Boom or Bust: Miami

The 549 foot ft. 50 biscayne is located in a very conspicuous spot right on Biscayne blvd. The One Biscayne Tower, once the tallest in Miami, is now going to be overshadowed by this new 54 floor neighbor. The building’s design is a simple rectangle. Jorge Perez hired Sieger-Suarez for the architecture and the Rockwell Group for the interior. It has a unique crown similar to Jade Brickell except involving color instead of steel and a somewhat different shape. La Salle Bank provided the financing. Unit amenities abound. Units come fully furnished.

Pros:

Traffic aside, the building has an incredible location in the heart of the city, is located directly across from a beautiful city park, great bay front shopping, the AA Arena, proposed museums, and South Beach is 10 minutes away. This building is quite tall at 554 feet with 54 floors and is not over saturated with units. The three story lobby will certainly leave a good impression on all those who enter it. 15,000 sq. ft, of retail will help breathe life into the streets below and is a balanced amount for this scale a building. Buying from the Related Group, you know you can expect quality and timeliness. Stunning views for East side residents. It;s hard to put a value on it.

Cons:

Its location right in the heart of the CBD guarantees plenty of traffic below. The building will also house a boutique hotel, which may in the future become somewhat of a nuisance to security and privacy starved residents. The Building makes use of color. I’m not sure if I like the psychedelic color scheme, but I respect the effort to make concrete more pleasant to look at. The ceiling heights could have been 9 feet for the tower residents, instead they are 8’8, which although ample, may indicate cost cutting by the developer.

Overall, 50 Biscayne is an excellent addition to the skyline and a welcome member of the CBD high rise club. 50 Biscayne and Everglades on the Bay are forming something of an urban skyline connection between Parkwest and the CBD. The Empire World Towers, 600 Biscayne and Paramount Park will close the gap. 50 Biscayne’s role is thus vital for the urban landscape. Currently, the CBD holds the urban density crown in Miami. Although Brickell is competing and Uptown has ambitious plans, buildings such as 50 Biscayne help keep the crown in place. In 5 years though, it will be interesting to see where the most density lies.