Daniel Pena-Giraldi and Luis Rojas, developers of downtown Miami’s Langford Hotel, continue moving forward with their plan to convert a century-old building that once served as a Post Office and courthouse into a food and beverage center that will include downtown Miami’s first brewery.
The Miami City Commission last week unanimously granted an exception that will allow Pena-Giraldi and Rojas, principals of Stambul USA, to put multiple alcohol-serving establishments into a single five-story, 35,455-square-foot building at 100 Northeast First Avenue.
The building, constructed between 1912 and 1914, served as a Post Office, a federal courtroom, and the location for several other federal offices until it was purchased by First Federal Savings and Loan Association in 1937. Later known as the Old U.S. Post Office and Courthouse Building, it was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
Doral-based Biscayne Bay Brewing is opening its second location in the Old Post Office. The taproom and brewery will occupy the building’s 6,270-square-foot third floor.
The floor plans, and the letter of intent written by Stambul’s attorney, Javier Avino of Bilzin Sumberg, detailed other tenants of the Old Post Office, which will be renamed the Republic Entertainment Bureau.
A lounge area, DJ booth, and prep room belonging to the Mexican restaurant Cabron will be located in the basement.
Cabron’s dining room and kitchen will share the first floor with Frutonomy juice bar. There will also be four bars on the first floor, one of which will serve as a “lobby bar” that will “serve as a welcome area and lobby for all three outlets.”
The second floor will be occupied by Nomada, a “deli market and spirited bar.”
The fourth floor will be leased by La Real, a 6,966-square-foot establishment that will serve food and high-end cocktails.
Stambul USA bought the Old Post Office building from Scott Robins and Tom Morgan in June 2014 for $11 million. Robins and Morgan bought the property 10 years earlier with the intent of turning the former office building into a condominium.
Valentina Rojas, owners’ representative for Stambul USA, said the Old Post Office will be fully renovated and will open by the third quarter of 2020.