1008 East Ponce Proposed to Bring 67 Units to Northern End of Coral Gables
The northern edge of Coral Gables is continuing its historic swing toward densification, and another multifamily proposal has just joined the pack. 1008 E Ponce de Leon Boulevard, LLC, which is associated with T.A. Builders, has proposed a 12-story development known as 1008 East Ponce, set to include 67 luxury units. The project is on track to go before the city’s Development Review Committee on November 20th. The proposal arrives amid a surge of activity nearby. It would be one of six multifamily developments of at least five floors rising in the area, with one already under construction and several more gearing up to start soon. The developer has controlled the half-acre property at 1008 E Ponce de Leon Boulevard since 2016, when it bought the site for $2.825 million. To lay the groundwork for redevelopment, the project’s attorney described the existing site as “aging” and called the new building a “very high-quality project.” Inside, the 67 units would span one-bedrooms, one-bedrooms plus den, two-bedrooms ,and three-bedrooms, along with three live-work units on the ground floor. Amenities include a fitness center, a rooftop pool, public terraces and lounge space, plus other indoor uses that have not yet been named. On paper, the ground floor includes 6,535 square feet of retail, but don’t picture storefronts. That total is built from a fitness center, a leasing office and the live-work units, which serve residents or function as amenity space instead of drawing in shoppers. Outside, the plans call for wider sidewalks, added greenery, and other streetscape improvements. Parking sits overhead, with 110 spaces tucked inside a concealed podium. From there, the building climbs 126 feet to the roof, or close to 140 feet counting an ornamental crown. Its elevations (prepared by the project’s architect, Behar Font) follow the Mediterranean Revival theme common among developments in the city, and the design leans heavily into ornament, with cornices, arches, columns, concrete brackets and more. The facade is largely white stucco, along with metal balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows. Because the project requires a zoning amendment, a comprehensive plan map amendment, and mixed-use site plan approval, it will ultimately go to a City Commission vote, and the neighborhood’s history means that vote may not be a guarantee. Development in North Coral Gables has historically drawn pushback, and parts of the area remain relatively low-rise, with apartment buildings commonly topping out at three floors. Crystal Residences, just steps away, has faced continued opposition from nearby residents. Whether 1008 East Ponce would meet the same reception in a city where development is frequently contested remains unknown. The developer’s attorney, for their part, makes the case for approval in unambiguous terms. They describe the property, which fronts East Ponce de Leon Boulevard, as “the ideal infill opportunity” and argue that granting the requested changes would put an underutilized site to its best use, delivering “maximum public benefit with minimal impact” through a mix of uses and public open space.
13-Story Office Tower Proposed at 283 Catalonia Avenue in Downtown Coral Gables
South Florida’s office boom looks set to continue in Coral Gables, where a developer is betting on a new 13-story tower in the city’s core. 283 Catalonia Realty, LLC, which is associated with Constellation Realty, has just unveiled plans for the building at 283 Catalonia Avenue. The project is scheduled to go before the city’s Development Review Committee in a few weeks, and if it makes it through a lengthy approval process, it would deliver 83,335 square feet of Class A office space to the area. The tower would replace a three-parcel assemblage currently occupied by a two-story office building. The developer bought the properties for $6.1 million in 2015 and is only now bringing forward a proposal for the site. To make a development of this scale possible, the project is seeking multiple changes to existing zoning, including a variance, a Future Land Use Map amendment, a zoning amendment and a transfer of development rights, among other requests. The Specifics Office space would fill the upper levels, with 83,335 square feet spread across floors 8 to 13. The building would also hold 10,723 square feet of retail, including 3,977 square feet on the rooftop, where a padel court would stand as one of the few amenities set aside for workers. Parking is built into the podium, with 311 vehicle spaces and six bicycle spaces spread across levels 1 through 7 to serve both office and retail users. In a letter, the project’s attorney makes the case that the tower would strengthen Downtown Coral Gables. The new Class A office space and retail, the letter argues, would attract businesses and professionals, bring more foot traffic and support nearby restaurants and shops, while broadening the commercial tax base. The attorney calls the project “a significant investment” in the downtown’s growth and says it would help the area evolve into a more walkable, economically thriving urban center that complements existing and planned development. Arquitectonica’s design for the tower pairs traditional and modern architectural motifs. The exterior would be clad in stone, stucco, bronze framing and clear glass, set in a palette of beiges and browns, with cornices punctuating select portions of the facade. The garage gets its own treatment. Instead of leaving the parking levels exposed, the design wraps the podium in the same stone and stucco and adds spandrel glass, opaque panels that mimic windows, so the base gives the impression of an active use rather than a parking structure. The 13-story structure would rise 193 feet to its tallest point, with each office floor featuring generous 15-foot ceilings. Though it would not be the tallest building in Coral Gables, it would add another large structure to a downtown that has been expanding for decades. Just nearby, an 11-story luxury high-rise known as Ponce Park Residences is already rising. Because the project requires multiple zoning changes, it must pass through several boards after the DRC review before reaching a final vote at the City Commission. Floridian Development believes approval, given minor changes, is likely, since the project is contextually aware, mixed-use, and carries other benefiting factors.
Foundation Work Underway on 21-Story Alida Residences and Tribute Portfolio Hotel in West Palm Beach
Foundation work is underway at 524 Datura Street in West Palm Beach, where a 21-story tower is taking shape a short walk from the city’s Brightline station. Alida Residences and Tribute Portfolio by Marriott, as the project is known, is being developed by LD&D and IGEQ, who broke ground over the summer and plan to start vertical construction soon. The site sits in a part of downtown that is already busy with new development. Getting here took years. According to Palm Beach property data, the developers finished assembling the multi-parcel site in 2022 for nearly $5 million, then worked through a multiyear process that included rezoning, a pause during the pandemic and a redesign. The rezoning raised the site’s floor-area ratio from 2.75 to 6.5 in exchange for a hospitality component, which is why a hotel shares the property with the apartments. Kast Construction, the project’s general contractor, says foundation crews are working with auger cast piles, sheet piles and tangent piles, the groundwork that has to be in place before vertical construction can begin. From there, the tower will rise 21 floors, reaching roughly 230 feet at its tallest point. View this post on Instagram A post shared by KAST Construction (@kastconstruction) The residential and hotel uses may look like a single building, but they will be built separately as two independent properties. Alida Residences will offer 181 units, from studios to three-bedrooms ranging from 500 to more than 2,000 square feet, and the developers say it will include the first rooftop pool in West Palm Beach alongside other high-end amenities. On the eastern side of the property, Tribute Portfolio Hotel will have 112 rooms. The project also fills a gap in the downtown pipeline. Alida is the first high-rise multifamily project to break ground in Downtown West Palm Beach since the Laurel, a luxury development by Related Ross. FrontRange Capital partnered with the developers as the capital and investment partner, and its CEO, David Robertson, framed the deal around supply. He said the tower brings “much-needed high-rise rental inventory” to a market where demand has outpaced it, pointing to strong office and hospitality investment downtown but very little new multifamily. When finished, the tower will be the second on its block, part of a wave of transit-oriented development in West Palm Beach and in other cities that gained stations along Brightline’s route.
Plans Filed for 44-Story Tower on Size-Constrained Brickell Lot at 150 SW 7th Street
Few lots in Brickell are as small as this one, and few proposals are as tall. A 44-story, 537-foot residential tower has just been proposed at 150 SW 7th Street, on a site of just 0.4 acres. The developer, 150 158 SW 7th Street, LLC, recently filed plans with the county for the 200-unit project, which was designed by Behar Font Partners. If built, it would be the latest in a series of proposals for a parcel that has changed hands several times. That turnover runs back to 2016, with another trade in 2025 and the most recent in August 2026, when the site sold for $12.5 million. The latest deal was between Habitat Group, a well-known Brickell developer behind several projects including Smart Brickell, and 150 158 SW 7th Street LLC. The proposal hinges on a recent zoning change. The property was just granted an RTZ designation, which allows added density and height and also opens the door to administrative approval. In practice, that means planning department staff can sign off on the project without it going before public boards. What’s Planned Inside, the tower would hold 200 units, ranging from one-bedrooms and one-bedrooms with dens to two- and three-bedrooms. Most of the shared space sits high up. The 27th floor has 6,750 square feet of indoor amenities, and the roof on level 44 adds another 4,330 square feet along with a pool deck. The base of the building will not include ground-floor retail, featuring only a lobby and garage enterances. Instead, a multi-story podium will hold 241 parking spaces, most of them in lifts, a setup the lot’s size calls for. Above the parking, two floors will be devoted to 15,730 square feet of daycare space. From there, the tower rises 537 feet, which would place it among the tallest buildings in the area. Elevations show a modern design with floor-to-ceiling windows, glass balconies, a white stucco facade, and a podium wrapped in an architectural prefab screen. At 537 feet, the tower would need sign-off from the FAA, an approval that is expected. Height is not a major obstacle in this part of the city, since Brickell and portions of Downtown Miami have allowed towers reaching 1,049 feet. Land in Brickell keeps getting scarcer and more expensive, and proposals on compact lots like this one may become more common as a result. Large assemblages on the scale of Brickell City Centre, meanwhile, could largely become a thing of the past, short of immense capital like the kind of deals by buyers such as Ken Griffin.
Alta New River Lands $140.2 Million in Financing, Clearing the Way for November Groundbreaking
Downtown Fort Lauderdale is about to add another crane to a skyline that has been in steady motion for years. Alta New River, a 35-story rental tower at 100 SW 6th Street, is preparing to break ground in early November, closing a long wait for a project first proposed back in 2017. Alta Developers is leading the effort, and a freshly secured $140.2 million senior construction loan from JVP Management is what moved it from plan to start date. The new financing replaces the developer’s original 2023 loan and increases it by $129.8 million, giving the project the funds to finally get moving. The land has its own paper trail. Alta Developers bought the one-acre site for $20.8 million in 2022, well above the $12 million that the sellers, a joint venture between Bizzi & Partners and Silverback Development, paid to assemble it in 2017. In a statement, Raimundo Onetto, CEO of Alta Developers, said “Alta New River is our third residential project in Ft. Lauderdale, and breaking ground reflects our long-term commitment to this city”. When complete, the tower is expected to hold 400 rental units averaging 840 square feet, with delivery estimated for 2028. Dorsky + Yue, the project’s architect, plans 4,127 square feet of ground-floor retail, a lobby and other uses, while 460 parking spaces will fill a nine-story garage. Residents get a plethora of amenity spaces as well, starting with a resort-style pool deck with cabanas, lounge spaces, an outdoor kitchen, and a barbecue area. Inside, there is a fitness center, a co-working lounge, club rooms, and a spa. The tower’s look has held steady even as the financing changed. Plans show a height of about 380 feet, with height and massing that have shifted little since earlier versions. The exterior combines a largely stucco facade in gray and white tones with metal balconies, floor-to-ceiling windows and accent lighting. Kaufman Lynn Construction is the general contractor, One Line Design Studio is handling the interiors, and Greystar will manage the property once it opens. Alta New River is landing in a city that is already experiencing a building boom. Completed as planned, it would add 400 units to Fort Lauderdale’s growing multifamily pipeline, which includes 4,371 units under construction in Downtown and Flagler Village alone, according to the city. Hundreds more are underway outside those central neighborhoods.
Second Live Local Act Tower Proposed in Sunset Harbour at 1771 West Avenue
Sunset Harbour is set to receive its second Live Local Act tower, just weeks after plans for its first came to light. EOS Wellness Real Estate Miami, LLC has filed plans for a 44-unit building at 1771 West Avenue, on the site of an Office Depot that sold last year for $28.5 million. At 300 feet to the roof, it would be among the tallest buildings in the neighborhood. The proposal rests on a state law designed to expand affordable housing by granting developers added density, flexible zoning and other incentives in exchange for a commitment to workforce units. That law has driven a steady flow of proposals in Miami Beach, and a number of them have run into questions about historic preservation. That is not a factor here, since the site sits outside any local historic district and is not listed on the National Register of Historic Places. What’s Planned Like many Live Local Act developments in Miami Beach, this one is trying to square workforce housing with a luxury product. The law makes every project mixed-income, requiring that at least 40 percent of units be set aside as workforce housing, and here that works out to 18 of the 44 units. Those apartments are priced for households earning up to 120 percent of area median income, which puts studios at roughly $2,800 at most. The other 26 units are market-rate condominiums. Size is what separates the two groups. The workforce units run smaller, from studios to two-bedrooms, while the condominiums stretch up to four bedrooms, so the building’s full range spans studios, two-, three- and four-bedrooms. The 44 units also fall well short of the 86 the site could accommodate. The luxury concept carries, expectedly, into the amenities, where wellness is the organizing theme. Beyond multiple pools, the plans include a longevity spa, fitness facilities, massage and recovery rooms, consultation and treatment spaces, and physical therapy and aesthetic services, among other amenities. At street level, the project adds a private driveway, a lobby and expanded pedestrian improvements; above that sit 6,391 square feet of commercial space and 117 parking spaces in a multi-level podium, with the tower rising from there. How high that tower can rise comes down to a provision in the Live Local Act. The building would reach 325 feet at its highest point, or 300 feet to the roof, because the law lets projects use the tallest height allowed within one mile of the site. This one draws on the Civic and Convention Center District, which now caps buildings at 150 feet. The city lowered that limit from 300 feet in April 2024, but state law prevents a city from setting a lower height limit for a Live Local project than the tallest allowed within one mile as of July 1, 2023. As a result, the earlier 300-foot figure still applies here. The design team includes Foster + Partners and ODP, and renderings show a palette of light gray, brown and white, paired with smooth concrete, louvered cladding, floor-to-ceiling glass and bronze mullions. The Future Whether the project reaches construction depends on a broader backdrop. Miami Beach continues to see a record-breaking number of Live Local Act projects, while the outlook for such development remains in flux, and the city recently weighed legal action against the state over the act after significant local opposition. Against that backdrop, this proposal has a few factors in its favor, including a location outside any historic district and a surrounding area that already includes high-rises.
Miami’s Northeast Corridor Rail Project Regains State Funding, but Questions Over the Brightline Deal Remain
For more than two decades, Miami has been promised commuter rail service along its northeastern corridor. The project, known as the Northeast Corridor or Coastal Link, would bring new stations to neighborhoods such as Wynwood and North Miami. Trains would run on the existing Florida East Coast Railway corridor, which Brightline already uses and shares with a freight railroad. Years of delays and disputes have delayed the project, however, and its latest setback fits the pattern: in 2025, $200 million in state money was stripped from the budget. That loss was a serious blow to the project’s progress because of how its financing is structured. The extension carries a price tag of $927.3 million. Federal dollars would cover roughly $389 million, a little over 40 percent of the total, while Miami-Dade County would contribute $337.9 million. The state was expected to supply the remainder, which is almost exactly the sum that was cut. The state has since put that money back, according to Transit Alliance Miami, which says the reinstatement happened with little public notice. The timing is notable. Carnegie Mellon University recently announced a new campus in Wynwood, backed by billions from hedge fund founder and philanthropist Ken Griffin, and the scale of that investment, combined with sustained lobbying from Miami politicians and business owners, may have helped revive the rail funding. The restored money has not settled the larger question of whether the deal itself is sound, though. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has been a persistent skeptic, describing the risks of partnering with Brightline as ‘risky’ and pressing for changes to the terms. Those concerns have gained substance from a September analysis commissioned by her administration, according to recent reporting by the Miami Herald. Under Deputy Mayor Roy Coley, the county hired Newmark, a real estate and advisory firm, to review the most recent draft agreement. The firm’s findings raised several concerns. Most prominent among them was the instability surrounding Brightline itself. The company is working through a bankruptcy and restructuring, a process that could slow the project and has already required short-term extensions on debt payments. Newmark also pointed to an ongoing feud between Brightline and a freight operator that shares the same tracks, a conflict it said would have to be resolved before Coastal Link could move forward. Beyond those external hazards, the firm faulted the draft’s structure, arguing that it leaves the county exposed to cost overruns and other burdens that a private partner would ordinarily absorb on a project of this kind. Brightline has not welcomed the detour. With its own finances under pressure, the company is eager to lock in an agreement, and it has framed the county’s hesitation as the last obstacle. In a statement, Brightline called the project “at the finish line” and argued that it offers more value per county dollar than anything else in the SMART Plan, adding that it needs county leadership to close the deal. If these final hurdles are cleared, the Northeast Corridor would be one of the few transit proposals in Miami-Dade to move from planning into reality. Over the years, the county has floated numerous improvements, including multiple Metrorail extensions, but few have ever broken ground. Coastal Link would not be a Metrorail extension, since it would share existing tracks rather than run on its own dedicated line. Even so, it would offer the northeast neighborhoods of the county a rail connection it has never had, and for commuters in that corridor the practical benefits would be substantial.
56-Story Tower Proposed at 115 NE 2nd Street Would Be Fort Lauderdale’s Tallest
Not long ago, a highrise proposal at 315 NE 3rd Street made headlines as the tallest building ever proposed in Fort Lauderdale, a 608-foot statement about where the skyline was headed. That title has now been lost. A new filing for 115 NE 2nd Street calls for a 56-story residential tower that would rise well past it, and past everything else currently under construction or in the pipeline. The proposal comes from NE 2nd Holdings LLC (Arosa Developers), a developer reportedly based in New York City, and it would add another purely residential high-rise to the city’s growing wave of multifamily towers. The plans call for 696 multifamily units in a modern design by Fort Lauderdale-based FSMY Architects, and the project is set to go before the city’s Development Review Committee (DRC) soon. As with any filing at this stage, much remains preliminary, but the ambition is unmistakable: a tower of this scale would set the bar higher for the city’s tallest. The Site’s History The tower would rise on a three-parcel assemblage at 115 NE 2nd Street in Flagler Village, where NE 2nd Holdings is currently in contract to buy all three properties from their separate owners. The site has attracted big ambitions before. In 2022, a proposal led by Fifield Properties was put forward for the same location, which makes this the second major attempt to redevelop it. Whether Fifield is still involved, or whether this new effort belongs entirely to a different team, remains unclear. The scale of the proposal is clearest next to what’s already rising. Andare Residences, currently under construction and expected to top out at 542 feet, would be dwarfed by this tower, which would stand more than 100 feet taller. It would also surpass the aforementioned 608-foot proposal at 315 NE 3rd Street, which held the title of tallest proposed building in the city for only a few months before this filing took it. What’s Planned The 696 residences cover the full range of layouts, from studios to three-bedroom units and everything in between. Every home is planned with its own balcony, floor-to-ceiling windows, ceilings over 10 feet high, and a range of other upscale features. The amenities lean heavily on altitude: a rooftop pool on level 56 would offer the highest views of the city anywhere, while a second pool on level 10 anchors the lower portion of the building. Residents would also have access to outdoor bar space, multiple terraces, and thousands of square feet of indoor amenity space. Those interiors haven’t been named or programmed yet, as plans are still preliminary. At ground level, the plans include 7,400 square feet of commercial space alongside the residential lobby. The sidewalks would be widened and lined with greenery, with additional street-level improvements meant to make the pedestrian experience more inviting. To handle demand from both retail visitors and residents, the project includes 696 parking spaces. FSMY’s elevations show a modern tower with variation in color and material. The podium is a mix of faceted concrete, smooth white stucco, geometric glass designs, faux green walls, and spandrel glass on certain sections gives parts of the base an “active-use” look. Above it, the tower is wrapped in geometric, artistic patterns across the facade, finished in white, grey, and brown stucco.
Fouquet’s Hotel and Residences Miami Edges Toward Groundbreaking as Permits and Plans Stack Up
Fouquet’s Hotel and Residences Miami is edging closer to its first shovel in the ground. The development team has filed a string of permits in recent months, setting the stage for demolition and the start of construction within the next few months. The paperwork lands as sales are going well: the project has reportedly pulled in millions in presales, and the developer has just unveiled the first look at its amenity spaces, designed by RDAI, the studio behind Hermès. The site sits at 3995 N Miami Avenue and 39 NE 39th Street, and the team behind it is a crowded one. The project is a joint venture among Constellation Hotels Holding, Raycliff Capital, Miami Design District Associates, and Fort Partners. Miami Design District Associates is itself a partnership of Dacra, L Catterton Real Estate, and Brookfield Properties. The group paid roughly $170 million for the properties in late 2022. The filings cover several fronts. Multiple demolition permits would clear more than a dozen low-rise buildings that currently house leisure, office, and retail uses, among others. Beyond demolition, the developer has also submitted a phased vertical construction permit, a site work permit for foundation prep, and a master construction permit. All three are still waiting on approvals before work can proceed. The permits name Mobius Construction Inc. as general contractor, and they track closely with the UDRB submissions filed earlier this year. Those plans call for 143 units, 85 hotel rooms, and 20 condo-hotel units, plus more than 50,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 178 parking spaces on a basement level for hotel guests and residents. Condo pricing starts at $1.8 million, and the unit mix runs from one to four bedrooms, topped by penthouses. Residents will have plenty to do without leaving the building. RDAI, a Paris-based firm, has led the design for the complex’s amenity spaces, which covers more than 40,000 square feet. Highlights include a rooftop pool with a bar, a rooftop lounge, a spa with a hammam and cold plunge, a Serenity Lounge with a juice bar, an on-demand salon, a fitness center with a private training studio, a golf simulator, an entertaining suite, an executive lounge, and a playroom, with more to come. The project is targeting completion in 2030. Not every approval is in hand yet, but the pace so far, from announcement to presales to permitting, suggests that date is realistic. When it does arrive, Fouquet’s will be the Design District’s first high-rise of this scale, with towers of 12 and 24 floors, rising 185 and 309 feet respectively.
Magic City Innovation District Plans Its Next Act: Two Rental Towers and 553 Units Along NE 60th Street
Magic City Innovation District, the nearly 18-acre mixed-use highrise development planned for Little Haiti, has unveiled its latest addition: two new residential towers. It is the third proposal for the sprawling project in recent years, arriving on the heels of a planned office tower and a residential tower, neither of which has broken ground. The latest plans are headed to Miami’s Urban Development Board for review this week, and if approvals and construction proceed as hoped, the towers would be built in two phases. The towers would sit on a combined 1.8-acre site at 225 NE 60th Street and 275 NE 60th Street, rising 25 and 20 stories, respectively. Both would bring high-end residences and ground-floor retail to the district. Plaza Equity Partners and Bob Zangrillo’s Dragon Global are leading the effort, and they have enlisted Arquitectonica to design the pair. According to the plans recently filed, the towers would hold 553 units between them: 267 in the 25-story building and 286 in the 20-story one. The mix runs from studios to three-bedrooms, with one- and two-bedroom layouts in between. The application states that every unit will be offered as a rental, which means the developers would not have to sit through a lengthy presales and marketing campaign before breaking ground. The developer has yet to name the amenities, but preliminary drawings offer a reasonable sketch of what is coming. They show multiple pools, outdoor terraces, lounge areas and a barbecue space, along with the other standard fare of a luxury rental building. At street level, the towers would share 24,387 square feet of retail, accessible from both NE 6th Street and a new pedestrian corridor called Les Bureaux Promenade. Lined with public art, seating, generous sidewalks and plenty of greenery, the promenade is meant to be the heart of the development, a spine running across the entire district and linking it to towers that have yet to be announced. To meet demand for parking, the towers would share one level of basement parking and a connected podium, delivering 718 spaces spread across multiple levels. Arquitectonica has built the design around sharp, rectangular forms. Interlocking volumes stack and shift across the facade, each traced in white frames that give the buildings a bold, graphic profile. The podium is wrapped in corrugated metal mesh and living green walls, a pairing intended to soften its presence on the street. The towers themselves are clad mainly in stucco, with floor-to-ceiling windows and glass balconies. “The tower’s massing is composed of interlocking rectangular volumes that establish a restrained, abstract composition,” Arquitectonica said. In contrast to the podium’s expressive geometry and material character, the firm said, the tower “emphasizes monumental, minimalist orthogonal lines.” Though nothing has been built, the project has drawn controversy since it was first conceived more than a decade ago, driven largely by fears of gentrification. To address those concerns, the city and the development team agreed years ago to create the Little Haiti Revitalization Trust. Under that agreement, the developers pledged $31 million in cash payments over 30 years to a newly established municipal agency and trust devoted to neighborhood investment, small business funding and affordable housing. With fresh investment and renewed momentum, the project appears to be moving forward, and a groundbreaking could come soon.