Two Roads Plans Redevelopment Of Biscayne 21 Property With Three 649-Foot-Tall Residential Skyscrapers

Two Roads Development (Two Roads), the developer behind a multitude of successful large scale residential projects in South Florida including the 57-story Elysee Miami and the 52-story Biscayne Beach towers, has unveiled several details on their plans to redevelop a massive 149,000-square-foot bay front property in Edgewater. Poised to become their third development in the neighborhood, the firm is undertaking an ambitious effort to erect three mammoth luxury residential skyscrapers at 2121 North Bayshore Drive. The property is currently improved with the aging 11-story Biscayne 21 Condominium, completed in 1964, and is set to be replaced by structures reaching the maximum allowed FAA height of 649-feet.

First reported by The Real Deal, Two Roads is reportedly in contract to complete a bulk purchase of units at Biscayne 21, an ongoing trend amongst developers and condo owners that has significantly accelerated following the collapse of the Champlain Towers South in Surfside, FL last June. Two Roads managing partner Taylor Collins claimed the deal is expected to close within 30 days or so; the price tag for the bulk purchase remains under wraps. No specific unit counts for the new project have been reported as of yet, but we do know that the firm aims to develop as many as 750 residential units, and that they will cater to the high-end luxury market. That’s a significant increase in units compared to the 191 units at Biscayne 21, all thanks to the existing zoning allowances in place combined with the FAA’s height limit. Collins also mentioned they are currently in talks with a brand, signaling this may in fact become a branded development, another trend that’s taken South Florida by storm, i.e., Baccarat Residences, Aston Martin Residences, Bentley Residences, and Cipriani Residences to name a few.

Biscayne 21 at 2121 N. Bayshore Drive. Photo from Google Maps.

Aerial view of Biscayne 21. Photo from Google Earth.

The 3.4-acre lot at 2121 North Bayshore is generally located along the southern portion of Edgewater, fronting Biscayne Bay at the end of Northeast 22nd Street, east of Biscayne Boulevard. The property is surrounded by other residential complexes such as Modera Biscayne Bay to the west, Paramount Bay to the south, as well as 22 Biscayne Bay and New Wave Condominiums across the street to the north. The three planned towers would have a lot of prominence on this site, not only because of their size, but because of the positioning of the property on the waterfront. On the south, the property enjoys over 500-feet of linear water frontage, and an additional 300-feet on the east.

Now let’s talk about the preliminary design in the rendering. We only have one perspective of the project so far, the northwest-facing view hovering over Biscayne Bay, which depicts the southern and eastern frontages of the new buildings. The two rectangular structures on the left side of the rendering appear to be designed in sync with each other, mostly noted by mirrored architectural features. In fact, it’s safe to say these two are essentially twin towers, as there are minimal differences if any at all. The east-facing tower takes a more curved approach. The structure has a very thin profile, almost like a narrow wall of glass, and features sharp curved corners on each end, with a chamfering edge on the north end. The lower portion of the building has a unique architectural feature that just might double as an amenity area with unobstructed bay front views. All three towers are clad in glass and sport striking horizontal lines, which would work in harmony with the design of Two Roads’ Elysee tower nearby. A quick glimpse around the buildings, and you’ll notice there are pedestrians near the waterfront, meaning the bay walk could possibly be extended further south, anchoring in a grand public plaza of some sort. The architect has not been announced.

Conceptual rendering courtesy of Two Roads Development.

With the closing of the bulk condo buyout expected in the coming weeks, it’s safe to assume that we’ll know more details on the branding, programming and firms involved relatively soon.

Subscribe to YIMBY’s daily e-mail

Follow YIMBYgram for real-time photo updates
Like YIMBY on Facebook
Follow YIMBY’s Twitter for the latest in YIMBYnews