Seven months after breaking ground, the Edgewater twin-tower apartment building known as URBAN 22 has officially topped off on construction. The developer for the project, the Melo Group is a well-known development group in the Miami area. After completing 6,000+ residential units in Miami over the years, they currently have 2,000 units under construction.
Multiple parcels making up the 1.94 acre site stretch’s from Second Avenue, 22nd Street, to 23rd street. The Melo Group started purchasing these sites in 2011 that is now making up the site for URBAN 22.
The project call for twin 15-story towers that will total 708,119 square feet with an 8-story podium connecting between the two. The towers will feature 441 residential units, 7,168 sq. ft. of retail, 5,692 sq. ft. of office space, and 529 parking spaces.
The units will range from 725 to 1,200 square feet of living space with each unit featuring a private balcony with glass surround railings. There are 4 studios, 243 one bedroom, 152 two bedroom, and 42 three bedroom units available.
The garage will feature a pool deck on the roof, indoor/outdoor spa, garden terraces, and a fitness center with a social room for gatherings. The Melo Group stated that project would enhance the pedestrian experience through the bridge between the two buildings as well as the retail and commercial aspects.
Demolition Permit Filed and Renderings Revealed for 710 Edge Tower
In October 2021, developers announced plans for a 55-story tower, 710 Edge that will be located in Edgewater. Months later the plans were approved by the Miami Review Board and now permits have been filed with new renderings attached.
The permit that was filed will allow total demolition of the site which would include several buildings that are currently on the property.
Two adjacent waterfront buildings were submitted on July 29th with one of the buildings as Harbor 29. A total of 16,000 square feet will be demolished costing the developers $151,000.
The second permit is for 530 NE 29th Street which totals 4,590 square feet estimating $25,250.
On both permits, Dade Wrecker Service is identified as the demolition contractor.
The projected height of 710 Edge is 55 stories, or 646 feet (649 feet) above sea level. 710 Edge will include 70 residential units, 193 parking spaces, 16,000+ sq. ft. of commercial and retail, a rooftop helipad, and a public baywalk.
Proposed by 710 Edge LLC, owned by Kevin Venger, Michael Konig, Louis Birdman, and Alex Posth were also a part of the development of One Thousand Museum. Sales have not yet been announced.
Oak Road Equities Announces Plans for a 40 Story Tower at 2600 Biscayne
Oak Row Equities recently revealed that it had closed on the purchase of a 2.1-acre site on one of the final vacant city blocks in Edgewater. For $35 million, the company purchased 2600 Biscayne Boulevard in order to build a mixed-use building designed by Arquitectonica.
One of Miami’s most rapidly expanding real estate development companies, Oak Row Equities, has ongoing projects in Wynwood, North Miami Beach, Edgewater, and the Design District.
The company’s most recent acquisition is 2600 Biscayne Boulevard. The 2.1-acre lot in the highly sought-after coastal community of Edgewater has just been closed by Oak Row Equities. A mixed-use development with 399 condo units, roughly 160,000 rentable SF of office space, and 6,500 rentable SF of retail space is what Oak Row Equities intends to construct.
Tower Information
40 stories tall
399 class A residential units
160,000 rentable sq. ft. of office space
6,500 rentable sq. ft. of retail space
The proposed Brightline commuter rail is one block away from the location. Arquitectonica, a renowned local architectural studio, will create 2600 Biscayne. A third of the offices at 2600 Biscayne have already been pre-leased by Oak Row Equities. The development team includes LNDMRK Development, owned by Alex Karakhanian.
The Fairholme Foundation, run by Bruce Berkowitz, had previously intended to turn the site into a museum. In 2013, Fairholme spent $6.79 million to purchase the home.
Edgewater Tower Proposed by Aimco is Denied Approval
After a city of Miami board refused to recommend approval of Aimco’s plans for a luxury rental tower in Edgewater, the developer is determined to revaluate the development plans and come up with a solution to get these plans moving forward.
After identifying a number of “serious concerns” with the design, members of the Miami Urban Development Review Board voted on Wednesday to reject plans for the proposed mixed-use development across from Aimco’s Hamilton on the Bay tower. Despite the board’s rejection, Aimco can still seek approval for the project.
The board was initially split on whether or not to recommend acceptance of the proposals with conditions, with three members voting in favor and three voting against. As a result, the developer can either withdraw its application and start the process all over again, or the board can vote to decline the recommendation, allowing the developer to submit amended plans to the planning director for final approval.
Aimco’s attorney, Tony Recio, a partner at Weiss Serota Helfman Cole + Bierman, said the developer is examining the board’s ideas and looks forward to “addressing their criticisms with the planning director” as the project moves further. Recio submitted the concept to the board of directors on Wednesday.
Though they praised the project’s overall design, board members expressed concerns about circulation on the ground level, including how residents and restaurant customers would access parking, apartments, and the restaurant, as well as loading and trash collection, landscaping, and an oversized mail room.
At 555, 560, 600, 610, 620, 630, and 640 Northeast 34th Street, Aimco, a publicly traded multifamily real estate investment company located in Denver, has proposed a 60-story, 241-unit tower. On more than an acre of land, the construction would include a new parking structure and 4,700 square feet of commercial space for a restaurant on the bottom level facing the water.
Aimco has made a significant investment in Edgewater. It paid over $90 million for the Hamilton on the Bay rental complex, which is currently undergoing substantial renovations, nearly two years ago. A nearby vacant lot and a modest rental building were included in the purchase.
Following the cancellation of its tenants’ leases at the Hamilton last year, Aimco purchased premises across the street, where the new project would be built.
Two Roads Development Buys $150 Million Edgewater Site for a 3 Tower Project
Two Roads Development recently purchased a $150 million development site in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood, with the intent to build a 3-tower luxury condominium complex.
With the purchase of Biscayne 21, a 1960s-era condo with 191 units, Two Roads obtained the 3.5-acre beachfront lot located at 2121 North Bayshore Drive for $150 million.
Arquitectonica’s Bernardo Fort-Brescia will design the tower, which will contain branded apartments and luxury condo units.
Three Roads Development plans to build the 3 towers rising 60 stories tall or about 649 feet tall with up to 750 residential units and apartments.
The sellers which include 176 unit owners, were represented by an Avison Young team led by John Crotty and Michael Fay. More than two years ago, the unit owners came together and hired Avison Young to offer their property in bulk to Two Roads Development.
According to the Avison Young team, the unit owners were able “to negotiate for a multiple of more than three times what the sellers would have sold their individual units for on a one-off basis.”
Two Roads is a West Palm Beach and Miami-based developer that is known for its other towers including Elysee and Biscayne Beach.
729 Edge Tower in Edgewater Receives Plan Approval
When we first announced plans for the 729 Edge development in October 2021, we had only received information about the Miami Review Board meeting for the proposal for this tower. Months later, we are happy to announce that plans have been approved for the 58 story tower located in Edgewater.
The plans are moving right along and recently the developers have assembled the land for $29.08 million which includes three lots. One lot was located at 710 NE 29th Street which was purchased for $17.5 million. The 2nd parcel was purchased for $6 million located at 530 NE 29th Street. The last parcel located at 483, 485m, and 501 NW 29th Street was purchased for $5.58 million.
Located along Biscayne Bay spanning over 0.88 acres, the tower is not only being developed by part of the same team that was responsible for One Thousand Museum but it will also be very similar in design.
The project will be designed by Hollywood-based ODP Architecture & Design who also assisted the late Zaha Hadid on One Thousand Museum.
The project itself would expand 342,848 square feet rising 58 stories tall. There would be a proposed 70 luxury units with three to five-bedroom options. The breakdown of the units would be one to two units per floor. Full floor units would expand a total of 6,174 square feet. 729 Edge would also feature 2 penthouses-styled townhomes spanning two floors.
There would also be 13,037 square feet of commercial space between two buildings with a restaurant on the lower level of the condo tower.
The units will have three to five bedrooms with one or two units on each floor. Pricing has not been announced.
Amenities will be similar to those of One Thousand Museum.
Tower Amenities:
Private dock
Lounge/bar
Business center
Private dining room
Theater room
Storage space for owners
Fitness room
Salon/spa
Indoor pool
Juice bar
Sky lobby on the top floor
The developers include 710 Edge LLC, owned by Kevin Venger, Michael Konig, Louis Birdman, and Alex Posth.
Kushner Acquires Multiple Edgewater Sites for a 1,100 Unit Development
In two separate transactions totaling $37.64 million, a Kushner Cos. subsidiary purchased an entire block in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood.
Biscayne and 19th Street LLC in Miami, owned by Enrique Manhard, sold the 1.33-acre site located at 1900 and 1920 Biscayne Blvd.; 221, 231, 237, 261, 269, and 281 N.E. 19th St.; and 222, 230, 244, and 250 N.E. 20th St. to buyer, Laurent Morali, President of Kushner Cos.
Manhard’s firm built the property with agreements totaling $18.4 million in 2017, $2.52 million in 2018, and $1.64 million in 2020, resulting in a significant profit. The only lot that is not included in the block is the Advance Auto Parts on NE 2nd Avenue.
Several office and residential buildings are located on the land. Some were constructed in the 1920s. The 1900 Biscayne Blvd. site has the same zoning as the nearby 32,775 square foot lot at 2000 Biscayne Blvd. That property was also bought by Kushner for $20.5 million from a firm run by Manhard in July 2021. Its proposals for the other property include 420 units spread across 36 stories.
Kushner executives have stated that they intend to develop around 1,100 residences in Edgewater and their hope is to capitalize on South Miami’s hot market.
Kushner Cos. financed the property through MSD Partner in New York with a $20 million mortgage.
Charles Kushner, the father of Jared Kushner, former President Donald J. Trump’s son-in-law, leads the corporation.
Melo Group Purchases Entire City Block in Edgewater to Build a Four Tower Development
Melo Group has recently purchased an entire 3.04-acre city block for $105 million in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood with the intention of establishing a huge development.
The entire block extends from Biscayne Boulevard to Northwest Second Avenue between Northeast 17th Street and Northeast 17th Terrace with the primary address as 1700 Biscayne Blvd.
The sellers of the land are Biscayne Arts LLC, Biscayne Arts Plaza LLC, Brickell North Investments, and Miami Proarts II but the press release stated that the land is managed by James Goldstein in Fort Lauderdale. They have owned the property for decades and the current block features 2 office buildings, parking lots, and a Burger King.
The Melo Group plans to develop four 60 story towers with condos, apartments, and retail space with the condo units totaling 1,520 residential units. The property was purchased for $105 million at $69,000 per buildable unit.
According to a representative of the Melo Group, “the Biscayne Place sale marks the highest price per square foot for any non-waterfront property in Miami’s Arts & Entertainment District and the second-highest in Edgewater.”
The Melo Group has built more than 6,000 condos in the city throughout the last 20 years with a majority of its projects located in Edgewater as well as the Arts & Entertainment District. If this property moves forward, this will be the largest development that the Melo Group has built in Miami.
Plans Submitted in Miami for S-Shaped Mixed Use Tower
In 2018, plans for a 60-story mixed-use project located at 1370 NE 2nd Avenue in Edgewater was proposed. The proposal was expected to bring 100,000 square feet of office space, 1,100 residential units made up of condos and rentals, and 1,100 parking spaces. The developer, Cresent Heights purchased the land in March 2017 for $64 million but the project came to a standstill.
Now, alternative plans for the site have been submitted that still would include a large mixed-use complex. The developer for this project will still be Cresent Heights and they will be combining the $64 million dollar property with land owned by the School Board of Miami-Dade.
The 1.13-acre development site will be designed by Rafael Viñoly Architects and the towers themselves will take the shape of an S. The project will include 1,441 residential units, 100,000 square feet of office space (dedicated offices for the School Board of Miami-Dade County), auditorium, 19,673 square feet of office space for Cresent Heights, 5 levels of amenities, and nine levels of parking. The towers will rise 43 stories reaching 649 feet tall.
Amenities:
bowling alley
indoor basketball court
indoor lap pool
indoor running track
management office on the ground floor
9 parking levels (3 public, 6 restricted)
The developer has chosen to have the proposal reviewed by Miami-Dade County under the Metromover Subzone Zoning Standards. The move permits them to avoid the more stringent planning, zoning, and design approval required by the City of Miami.
