22 Liam Properties LLC, a company based in Sunny Isles Beach, is making a splash in Little Havana with one of the area’s first Live Local Act projects. Purchased in 2023 for $3,490,000, the on-site parcel at 531 SW 7th Street will be developed into a 23-story tower home to 166 units, with the company tapping into the design expertise of Steven L Cohen and Associates. Passed in 2023, the Live Local Act makes projects such as 531 SW 7th Street viable under the bill’s unique policy created to spur housing. The current zoning under T5-L, a zoning designation that only allows heights up to 5 stories and density of 65 units per acre, would require a formal rezoning. However, with the Live Local Act permitting zoning regulation from more than a mile away, the property now utilizes T6-24, creating for a maximum height of 24 stories and a maximum density of 1,000 units per acre without government say.
Housing will be divided into 114 studios, 33 1-bedroom apartments, and 19 2-bedroom apartments. Since the Live Local Act requires 40% of the units to be workforce housing, 67 of the units are workforce and 99 are reserved for market-rate uses. All of the workforce housing will consist of studio apartments: a common choice among Live Local Act developers aiming to make their projects financially possible. Units will range from 395 SF at the lowest to 1,405 SF at its highest. Tenants no matter the income will have access to the property’s amenities which range from a pool and spa to other smaller uses.
On floors 1 through 7, 214 parking spaces are strategically positioned on the back of the building for units to line the facade at SW 7th St, a major thoroughfare. Although code requires 267 parking spaces, the Live Local Act grants developers a 20% reduction in parking spaces if the project is close to transit. In this case, the project is 2616 FT away from the Brickell Metrorail station.
In addition to housing, the developer plans to activate the ground floor with 403 square feet of commercial space. The project’s pedestrian friendly design is poised to enhance the pedestrian realm by widening the sidewalk from approximately 7 feet to 17 feet. Currently barren, the sidewalk will be lined with new greenery, adding shade to pedestrians.
Elevations feature a podium composed of “sharped-edge shape decorative metal screening panels” that “further enhance the sharp edges characteristic of the building design”, leading up to the main tower which incorporates large balcony space adorned by glass railings. At the top of the building, a decorative crown will top the highrise at 262 FT: the tallest architectural point of the building. Urban Development Review Board members will determine the design efforts for 531 SW 7th Street on April 23rd, 2025 at 2 P.M.
