65-story Brickell Avenue residential tower gets zoning OK
Written by Miami Today on October 29, 2024
A 65-story Brickell area tower that is to have 25 of 505 residences set aside for workforce housing won unanimous zoning approval from the county last week.
Summit Brickell at 1015 SW First Ave. is to rise more than 700 feet on a one-acre corner that now is surface parking near the Brickell Metromover Station directly across from The Underline linear park.
Zoning had been deferred from Sept. 25 as developers met with staff and raised their offer from 20 affordable units to 25, together with $575,000 to upgrade the Brickell Metromover Station, the Brickell Metrobus Station, the Brickell Metrorail Station and area pedestrian crossings.
"I appreciate you moving the workforce housing contribution to 25 units at 120%" of area median income and "also appreciate the transit public benefits contribution," area Commissioner Eileen Higgins told developers' representatives.
Ms. Higgins said she evaluates the workforce housing at $100,000 per unit, which together with the transit funding brings the contribution to more than $3 million. While commissioners lean on developers for contributions, they are listed in the zoning action as voluntary.
The contributions meet one of the seven conditions that zoning administrators recommended for the site at Southwest Tenth Street and First Avenue.
Properties around the site are zoned by the City of Miami for intense urban development under city regulations. But county commissioners expanded the Rapid Transit Zone for the Metromover to include handpicked properties that had been under city control, including the corner where Summit Brickell is to rise. Until last week's action, the property stayed under the city's rules but now is under county zoning. A hearing drew no protests.
Summit Brickell is to have 1,583 square feet of retail across from the Underline and 500 parking spaces in an internal garage, as well as 24,163 square feet of open space.
