13th Floor and Adler plan 40-story skyscraper next to Douglas Road station

A planned mixed-use development next to the Douglas Road Metrorail station is nearly doubling in height – unbeknownst to many nearby residents and city officials.

13th Floor Investments and Adler Group are now planning to build a 40-story skyscraper at the project, which is near Coral Gables and Coconut Grove. The developers won the bid for the project about two years ago, but their updated plans are much bigger than what they initially proposed, according to the Miami Herald.

The updated plan increases the number of apartments to 1,500 from under 1,000, and would add a 22-story, 280,000-square-foot office building. In total, the project now calls for five towers at the site, including a residential 40-story high-rise that is nearly twice as tall as the tallest condo buildings in Coconut Grove, Grove at Grand Bay.

The latest plan, submitted by the developers in August, appears to have flown under the radar. After the Douglas Road redevelopment bid was awarded, the county upzoned the station property. Aaron Stolear, a vice president at 13th Floor, said the developers are not required to reach out to the public because they’re building within compliance of existing zoning rules.

The project still has to go through a full review by county planners.

Miami Commissioner Ken Russell, whose district includes the station, said through a spokesperson that he was unaware of the new proposal, as was Mayor Francis Suarez. [Miami Herald] – Keith Larsen