FAA suggests shorter high-rises downtown and Brickell

Rendering of Florida East Coast Realty's One Bayfront Plaza as part of downtown Miami's skyline
Rendering of Florida East Coast Realty's One Bayfront Plaza as part of downtown Miami's skyline

The Federal Aviation Administration wants to limit the height of big projects in downtown Miami and the Brickell area.

Swire Properties, Florida East Coast Realty, MDM Development and Melo Group received letters suggesting the FAA wants to limit the maximum height of some new buildings east of Miami International Airport to less than 475 feet, the Daily Business Review reported.

Swire’s 1,049-foot-tall tower at Brickell City Centre, Florida East Coast’s 1,010-foot skyscraper, MDM’s 545-foot Met Square skyscraper and the Melo Group’s 540-foot condo building all exceed the FAA’s suggested heights.

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Builders have the option of sitting down with federal regulators to modify their plans that reduce air travel hazards, according to the Daily Business Review. Developers can also begin a technical process called “public circularization” to challenge the FAA’s judgment, like Swire, MDM and the Melo Group have.

“MDM Development is confident that Met Square will continue forward at its current height after the FAA review is complete,” Ian Swanson, director at MDM Development, said in a statement. [Daily Business Review] — Katherine Kallergis