Big apartment project coming to East Little Havana

A planned mixed-use residential midrise is bringing hundreds of new apartments to East Little Havana and will have a 5,000-square-foot ground floor retail space intended for a neighborhood-serving grocery or pharmacy.

Brookstone 805 Flagler LLC is proposing the project, 805 Flagler, with an eight-story building offering more than 535,000 square feet of floor area, more than 35,000 square feet of amenities, with 500 proposed parking spaces and 26 on-street parking spaces at 805 W Flagler St.

Miami’s Urban Development Review Board recommended approval with these conditions: Separate the top of the two massings to better break apart the long façade fronting Flagler Street; explore using different railing materials for the entire building, but more specifically, units that are on the ground floor both facing the street and the internal courtyard; and provide further detail for landscaping proposed along the stoop and public frontages.

Melissa Tapanes, an attorney representing the developer, said the property includes 14 lots that front Northwest First Street and West Flagler Street. The site is bounded by Northwest Eighth Avenue.

Ms. Tapanes wrote to the city: “The project responds to and addresses critical needs of the area, which includes lack of connectivity and poor streetscapes. The project contributes to the areaʼs pedestrian experience with improved sidewalks, lighting, and landscaping, and beautiful new, urban architecture with frequent fenestration.”

The retail space is at Northwest Eighth Avenue and West Flagler Street.

She said the site is surrounded by a variety of existing uses and vacant lots. A two-story building at the southwest intersection of Northwest First Street and Northwest Eighth Avenue has ground floor retail and apartment units above.

Fronting Northwest Ninth Avenue are multi-family and single-family structures with an automobile repair shop and car wash at Northwest Ninth Avenue and West Flagler Street.

To the west of NW Ninth Avenue is a Salvation Army facility. Ms. Tapanes wrote: “West Flagler Street is the main thoroughfare that connects LoanDepot Park, the river, and downtown. This is an ideal location for infill density, reversing urban sprawl, and neighborhood serving grocer/pharmacy with property access on three frontages.”

The developer is requesting zoning waivers to allow:

■Increased maximum lot size for uses that serve the neighborhood.

■A 10% reduction of required parking.

■A 10% reduction of required side setback above the fifth story.

■Increased spacing of 75 feet between pedestrian entrances.

The site plan was prepared by Corwil Architects. An architectural review from Corwil says the project is designed to support a vibrant mix of residential, commercial, and community-focused uses.

The review reads: “The project embraces the principles of the Miami 21 zoning code, with a design that reinforces the pedestrian scale and promotes a walkable urban environment. The site strategy prioritizes active frontages, visual permeability, and connectivity to surrounding streets, contributing to the long-term revitalization goals for the Flagler corridor.

“At the most prominent intersection, the building anchors the corner with approximately 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, generating street-level activity and enhancing the public realm.

“Pedestrian connectivity is further emphasized through continuous sidewalks, landscaped edges, and publicly accessible open spaces at ground level, including landscaped courtyards that create a soft threshold between private and public zones.”

It adds: “The building’s structured parking podium is thoughtfully designed to integrate seamlessly into the urban fabric. Rather than exposing parking to the street, the podium is fully lined with active residential units along all street-facing elevations. This strategy transforms what is traditionally a service element into a vibrant, livable edge, ensuring consistent pedestrian-level activation throughout the site.”

Addressing the review board, Ms. Tapanes said it’s important to note the developer was scheduled to present the proposal in an earlier meeting, however, that was rescheduled allowing the development team time to redesign the main façade.

An earlier design proposal showed portions of the building with distinctive framing on balconies and other exterior areas.

Alberto Cordoves of Corwil told the board, “This is another great project for the city and the community surrounding it. It was a great opportunity to design (nearly) a full city block.”

The more than 35,000 square feet of amenities are all internal. The project includes two courtyards, and an open pool deck on the eighth floor.

Board member Francisco Perez-Azua said, “Nice improvement. I congratulate you. Thank you for bringing that (earlier) rendering. I want to commend you for going back and really rethinking. The project is significantly more successful now.

“It’s much more elaborate. There’s a lot of things I like … the liner units is something we look forward to see more and more. The garage is placed very centrally. It’s great to see a lot of these amenity spaces and the courtyards.”

He did suggest considering a break in the floating canopies, to help emphasize two different masses.

Mr. Cordoves said that was a great comment and said he will implement that change.

Mr. Perez-Azua also commended the developer for working to minimize the number of curb cuts along the site.

Board member Gia Zapattini said, “Why is it so long? I know that you tried to break it, but when I see the elevation and the massing, to me it still feels really long, and you almost have to find that pocket where you tried to break it.

“Even in the renderings you’re showing us it still feels like a 400-foot-long façade … It’s not very distinctive. I wish there would be a more separated – two buildings. I don’t know if this is something you can do in the canopy at the top?”

She added, “Because the goal is really, for a pedestrian, to not experience almost 400 feet of relentless façade.”

Mr. Cordoves said, “That is essentially what we wanted to do.” He suggested they didn’t have enough time to further break up the massing, but they are considering a break in the top middle of the façade fronting Flagler Street, and additional glazing.

Ms. Zapattini concluded with positive notes, “There’s a lot of successful things. You concealed the parking, you put in a liner, the service entrance is separated. I think all those points are great.”

Board member Manuel S. Gallardo said he liked some things about the proposal but had concerns.

He said, “I like the treatment of the balconies, the shapes … I think the massing is good. I think the canopy on the top is good.”

One concern was the look of planned balcony railings.

Mr. Corodves said there are picket railings.

Mr. Gallardo said, “I think that’s just a mistake. It should be some type of mesh or perforation. This is like the gateway to downtown … I think it should be a little more elegant than the pickets. The pickets kind of remind me of public housing – the old public housing, because the public housing now, it looks like the Hyatt I guess.”

He said he was also concerned about the privacy for the ground-level residents.

Mr. Gallardo questioned the plan for a corner store, at a size of 5,000 square feet, saying, “There’s no way you can put a grocery store there or a pharmacy. I suggest increasing the commercial space, more square footage.”

Ms. Tapanes said, “We are envisioning a boutique mini market. This area of Flagler Street is a food desert, and the goal is that this is something for the residents, as well as a quick commuter taking West Flagler. As for larger-type retail uses, we have those that have come into play (in nearby neighborhoods).”

Board Chair Ligia Ines Labrada said, “This is a huge improvement from the previous one, so congratulations. I’m glad you reconsidered it. I think the project is so much better for it, the way you’ve articulated the balconies. I think you’ve gotten a lot of good feedback today.

“You guys are kind of setting precedent. It’s nice to see that urban pedestrian activity in that area.”