South Miami leaders are considering 13th Floor Investments for a $309 million redevelopment project that would transform the city’s municipal complex. The project’s design is by Miami-based Corwil Architects, with Coral Gables-based RJ Heisenbottle Architects serving as the historic preservation consultant. Known as The Link at SoMi, the mixed-use development would include municipal offices, residential apartments, commercial space, a park, and the restoration of a historic building.
The Link at SoMi. Credit: Corwil Architects.
City officials initiated the process by issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) earlier this year, seeking to redevelop the 4.5-acre site at 6130 Sunset Drive through a public-private partnership (P3). The site currently houses City Hall, the Police Department, and a Miami-Dade County Library branch. It is a short distance from the South Miami Metrorail Station and South Miami Hospital.
Five developers were pre-qualified to submit proposals, but only two firms—Miami-based 13th Floor and California-based Sonnenblick Development—submitted bids. Sonnenblick’s proposal was disqualified due to the absence of a required $25,000 cost recovery fee, leaving 13th Floor as the sole qualified bidder. The city’s evaluation panel scored the Link at SoMi proposal 2,308 out of 3,600 points.
The Link at SoMi. Credit: Corwil Architects.
On September 17, the South Miami City Commission is scheduled to vote on whether to select 13th Floor as the top bidder and authorize the city manager to begin negotiations with the developer.
The proposed Link at SoMi project features two 15-story buildings with 670 residential units, 28,000 square feet of retail space, 880 parking spaces, and a five-story, 70,000-square-foot municipal building that would house City Hall, the Police Department, and the library. The project also includes the reconstruction of Jean Willis Park, with the historic Sylvia Martin building, dating back to 1936, as its focal point. Ten percent of the apartments would be designated as workforce housing for residents earning up to 120% of the area median income, with Miami-Dade County’s median household income set at $79,400 by HUD.
While 13th Floor would fund most of the $309 million project, the $30 million cost of the municipal building would require financing from a city bond. The municipal building would be delivered as a shell, with the city responsible for interior furnishings.
The Link at SoMi. Credit: Corwil Architects.
Under the proposal’s financial terms, 13th Floor would provide the city with $4.5 million in upfront rent, an annual base rent of $800,000 ($400,000 per phase), and participation rent equaling 3% of gross revenue over a 99-year period. The developer estimates the city’s total financial benefit from the deal to be $60.5 million.
The project is planned to unfold in two phases. Phase one would be developed on the current site of Jean Willis Park and the Police Department parking lot and would include 335 apartments, 8,195 square feet of retail, a seven-story parking garage, and the new municipal building. Phase two would follow once city staff relocate to the new facilities, enabling redevelopment of the old municipal building site.
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Shows you what Miami, and Florida, think about the importance of government. A minor part of a commercial development.
Here is a chance to do something monumental with an almost blank slateI And look at what the only acceptable applicant has submitted. This is not what great government structures aspire to. I hope they do not pick this design. It’s a hodge podge of suburban buildings totally engulfing the historic structure. Looks like a messy office park, Go back to the drawing board and get new applications.