15th St).

The retail part was approved, and so were the 2 residential towers on the lot South of the bus depot and North of the PAC.

-James.

James is GOOD :) !!!,
thanks for this great update, I had a feeling Herald Plaza 1 would get bouced around since many Venetian causeway residents don't want those tall towers so close to the shore, and more traffic headaches.

But the rest of the towers , more inland closer to the PAC , I'm sure these towers will rise in the future,

When , ??? is a good Question. :cheers:

That is great news. One Revuelta tower, 2 Arquitectonica towers and a huge retail shopping mall that is well designed, dynamic at least, all approved, with only one tower rejected, I think that is great news. I was worried that some of the complainers would get their way. I think that, just as Blue is a great anchor for the causeway entrance to Miami, so too will the Revuelta tower be the gateway into Miami for the Venetian causeway. I know that its character is more charming and intimate but a tower there becomes a declaration of your arrival to a great modern city, Miami. I think it is a good counterpoint to the most beautiful road in America, the Venetian Causeway. The lights of Citisquare will keep the entire neighborhood alive, and I think PAC can use the aliveness. As to your thoughts about Revuelta I think you are right Roark. His work is top notch. I think that units A and D in Cielo illustrate it most beautifully with two corners of glass in the living room. www.cieloonthebay.com The floor plan is so elegant, I wish I could be living in that unit so badly. 11A for sale for 1.1 million. There are similar units in Jade and 900 but none quite as perfect as the one in Cielo. That being said I do look forward to Revuelta expressing himself with some new bold forms. I like the tower for One Herald, and I like MINT too, but they are similar. with the curve and pointy balcony. It is his signature form, which is a beautiful thing, it just seems that in the crunch of the boom, Revuelta was designing a new 60 story tower every week! I think as the demand falls off a little it he will create something quite original, he is a great architect and engineer.

This is from todays Miami Herald Online.


MIAMI
Condos get OK; Herald rezoning rejectedMiami commissioners approved plans for condos and a retail center downtown, but said no to a plan to rezone The Miami Herald's headquarters.
BY MATTHEW HAGGMAN
mhaggman@MiamiHerald.com
The Miami City Commission approved building plans for condominiums and a large retail center next to the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday, but raised questions about one proposed high-rise condo and killed an effort to rezone The Miami Herald's headquarters.

Commissioners also expressed skepticism about using any community redevelopment funds to assist the developers in building parking spaces for arts center patrons and street improvements. The developers have requested $200 million in such funds.

The votes capped a long day -- and night -- of sometimes impassioned debate at City Hall over what should be built on 10 acres of prime downtown Miami real estate between the nearly finished arts center and the newspaper's offices.

The 10 acres are being sold by The Miami Herald's parent, The McClatchy Co., to a development group led by Miami builder Pedro Martin for $190 million. That deal, agreed upon more than a year ago, has yet to close because the media company is still finishing an environmental cleanup.

In addition, the developers -- with McClatchy's permission -- had sought to rezone the newspaper's bayfront building to allow a high-rise condo if McClatchy ever sold the land. The company has said repeatedly that the building is not for sale.

With Thursday night's votes, both the developers pushing for the construction and opponents cited victories.

The Martin-led group won the right to build a 700,000 square foot vertical urban mall that would include the likes of Target, Best Buy and Bed Bath & Beyond along with a range of restaurants and smaller shops. Martin's group also won approval for two 60-story condo towers to go up next to the Boulevard Shops on Biscayne Boulevard.

Commissioners gave initial support, voting 4-1, to change the zoning on a parking lot at the foot of the Venetian Causeway to allow a high-rise condo. That proposal has drawn strong resistance from some neighborhood activists who contend the building will result in traffic clogging Northeast 15th Street and North Bayshore Drive. Critics also contend that the building proposed there, a 64-story hotel and condo, is too tall to go on the bay, where it would be out of scale and block other buildings' views.

Commissioners acknowledged the concerns and said that despite granting initial approval -- the zoning change must be voted on again next month to become official -- they wanted the developers to meet with the activists to reach some accord.

''It is a message that both parties need to work it out,'' said Hal Spaet, who lives in a nearby condo tower and opposes the tower at the foot of the causeway. ``If they are not willing to compromise, I think it can be defeated.''

On a 4-1 vote, commissioners did defeat rezoning for The Miami Herald property. Developers, who have first dibs to buy One Herald Plaza if it goes up for sale, had said the rezoning was necessary to maintain view corridors and control what is built on the site. Martin's group sought approval for a high-rise condo on the site.

The request had perplexed observers and prompted speculation that the newspaper planned to sell its headquarters, despite repeated denials from Miami Herald executives. As it turned out, the proposal also confused city commissioners; they wondered why the property should be rezoned if the newspaper wasn't moving.

The developers' attorney, Lucia Dougherty, noted that property taxes would likely have gone up on the Miami Herald property if it were rezoned for a high-rise. Her statement prompted questions from commissioners who wondered why McClatchy would want the additional expense and feared it would chase the company outside city limits.

''I would hate to lose any jobs,'' said Commissioner Michelle Spence-Jones. ``We would like [The Miami Herald] to stay in the city of Miami.''

Only Commissioner Joe Sanchez voted in favor.

City leaders, meanwhile, took a dim view of the developers getting millions from the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency. Last month, developer Mark Siffin -- Martin's partner in the retail project -- wrote the agency to ask for help to pay for a parking garage and street improvements near the arts center. He said the project would provide public benefit and cited the ``current environment of increasing construction costs and high land prices.''

Miami Mayor Manny Diaz said the developers approached him earlier this year and asked for $200 million from city coffers. He said it would be a poor use of public funds.

''The answer was very clearly no,'' Diaz said. ``I couldn't see government putting money into that kind of a private project. In a property like this that is right next to the PAC, where every major private developer in the world submits a bid, and they want a subsidy? I flatly rejected them.''

Thanks Displaced MIAMI Man :) !!!, as long as we get two 60 floor towers out of this huge project,
\
< Thats Excellent, I had a feeling and a dream of 2012, that the MIAMI HERALD building was still there by the Bay, and two tall towers behind the Herald rising with me watching from the Parrot Jungle Island theme park.

Go Cranes !!!, :cheers:
by the Way, The second crane on top of the Ten Museum Park condo tower is down..
but there are Two more Tower Construction Cranes UP this week at the University of MIAMI / Jackson memeorial hospital complex to build another Medical tower at 9th Ave. and 15th street :cheers: .
The WEBCAM on the Wachovia Tower is Finally working NOW :) at www.herald.com zoom in for free, just do a fast minute register online.

The Four seasons Hotel webcam is still down. but work is underway to redo it. :runaway:

___

ROARK :) , my friend :scouserd: , I know you look out of the Wachovia Webcam, Take a good look now at the WIDE view of the North of Flagler picture, all the towers rising, including the LOFT 2, The two Everglades on the Bay, the MarinaBlue , ten Museum tower is out of SIGHT , with the Opera Tower, high above the towers north of that one. :cheers:

What a Sight !!!

Go Cranes !!! :)

xx

If everything gets built both around Miami Herald/PAC and in Midtown Miami who will attract most retail and offices? will the PAC attract most luxuary brands and midtown most common brand names...its too bad they put things in competition they should gather forces to create critical mass...Heard DDR is almost done with the Shops at midtown any news on this? ...They will definetely have 2-3 years in advance compared to Herald...and be left with whoever needs more retail space,,,

I guess at the end it will be a mix restaurants and coffee around PAC,

more shops and offices around midtown....

I would imagine the closeness to DT and the water would attrack a lot of people to the Omni area.

I believe the idea is that you will shop where you live. Or at least closest to where you live. People will hopefully grow a little less dependant on getting in their cars, of course if Citisquare has a view it will also function as a tourist attraction.

agree w u the setting is important but i believe today's demand for retail and offices will be taped by midtown because they ve succeeded in speeding up with their project on retail and residential which is the backbone ...offices are about to come and a wole new area will rise up on the way between design district and downtown.

the herald site only seems to me to be a touristic/image style kind of think...something that only has the scent of AOL Time warner in NY but not the depth and size...

we ll see .. i think midtown will soon surprise us there is so much it can do with the right partners they are on the way to do real magic but it is a long term project at least 2008/2009 to be able to gauge its full potential,

Developer wants to put City Square on fast track (http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/060914/story1.shtml)

If they get their second green light from Miami city commissioners, officials of development firm Terra Group say they would plan to complete a 641,104-square-foot retail complex next to the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts in a little more than a year.
Terra Group and partner Maefield Development Group passed their first hurdle last week when city commissioners gave approval for the planned five-story retail center and two residential towers. David Martin, Terra Group's director and chief operating officer, said the big-box retail complex would create 3,200 permanent entry-level jobs.

I would imagine the closeness to DT and the water would attrack a lot of people to the Omni area.That and transportation. The most dense living area in South Florida is South Beach, by the time the 7+ 500 footers are built on Biscayne, that ought to be pretty dense too. South Beacher's can take the Venetian Causway the 3.2 miles to Omni, and those in the CBD/Brickell area can take the free MetroMover to Omni. Also, the Grand is one of the largest residential buildings in the US.with over 800 apartments, and then add in Opera Tower, 1800 Club, The Venetian, and all the others that I can't remember and that shopping center has some wicked density. Thousands and thousands of residents within walking distance, and many more within 1 mi.
Retailers love to evaluate the "rooftops" within 1mi, 3mi, and 5mi...the Omni area has lots of consumers that are very, very close.

The Grand also has the largest amount of floorspace of any skyscraper in the Southeastern U.S., at over 2.8 million sq. ft.!

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/15857738.htm

Friday, Oct 27, 2006
Posted on Thu, Oct. 26, 2006

Downtown high-rise vote postponed; retail plans move ahead

Miami Commissioner Linda Haskins asked today to postpone a vote on a controversial high-rise condominium proposed for the foot of the Venetian Causeway until after next month's election. But the deferral was not enough to avoid a new controversy.
Other commissioners agreed to delay discussion until Nov. 9. Haskins, who goes up for election against six challengers on Nov. 7, said she wanted to give the developer and residents more time to iron out differences.
At issue is a proposed 63-story condo and hotel tower, part of a 10-acre parcel adjacent to The Miami Herald's headquarters on Biscayne Bay. The newspaper's parent company, The McClatchy Co., is selling the land to a group led by developer Pedro Martin.
The developers are also proposing City Square, a big-box retail mall and two more condo towers on the land. Each of those has won city approval, but the tower at the causeway has drawn concerns from residents, ranging from the building's size to traffic.
On Thursday, Martin's attorney, Lucia Dougherty, unveiled a plan to close part of Northeast 14th Street to vehicles. The developer had previously said the road between One Herald Plaza and North Bayshore Drive would stay open.
After the hearing, though, the developers quickly repeated that traffic would be allowed on that part of Northeast 14th Street, which is private land the developer is buying from McClatchy but has long been used by the public.
Admitting the confusion, Martin said: ``We have sort of gone back and forth on that.''
***************************************************************************************

Posted on Sat, Nov. 04, 2006

REAL ESTATE
Deal may be priciest buy in S. Fla.

The group buying 10 acres of prime downtown land from The Miami Herald's parent company plans to sell a substantial portion of the property to another developer in a pricey deal.

BY MATTHEW HAGGMAN
mhaggman@MiamiHerald.com

The development group that is buying 10 acres next to the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts from The McClatchy Co. plans to flip much of the land for a hefty profit.

The group led by developer Pedro Martin -- which has yet to close on its contract to get the land for $190 million -- has agreed to sell more than 8 acres to builder Mark Siffin of Maefield Development in Indianapolis, Ind. The price tag is for at least $230 million, according to sources familiar with the deal.

Full Article (http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/15925777.htm?template=contentModules/printstory.jsp)

Developer wants to put City Square on fast track (http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/060914/story1.shtml)

If they get their second green light from Miami city commissioners, officials of development firm Terra Group say they would plan to complete a 641,104-square-foot retail complex next to the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts in a little more than a year.
Terra Group and partner Maefield Development Group passed their first hurdle last week when city commissioners gave approval for the planned five-story retail center and two residential towers. David Martin, Terra Group's director and chief operating officer, said the big-box retail complex would create 3,200 permanent entry-level jobs.

any updates on this?

Just read in the Herald that the 63 story tower at the foot of the Venetian Causeway was approved by city commissioners. I love the causeway being anchored by a great statement of a building, and I also think it will bring up the level of design for that area, that has suffered a little from 80's buildings. GOOD NEWS!

http://img247.imageshack.us/img247/5489/condos00krpropertybizhoqn0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I think it is worth revisiting this rendering now that it is approved. My understanding is that the right hand building was approved. It is nice the way it is torqued on the site. It is so much further east than the Biscayne wall, seems like nothing could block its views all the way to Boca.

I just love the way LR engineers those skyscrapers! Floor to ceiling glass AND wall to wall glass in all the apartments...they are so excellent!

Truly. Glasss glass glass. Also the way the balconies step forward and backward maximizing everyone's view and exterior privacy. I t would be such a privilage to live here.

http://img292.imageshack.us/img292/2828/nightridderik7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

How quickly do you think this will be built?

It seems very odd, leaving the Herald printing press there, don't you think?

Would love to see a larger version of that rendering, Rx7.

-James.

Is that a new rendering Rx. Is the one that I posted earlier out of date now? I hope not because it looks like the other way around