Related Group Files Plans For Redesigned One Island Park By Arquitectonica On Miami Beach's Terminal Island

Related Group has filed redesigned plans to build One Island Park, a proposed Class A office complex on Terminal Island in Miami Beach. The proposal will be reviewing by Miami Beach’s Design Review Board in early February. One Island Park will feature 123,087 square feet of Class A office space spread over two five-story buildings designed by Arquitectonica. The project will also feature a 120-seat restaurant and 283 parking spaces. The development will preserve the existing superyacht marina with 7 existing boat slips.

In 2017 Related Group sought a zoning change in an effort to develop a project with 90 condominiums on the site. Related Group first acquired the 3.71 acre site, located at 120 MacArthur Causeway, in 2013 for $9.94 million.

Meridiam Becomes Lead Investment Partner in Miami Beach Monorail Consortium’s Beach Corridor Plan

The Miami Beach Monorail Consortium has announced that the global infrastructure investment firm Meridiam has become the lead investment partner for the Consortium’s proposed mass transit monorail that would connect Downtown Miami and Miami Beach. The company, which has over $8 billion in assets under management across the globe, previously took over and completed the Port of Miami Tunnel project. The tunnel’s infrastructure required a workforce of 7,000 people, 83% of which came from the local community.

Over the past 30 years, studies have shown that the Interstate 395/MacArthur Causeway Beach Corridor is in need of a robust mass-transit solution that can benefit both visitors and regular commuters. The Miami Beach Monorail Consortium hopes to fulfill this public transit need for commuters and visitors alike with the County’s Strategic Miami Area Rapid Transit (SMART) Beach Corridor plan. The Corridor, which runs from the Design District and Downtown Miami to the Miami Beach Convention Center area, has been identified as one of the six SMART Plan Corridors by Miami-Dade County’s Transportation Planning Organization (TPO), which are priority areas that need public mass transit. 

The Consortium presents the monorail as an innovative and modern model that will enhance Miami-Dade County’s standing as a smart city and alleviate traffic congestion on the MacArthur Causeway. The monorail is expected to create more efficient methods of transportation for Miami residents, while also generating thousands of jobs for its construction.

A Parsons study commissioned by Miami-Dade County estimates ridership for the monorail at more than 9,000 passengers per day and suggested elevated rubber tire technology as the best option to use for the Beach Corridor plan. These findings were later approved by Miami-Dade County’s TPO in December 2019.

“We are excited with the possibility of delivering another cutting-edge infrastructure project in Miami that will serve the community for decades to come,” said Jamie Rubin, CEO of Meridiam Infrastructure North America Corp. Meridiam is a founding member of the United Nations Sustainable Development Investment Partnership. “We have submitted a proposal that we hope meets all Miami-Dade County’s requirements to bring a much-needed public transit solution that will connect two of Miami’s most important hubs for residents, tourists and businesses. After the Port of Miami, it will be another sustainable and impactful infrastructure for Miami, dedicated to improving the quality of people’s lives”

“The success of the Port of Miami Tunnel would not have been possible without a strong partnership with hundreds of Miami companies with local knowledge,” said Christopher Hodgkins, Chief Executive Officer for Port of Miami Tunnel. “Meridiam can now utilize the expertise gained through the Tunnel project to once again hire local workers and companies who will help deliver the monorail safely and efficiently.” 

Meridiam joins existing Consortium partners Genting and Aqualand Development, which submitted an unsolicited proposal in 2019 that became the source for a public Request for Proposals (RFP) that is currently being conducted by the County. The Consortium has submitted a proposal with further details on its approach in response to that RFP.

By Isabella Zimmermann

Judge Rules Florida Department of Transportation Can Proceed With "The Fountain" Signature Bridge

A judge has ruled to allow the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to proceed with the winning design for Downtown Miami's proposed $802 million Signature Bridge. The winning design is known as "The Fountain" designed by Archer Western and The de Moya Group. In an April hearing, the State of Florida Division of Administration Hearing ruled in favor of FDOT after bridge advocate and former Miami City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff filed a lawsuit alleging that FDOT violated their 2013 settlement agreement via their handling of bids to design and build the bridge by manipulating scoring to allow the Archer Western and The de Moya Group's proposal to win. Another design by contractors Fluor, Astaldi and MCM, which finished in second, was allegedly the favorite design by community representatives. The court ruled that Fluor-Astaldi-MCM failed to prove that "The Fountain" was chosen due to corruption. The legal action delayed the groundbreaking which was supposed to commence in 2017 and be completed in 2022. The Signature Bridge is expected to cost $802 million with $626 million in funds provided via the State of Florida including state motor fuels tax, vehicle license fee, and documentary stamp collections; and $186 million being funded via MDX toll revenue bond proceeds.