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Center Grove Tower Can Go Higher Due to Transit Access, City Says


THE WELL Coconut Grove, a luxury residential tower, can exceed by three stories the zoning code’s five-story limit because of new rules allowing higher building densities where building occupants are more likely to favor public transportation.

Before applying for a density bonus due to its location a mile from the Coconut Grove Metrorail station, developers were pitching a five-story apartment building on the site, to be called Residences in the Grove. (Courtesy Terra Group).
Demotion of the former Marriott Residence Inn at the intersection of Tigertail Avenue and Mary Street began last month. (David Villano for the Spotlight)

6 Comments

  1. This is the end of Coconut Grove’s unique identity. Everything is as close to Metrorail as Tigertail and Mary.
    ZONING for livability is dead.

  2. As a civic activist since 1980 I can assure everyone that this is a classic example of how Miami has government of developers, for developers, by developers.

    Are we really supposed to believe that the residents of this luxury building are going to walk from there to the Metrorail station and back in Miami’s heat and rain instead of using a car? That they can afford to buy or rent in a luxury building but they can’t afford a car?

    The City of Miami is a whore for developers.

    Elvis Cruz, Morningside

    • As evidenced by the last 3 luxury buildings in Center Grove, as far as I can see, they will not be walking and riding the train. There will be a garage full of cars and a gridlocked Tigertail Ave. It’s only a matter of time before this can no longer be considered a “walkable” neighborhood.

    • CHRISTOPHER LUNDING

      It seems to me that there is something questionable going on here.
      The amendment to Miami 21 zoning that appears relevant is City Ordinance # 14211, allegedly adopted on September 28, 2023 when Sabina Covo was our D2 Commissioner. The relevant section of that Ordinance allows up-zoning to 8 stories for sites within the T5 Transact Zone (which I believe this site is) if the site is “within a TOD [Transit Oriented Development Area] not abutting a T3 Transect Zone.” Only a small part, the extreme southeast corner, of this site is within the TOD. See the relevant map here: https://datahub-miamigis.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/0d25c6650abb48b49665492b2717577f_0/explore?location=25.732015%2C-80.237657%2C17.00
      So, how did the City Zoning Department approve an 8 story height for this entire site as legal, if it did? The failure of relevant City officials to respond to the Spotlight’s questions here is quite telling — and shocking.
      For some idea of the amount of money involved, this site was acquired in March of 2021 for $21.7 million, and IIRC construction costs have been estimated at an additional $63 million+-, for a total of $84.7 million or so. But this has been reported to be a $650 million project (presumably based on expected sales), which if correct would yield an eye-watering profit.
      If these numbers are even close to being correct, I fully comprehend why Terra and its allies are pushing this. But why is the City just rolling over?

  3. There is a meeting today at City Hall! Jan. 14. At noon!

  4. Looking at the Transit Oriented Development (TOD) overlay map, Terra’s Tigertail project does not fall within the TOD boundaries.
    https://datahub-miamigis.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/0d25c6650abb48b49665492b2717577f_0/explore?location=25.732015%2C-80.237657%2C17.00

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