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A new 40-story Class A office building is to rise in Brickell offering exclusive tenant amenities including a private club, meeting facilities and fitness facilities.
Services and Promotions Miami LLC plans to build the office building, Santander Tower, at 1401 Brickell Ave. The building now is the home of Santander Bank.
The tower will have just under 1.5 million square feet of floor area and be home to 612,918 square feet of offices, 107,953 square feet of food and beverage space, a multi-level urban club atop the podium, and 1,496 parking spaces.
Miami’s Urban Development Review Board is recommending approval with one condition: for the developer to revisit the landscaping plan for the plaza and replace palm trees with shade trees.
Handel Architects of New York is the architect.
Ines Marrero-Priegues, an attorney representing the owner-developer, said the new tower has outstanding design and architecture that will transform the skyline of Brickell Avenue as well as the ground level pedestrian experience of that segment of that prestigious boulevard.
She wrote, “The proposed building will rise 40 stories with a signature round tower with exoskeleton structural support construction.”
The property is 2.02 acres and currently holds a 14-story building and a detached six-level garage built in 1973, which will be removed.
It occupies the entire frontage along the east side of Brickell Avenue, between Southeast 14th Terrace and Southeast14th Street.
The site is flanked by the Four Seasons Millenium Tower to the south and the Brickell Arch Office/hotel Tower to the north.
The developer is requesting waivers to the zoning code to allow:
■Non-conforming site conditions to maintain existing curb cuts along Northeast 14th Street.
■An increased driveway on Southeast 14th Street, from 30 feet to 33 feet wide.
■A reduced minimum distance between vehicular entrances.
■A modification of the distance between entrances on the first story.
■Parking within the second layer of the secondary frontage if art, glass, or architectural treatment is provided for that façade.
Ms. Marrero-Priegues said the redevelopment has to respect the established 30-foot setback of this portion of Brickell Avenue, as well as the base flood elevation requirement of 11 feet. She wrote, “The design team for the project collaborated with the city’s Planning and Zoning senior staff to create a streetscape that embraces the importance of the pedestrian realm along Brickell Avenue.
“The project’s design includes civic space plazas, outdoor seating at various levels and enhanced landscaping. It also proposes transitional levels between the street and the ground/first floor,” she wrote.
Ms. Marrero-Priegues told the board, “It’s a fantastic project. I’m very excited about it.”
Gary Handel, founder and managing partner of Handel Architects, offered details of the unique tower that will offer outdoor social and fitness spaces, and have a water feature at the entrance.
The building will be a rounded triangle with an exoskeleton frame, and every floor will be landscaped.
“The goal is to be one of the most sustainable buildings in the world,” he said.
Each floor promotes indoor and outdoor working space, and all have access to terraces.
Board member Agustin Barrera said, “Very elegant building. I think it’s going to do a lot to continue the reshaping of our downtown … It’s becoming a real metropolitan city.
“I like the way you treated the different façades at the ground level, basically responding to what’s happening within the area. I like the exoskeleton … and it has a very pedestrian feel. The project is very well done,” he said.
Board member Dean Lewis said, “Beautiful presentation. Quite an aggressive design approach that is very refreshing. It will be a stunning new addition to Miami, on a world scale level.”
Board member Ligia Ines Labrada said, “I am not a proponent to tear down and start from scratch but this is a very well executed infill project.
“Most successful in treating the streetscape. You’re elevating that plaza and really bringing life to Brickell … the way you integrated your landscaping and your open areas, we’re in a city that thankfully we get to use our indoor and outdoor pretty much all year round. You’ve taken full advantage of that.
“I see this as one of our iconic buildings that’s going to add to our skyline, so thank you,” said Ms. Labrada.
Board member Gia Zapattini said, “I think this is a spectacular project. Congratulations to the team. I think it’s great.”
She did say the lack of shade in the large plaza is a bit concerning, especially with Miami’s weather.
She said, “You only have palms planted, and I think if you switch them to actual trees people will be able to use the plaza. Palms don’t do us any favors; they create no shade.”
Ms. Zapattini called the exoskeleton grid “fabulous.”
She concluded, “This is a very ambitious project that will require a lot of coordination and execution to achieve everything.”
Board member Anthony Tzamtzis called it an amazing presentation.
“It is the type of presentation that sets the profession of architecture a notch higher, much, much higher, and I congratulate you.
“It’s a very well thought out building … an amazing job. I just have admiration and praise for you and the developer,” he said.
“Exceptional job,” said Board Chairman Ignacio Permuy.
“I’d like to commend the entire development team. It’s really refreshing to see when everyone works together, along with the planning department, and we end up with a project like this one,” he said.
The vote to recommend was unanimous.
John Charles Robbins
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