Privé developers get sidewalk permit

From left: BH3's Charlie Phelan, Greg Freedman, Daniel Lebensohn and Gary Cohen
From left: BH3's Charlie Phelan, Greg Freedman, Daniel Lebensohn and Gary Cohen

The developers of the Privé condominium in Aventura believe they can start construction next month after receiving a permit from the city to install a second sidewalk near the island project site.

Aventura issued the sidewalk permit on Thursday. Developers BH3 and a Gary Cohen affiliate company plan to build twin 16-story towers totaling 160 units on the eight-acre North Island located between Williams Island and Sunny Isles Beach. Architecture firm Sieger Suarez designed the buildings.

“While seemingly a minor issue, the residents of the South Island made grand efforts to seek to stall the Privé project as a result of this requirement,” Cohen said in a written statement. “We are satisfied that the City of Aventura carefully vetted and approved our application, thus enabling us to fulfill our intent to comply with this requirement and provide us with the necessary approvals to proceed.”

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The sidewalk permit could also lead to a resolution in at least one of the two lawsuits challenging the project’s development rights. A Miami-Dade Circuit judge granted a 90-day stay to a homeowners association in one of the cases last month. But the judge said the stay would be lifted if the city issued the sidewalk permit within the 90-day period.

The Williams Island Property Owners Association and the Island Estates Homeowners Association separately filed lawsuits challenging the development rights in 2013. The developers want an expedited ruling in the Williams Island case. — Eric Kalis