Whale of 39-story Park West residences planned

A prominent development firm is planning one whale of a project for Miami’s Park West neighborhood, with a giant whale sculpture crashing through glass and steel anchoring the new tower.

Owner-developer Property Markets Group (PMG) has proposed a 39-story mixed-use building, West Eleventh Residences, containing 670 residential units, including micro-size units at 38 NW 11th St.

Block 17 Trustee LLC is the applicant for the project, which will include 9,759 square feet of commercial uses, 4,840 square feet of office uses, and a parking podium for 439 vehicles.

The city’s Urban Development Review Board recommended approval with one condition for the developer: Incorporate restaurant/retail uses at the sidewalk level, integrate with flood panels or other flood mitigation measures.

Javier F. Aviñó, an attorney representing the development team, said the property has a lot area of 36,446 square feet (0.837 acres), and two street frontages: Northwest 11th Street to the north and North Miami Avenue to the east.

In a letter to the city Mr. Aviñó wrote: “The immediate surrounding context is characterized primarily by commercial and major entertainment uses.”
Of the 670 residential units there will be 303 micro units, 178 studios, 185 one-bedroom units, and 4 two-bedroom units.

Mr. Aviñó wrote, “On the ground floor, the project will include a food hall and residential lobby, with a mezzanine level above containing office space.
“The third level of the project will feature an outdoor roof terrace and pool deck, as well as resident amenity spaces.

“The remainder of the podium will be comprised of a parking garage with 439 total spaces, which will be fully lined by habitable spaces along Northwest 11th Street,” he wrote.

The developer is requesting waivers to the zoning code to allow:

■Principal frontage setback above eighth story.

■Side and rear setbacks above eighth story.

■A 30% parking reduction for new developments within the Transit Oriented Development area and that are within the Urban Central Business District boundary.

Architectural plans were prepared by Sieger Suarez Architects LLC. Principal Charles M. Sieger explained details of the unique project to the review board, noting this is the third of three towers the company is building in the neighborhood.

“We focused on the street. This corner is very important to us,” he said.

He described the work of an artist being deployed as a major component of the ground floor: the sculpture of a whale crashing through a pool area.
Large murals are also planned for the podium levels, he said.

Board member Robert Behar said, “I see this tower being similar to the two previous that you brought. It’s very consistent. I wish it had a little more articulation but I see the point of keeping consistency in all three projects.

“I like what you’re doing on the pedestrian level, which is something important,” he said.

New board member Francisco Perez-Azua said the other towers seem a lot more slender and elegant than this latest building.
He said, “This tower is much more massive … a very large surface without a lot of breakup.”

An attorney representing the developer said the other towers do not have parking, and this tower is bigger because it has parking for more than 430 vehicles.

Board member Gia Zapattini said, “I think it’s a beautiful project. I love the brutalism, and your selection for artwork for the podium is really sophisticated and it really goes great with the exposed concrete.

“I think the podium is 10 out of 10. The tower, I would say, is the same language. Very brutalist. I don’t love it as much but it goes with the same context.

“I would support this project as is. It’s a great addition and it goes well with the other two that you’re presenting. I can’t wait for you to build it. I think it’s very nice,” she said.

The vote to recommend approval was unanimous.