Little Havana mixed-use project has ‘a little art deco feel’

A developer is proposing a new mixed-use residential project for Little Havana, offering ground floor retail and a parking garage with dedicated electric vehicle charging outlets.

WR Flagler LLC plans the project, 2157 Flagler Residences, for property on West Flagler Street and Northwest 22nd Avenue.

The eight-story building will have 197 residential units, more than 4,500 square feet of amenities including a swimming pool, a ground floor courtyard and parking for about 315 vehicles.

The city’s Urban Development Review Board unanimously recommended approval with three conditions:

■Request City of Miami approval to relocate the legally nonconforming driveway on West Flagler Street as far east as possible.

■Provide a dedicated service corridor from the loading area to the retail area.

■Break up the architectural massing on the West Flagler Street elevation, highlighting the pedestrian entrance.

The property consists of seven platted lots in the Evanston Heights plat. The lot assemblage abuts a 16-foot-wide alley adjacent to the north side of the property.

The plan calls for apartments ranging from 524 to 1,056 square feet, 4,525 square feet of seventh-floor indoor offerings, and 14,412 square feet of retail-commercial uses.

Attorney Alessandria San Roman, representing the developer, wrote to the city: “The development will bring much needed housing to this area at a location with access to public transit and within walking distance of Miami Senior High School and Citrus Grove K-8.

“The developer respects that the commercial nature of Flagler Street is an important characteristic of the area. This feature is maintained in redeveloping this neighborhood. Adding multifamily residential units to this area will bring in residents to support the new and existing neighborhood retail businesses,” she wrote.

The developer is requesting an exception to Miami 21 to permit a lot area of 57,333 square feet (1.33 acres), where a maximum lot area of 40,000 square feet is permitted under the code for any property with a zoning classification of T6.

The developer is also requesting waivers to Miami 21 that would allow:

■A 10% reduction of the off-street residential parking requirements, 10% reduction of residential guest parking requirements, and a 10% reduction of commercial parking requirements.

■Maintaining one of the existing curb cuts and width of driveways along West Flagler Street.

Ms. San Roman wrote: “The project proposes critically needed residential uses that will serve and support the needs of the immediate neighborhood, including its civic and institutional facilities.”

She said a design consideration was the placement of the garage in the rear of the building within the first, seventh, and eighth floors bordered by the residential portion of the building to its north, west, and south face.

She wrote: “This allows the garage to avoid being seen from Northwest 22nd Avenue and West Flagler Street and provides for a more aesthetically pleasing project for the surrounding community as the main focal point is the residential and commercial/retail components.”

Corwil Architects designed the project. President Alberto Cordoves told the review board it is a truly unique opportunity to design this project for a very beautiful open intersection that today has a fragmented pedestrian realm.

As for the architectural scheme employed, “we wanted to bring a little art deco feel to it,” with a nice striking corner, he said.

Board member Ligia Ines Labrada said, “I think the parti you picked for this site is fantastic. I like the vertical elements, and you’ve broken up the corner and given it this kind of wrap around eyebrow.

“You’ve expressed where the main entrance is, which is always one of my pet peeves – you’re driving around and it’s unclear where the main entrance is. So, I think the circulation works. Great project,” she said.

Board member Gia Zapattini said, “It’s a beautiful project. I really like how you were able to break the façade and to bring down the scale for the pedestrian level by adding that band.

“And I think it still reads like one building. Even though you broke it down, it’s one cohesive building.

Ms. Zapattini suggested more than two elevators and to consider ways to make the main entrance more prominent.

“I also like that you brought natural light to the corridor, and the parti, I think it’s great. Putting the courtyard and the garage away from the busy street I think is a great idea.

Board member Agustin Barrera said, “I’m very familiar with this neighborhood. And it’s long in the waiting, the development of that area.

“The parti is very well developed. It brings down the scale of the building. It brings it down to a pedestrian level. You clearly know how to get in the building where your main entrance is, the way it addresses the street,” he said.

Board member Robert Behar called it a good project but cited two issues.

The length of the building, at 313 feet, is long and needs more prominent breaks in the façade, he said.

“At the end of the day, it’s an eight-story building, 313 feet … I think it needs some relief,” Mr. Behar said.

He also pushed to relocate the legally nonconforming driveway on West Flagler.

“I have trouble with you keeping that drive on Flagler, when it becomes a nice pedestrian area with the new retail components … other than that, it’s going to be a great asset to the area,” he said.

Board member Francisco Perez-Azua said, “The design is very nice. You’ve addressed the corner, very elegant. It should be a great addition to the neighborhood.”

He said his main concern has to do with retail space number one, which has no service entrance and opens onto the courtyard. He suggested it not be open to the courtyard and that a dedicated service access be made to it.

“The courtyard is for residents of the building,” said Mr. Perez-Azua.

Board Chairman Ignacio Permuy said, “I think you’ve done an exceptional job with this program. I think it’s a very good fit for the area and it’s going to be a very positive immediate impact.

“You dealt with the pedestrian experience,” he said. “The corner is well defined and the building is very well articulated.”