Namdar 101 Proposed, Set to Include 1,344 Units in Two 42-Story Towers in Downtown Miami
Namdar Group is proposing more than 1,000 homes on a single lot in Downtown Miami, a density would stand out even in one of the city’s most heavily built neighborhoods. The project, known as Namdar 101, would bring two 42-story towers to 101 SE 1st Avenue, delivered in two phases to a contemporary design by Behar Font & Partners. If built, it would rank among the densest developments in Miami. It would also be the developer’s fourth project, part of seven high-rises it has planned in Miami. The site is a square lot of roughly 1.3 acres, currently occupied by a one-story mall (known as the Ultramont Mall) with multiple vacant storefronts. Namdar would demolish the entire block. The company does not yet own the property, though a sale is expected to be recorded soon. The unit count is what is most interesting about the project. Namdar is seeking 1,344 homes, made up of 398 studios, 802 one-bedrooms and 144 two-bedrooms. That works out to roughly 1,000 units per acre, the maximum the city allows, and it creates a gap with the existing zoning on the site, since the T6-80-O designation currently set for the site permits only 150 units per acre. The source of the added density is not yet settled. Miami’s planning staff have noted that it likely comes from the Live Local Act, and the gap between the 150 units per acre the site’s zoning allows and the roughly 1,000 per acre Namdar is seeking points the same way. The developer, however, has stated plainly that “the project does not use the Live Local Act.” Until that discrepancy is cleared up, the question stays open, and it has real effects. A project that does rely on the law would have to set aside 40 percent of its units, or 538 homes, as workforce housing priced at 120 percent of Miami-Dade’s area median income. The amenity package is broad. It includes a pickleball court, multiple pools, game rooms, co-working areas, gyms, lounges, a golf room and a movie room, among other spaces, most of them on level 9. At street level, the project adds expanded sidewalks, greenery, open space and 7,832 square feet of retail. Parking is limited. Above the ground floor, the project includes 287 spaces, which exceeds the amount the city requires, since the requirement for this site is zero. The podium also holds 1,347 bicycle spaces. According to the project’s attorney, the numbers is a deliberate choice, with active street frontages and entries facing the public realm making the buildings pedestrian-oriented. The attorney points to the site’s proximity to Metromover service and the bicycle parking as giving residents “practical alternatives to automobile travel.” The northern tower would rise in the first phase and the southern tower in the second. The podium would be wrapped on three sides by residential units, and the towers would feature floor-to-ceiling windows, glass balconies and white stucco, along with other materials common to contemporary Miami towers. The tallest point would reach 436 feet. The approvals path is shorter than the project’s size might suggest. The Urban Development Review Board, which is largely advisory, does not need to sign off, and the plans have been filed for administrative review meaning lengthy public hearings are not required. Namdar Group is known for moving quickly. In Jersey City, the developer has six high-rises either under construction or proposed, with six more already completed, a portfolio that did not exist a decade ago.
Aman Group Unveils ATMA Brand With 1,049-Foot Tower Planned at 1111 Brickell Bay Drive
Aman Group has unveiled ATMA, a new brand focused on wellness and sport, and picked Brickell for its first location. The company announced the brand on Tuesday and describes it as a concept centered on performance and longevity. ATMA Miami is planned for 1111 Brickell Bay Drive, where a 1,049-foot tower would hold a hotel, branded residences and a private members club. According to Aman, ATMA combines wellness programming and sports facilities with nutrition-focused dining, design and events. The name means “the spirit” or “the true self” in Sanskrit, and the company says the brand will eventually include both urban and remote locations. Tennis champion Novak Djokovic is the brand’s global partner, and he will lead the longevity, nutrition, racquet and wellness programming. The tower itself first surfaced last month, when Floridian Development reported an FAA filing for a structure reaching 1,049 feet above mean sea level, or 1,042 feet above ground. That filing also indicated ATMA Miami would be the first of two towers, with a second phase eventually replacing the office building next door at 1001 Brickell Bay Drive. The site connects directly to a five-mile Baywalk and would include its own adjacent marina. OKO Group and Oak Row Equities are developing the project, with completion scheduled for 2031. The partnership closed on a $520 million land purchase at the start of the year, which at the time was the largest land sale ever recorded in Florida. That record held until a few weeks ago, when Ken Griffin completed his $1.1 billion all-cash acquisition of Mana Wynwood. Many specifics remain unannounced, including the number of hotel rooms and residences. What is known is that the branded residences will range from one to five-plus bedrooms, with six-bedroom penthouses at the top of the tower and views running east to west. Owners would have exclusive use of a private pool, a fitness center with yoga and personal training studios, thermal spa facilities, a residents’ lounge, and co-working space, in addition to the hotel’s amenities. They would also receive priority nomination to ATMA Club. The largest single component is a 120,000-square-foot spa and wellness center, which Aman says will be one of the largest of its kind in Miami. Designed with Djokovic, it includes a racquet club with indoor tennis, padel and other courts overlooking Biscayne Bay, along with a fitness center featuring high-intensity group and private training studios, a medical wellness center, and recovery spaces. The program also includes restaurants focused on nutrition, bars with live music, and spaces for performances and events. SHoP Architects is the architect behind the tower, which rises from a podium and features curved balconies and floor-to-ceiling windows. Studio Paolo Ferrari handled the interiors, which the design team says combine natural forms with engineered precession. Aman Group Chairman and CEO Vlad Doronin said ATMA builds on the company’s nearly four-decade history, extending its focus on design, privacy and service into wellness and performance. He described ATMA Miami as the first expression of the brand’s vision, and said the company intends to create “an extraordinary destination that embodies the energy of the city”.