One Bayfront Plaza

For my first post on this blog, I'd like to bring attention to one of the most important high-rise projects to be conceived in the last ten years in the Greater Miami area. One Bayfront Plaza is planned at 1,049 feet with 70 stories and would be the tallest building in the Americas outside of New York and Chicago. It would also be Miami's first "signature building", or internationally recognized icon. Not only is it a "supertall", or a building over 1,000 feet, but it sits in a dominating position in the skyline. Currently sitting on the site at 100 S. Biscayne Boulevard in downtown Miami is the out-of-date, 18-story Bayfront Plaza, which was built in 1959. Not only is this building an eyesore, but it is the shortest building along Biscayne Boulevard and Brickell Avenue to be visible from Biscayne Bay. The gap left in the center of the skyline by this piece of prime real estate housing such a short building needs to be erased, and replaced with a "signature building", something that One Bayfront Plaza is. The picture posted above the article is of the original design for the building, which would have risen close to 1,200 feet. Because of aviation concerns, in order for the building to get approval from the FAA, developer Tibor Hollo must scale back the tower by removing the spire. The floor count of 70 will not change however.
The building will also help out the surrounding areas by adding retail to the street level and providing a pedestrian-friendly atmosphere. It will consist of two levels of retail closest to ground level, with hotel and office space occupying most of the building. This is an important step in Miami's office boom, as now that the real estate bubble has burst and condos are no longer in as much demand, the only way that Miami is going to continue its urban growth is with the construction of tall office towers in downtown. Back in the 1980s, a major office boom occurred, similar to the one that is just beginning now. Out of that came two of the Central Business District (CBD)'s two most impressive and famous buildings, Bank of America Tower and the Wachovia Financial Center (formerly Southeast Financial Center). Out of the condo boom between 1995 and 2005, only Four Seasons Tower is as impressive in height and design as these two towers. And that residential boom produced a lot more urban density and total number of buildings that the office boom of the '80s. So, with that in mind, just imagine how great the coming office boom could be with the approved 903-foot Brickell Financial Center, Brickell CitiCenter, and the One Bayfront Plaza discussed above. Brickell Financial Center is most important because it will be located at the epicenter of the city, on Biscayne Boulevard near Flagler Street, and immediately adjacent to a public transit station, the existing Wachovia Financial Center, Bayfront Park, and the emerging retail district. With all of the new residents that are going to be moving into downtown's condos in the next few years, they will need a place to work, so office buildings are needed.
Brickell Financial Center has gained approval recently from the Miami city commission but will need approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to be built. With a new ordinance being introduced to allow taller buildings in this area, and the fact that the developer is working closely with the approval board to ensure that it meets all of the necessary standards, at this point there is a very good chance for approval. Developer Tibor Hollo traditionally only does one project at a time, however, so we'll have to wait for him to complete his twin 55-story Villa Magna towers in Brickell before One Bayfront Plaza gets underway. That will probably occur around the year 2011. Before that happens, Bayfront Plaza must be imploded, the tower must gain FAA approval, engineering work must be done, and the interior planning must be finalized.

Below is a photo shopped image of what Miami will look like in 5-10 years when all of the buildings that are currently under construction are completed and when projects like this (realistic proposals) are also completed.

Photo courtesy of VisionMIA at Skyscrapercity.com