Miami-Dade County will weigh whether to hand a sliver of publicly owned land in Wynwood for free to developers that plan 14 affordable apartments.
Rilea Group and Ciprés, both based in Brickell, requested in November the non-competitive conveyance of a 6,900-square-foot lot –– or 0.158 acres –– from the county, where they want to build the eight-story building entirely with three-bedroom units, according to the developers’ letter that’s included in a county meeting agenda. The project would include about 4,100 square feet of ground floor commercial space for the residents.
The Miami-Dade Housing Committee will vote on Tuesday on deeming the land as “surplus” and transferring it to the developers for $10. The lot, at 20 Northeast 29th Street, is valued on the market at $3.45 million, according to the records.
The agenda item references a state law that requires counties to prepare an inventory of the land they own that’s suitable for affordable housing development. The legislation says counties can lease, sell or donate the land.
As part of the deal, Rilea and Ciprés will contribute $800,000 to a nonprofit that focuses on educational advancement, including financing a scholarship for students who live in Miami-Dade District 3. Commissioner Keon Hardemon represents District 3, where the project is to rise.
The site is adjacent to where Rilea plans the Mohawk at Wynwood mixed-use project with loft apartments, and near where Rilea and Ciprés are developing the 12-story, 146-unit Rider Residences condo building.
All 14 units at the proposed building, called The Boxer, will be at below-market rents. Two apartments will be for households earning up to 80 percent of the area median income, four units will be for those earning up to 100 percent of the AMI and eight will be for those earning 120 percent of the AMI, according to the agenda records.
The Boxer is intended to target the workforce that supports Wynwood. The neighborhoods, historically a Puerto Rican enclave known for its garment industry, has been gentrified and re-gentrified in recent decades, first as an arts district and in more recent years as a residential, office, retail and dining hub.
“Wynwood doesn’t run without its working families,” Diego Ojeda, president of Rilea and Ciprés, said in a statement. “The Boxer is for them — a chance to live in the neighborhood they help bring to life, as neighbors and residents, not just commuters.”
Rilea and Ciprés are related entities, sharing a Brickell office, according to their websites. Rilea was founded in 1981 and its projects include the 1450 Brickell tower. Alan Ojeda is the owner and CEO, and Luis Ojeda also is an executive at Rilea.
The Boxer solidifies Rilea’s hold on this Wynwood block. At 25 Northeast 28th Street, Rilea also was selected to develop the headquarters for Pitbull’s Mr. 305 music company. The site once was home to one of the rapper’s childhood homes, a two-bedroom, roughly 700-square-foot residence completed in 1927.
The Mr. 305 music company headquarters is planned for eight stories and about 9,700 square feet of office space.
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