Miami board green lights Verzasca’s plans for former City Hall restaurant site

Verzasca originally planned to build condos on the City Hall restaurant site

Verzasca Group received approval from a city of Miami board for its 2000 Biscayne apartment tower.

The Urban Development Review Board OK’d the 36-story, 393-unit apartment tower proposed for 2000 Biscayne Boulevard, the former site of City Hall restaurant. Verzasca originally planned to build condos on the 32,775-square-foot site, which it purchased in March 2016 for $13 million, but instead announced last month that it would be rentals.

Next, Miami’s Planning and Zoning Department is expected to approve the Edgewater project, followed by a 15-day appeal period, according to a press release. Iris Escarra and Carlos Lago of Greenberg Traurig are representing the developer.

2000 Biscayne was designed by Fort Lauderdale-based Dorsky + Yue and will include 25 studios, 175 one-bedrooms, 181 two-bedrooms, 12 three-bedrooms and an eight-story parking garage.

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Part of Verzasca’s deal to purchase the land last year included an agreement to give the seller an unspecified number of condos in the building. It’s unclear if that agreement still stands. The developer could not be reached for comment.

Other Edgewater rental projects in the pipeline include Modera Edgewater and Biscayne 27.

The 2000 Biscayne development would mark the first rental project for Verzasca, which has focused on boutique condo projects in Bay Harbor Islands, such as Pearl House and Le Jardin Residences, and in Sunny Isles Beach since launching in recent years. It will break ground on Aurora, a 61-unit condo building at 17550 Collins Avenue, this summer. – Katherine Kallergis