Midtown 8 seeks design review approval for luxury rental tower

Rendering of Midtown 8
Rendering of Midtown 8

Wood Partners has filed plans with the city of Miami for a 28-story, 387-unit building in Midtown.

Rendering of Midtown 8

Rendering of Midtown 8

Midtown 8 aims to target young professionals for its rental apartments, Stantec’s Susan LaFleur and Agustin Salas told The Real Deal.

As planned, the building at 2901 and 2951 Northeast First Avenue would have ground floor retail space and a total of close to 30,000 square feet of commercial space, an amenity deck above the attached 519-space garage, 27 bike parking spaces, and a clubhouse.

Salas, a building designer and associate, described the 390,000-square-foot development as contemporary modern tropical. The property backs up to Florida East Coast Industries’ train tracks, so the developer proposed design “enhancements” on the ground level to activate what it describes as dark and unsafe space. Those include a landscaped linear park with a dog park, Citi Bike rack and an art wall, all open to the public.

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Units will range from studios, one-bedrooms and two-bedrooms to three-bedroom penthouses with high ceilings. LaFleur, senior associate and director of Stantec’s hospitality division, said the project taps into the young professionals in their 20s and 30s. Interiors will combine neutral tones of the Design District with a raw, concrete-like design inspiration from Wynwood.

According to the proposal, the project would generate 98 new car trips during morning rush hour and 140 new trips during the evening rush hour.

The architect and developer will work on completing the necessary documents for permits through the fall, with an estimated groundbreaking of early next year. Wood Partners, based in Atlanta, is a multifamily development and management company.

Midtown Opportunities Vib LLC bought the 2-acre development site, which has also served as part of Art Miami’s home, in 2011 for close to $6 million.

The Midtown 8 property is on the southwest border of Midtown Miami, across from the contentious Walmart site. Just outside of Midtown is Morgan Group’s Pearl Midtown 29, a 20-story, 309-unit apartment tower at 180 Northeast 29th Street. Stantec is also designing that project, which is under construction.