Miami architect Kobi Karp pulled off a double play, scoring a green light on designs for a pair of apartment projects near Edgewater and Wynwood Norte.
On Wednesday, the Miami Urban Development Review Board approved 1600 Edgewater, Sabet Group’s 33-story tower with 282 apartments, as well as Evolve Companies’ Evolve Wynwood 35, an eight-story building with 141 rental units.
Both projects are redevelopment plays by out-of-state builders that entered the Miami market in 2022. The review board approved 1600 Edgewater and Evolve Wynwood 35 unanimously, and suggested a few minor design tweaks for both projects.
1600 Edgewater
Los Angeles and New-York-based Sabet Group, led by Andre and Edward Sabetfard, is developing 1600 Edgewater. The firm planted its flag in South Florida three years ago when Sabet acquired the 0.5-acre site at 1600 Northeast Second Avenue for $14.3 million. The property is in Miami’s Arts & Entertainment District, but borders Edgewater.
The property is currently home to a single-story commercial building leased to a go-kart amusement company. The site is zoned for a 25-story apartment building with a maximum of 250 units, but Sabet obtained city approval for a height and unit increase through public benefits bonuses by setting aside 20 apartments for affordable housing.
Karp designed the building with an eight-floor parking podium with 352 parking spaces. The planned tower will also have 9,519 square feet of retail, including a rooftop restaurant, plans show.
Evolve Wynwood 35
In 2022, Evolve Companies, led by Joe McKinney and Mike Winstead Jr. entered the Miami market by dropping $9.8 million for six lots with small single-family houses and apartment buildings at 543, 553, 579, 583, 585 and 535-539 Northwest 35th Street in Wynwood Norte.
The Greensboro, North Carolina-based firm tapped Karp to design Evolve Wynwood 35, which will replace the older building and homes, which were completed between 1926 and 1951. Featuring a facade painted in various colors by different artists, Wynwood 35 will also include a parking garage on the first, second and third floors with 202 spaces.
Since 2013, Evolve has focused on multifamily and student housing projects, as well as providing construction management services, according to the firm’s website. The company has more than $1 billion in assets under management with a portfolio spanning 25 million square feet and 20,000 units.
Evolve is also planning a second project, an 11-story building with 105 apartments, in Wynwood Norte. In 2022, the firm also paid $9 million for a 0.7-acre site at 475 Northwest 36th Street.