Developer Mallory Kauderer - he of the Brickell Flatiron non-park and that weird landswapping scheme with the city of Miami - has a totally new plan for his little triangular wedge of Brickell, and he's not telling anyone much about it. Here's what we do know, thanks to Miami's master of corruption investigation, Al Crespo:
At last week's Planning, Zoning, and Appeals Board meeting, Kauderer's rep said they want to do a smaller, 46 story tower, on the north block, including the Allen Morris Park space, while giving over the south block, site of the abandoned Flatiron Park, to a very grand single story retail structure. Possibly with a 30 foot high ceiling. Yes, Virginia, Flatiron Park could be lost not for a Starchitect designed skyscraper towering to the heavens, but for a fancy Starbucks. No word on the architect yet. It may or may not still be Enrique Norten.
Besides the obvious appeal of dressed-up mass market coffee, and reliable bathrooms, there is a silver lining and two signs of hope. Hey, we're optimists.
The silver lining: The Related Group can rest easy. The views from 1100 Millecento across the street are saved.
First hope: Enough members of the planning board didn't like the landswap idea, that it's been deferred, again! This time until December.
Second hope: Al Crespo, ever the saint of saying it like it is, spoke up at the meeting with an idea. Why not give the city the entire southern portion of the triangle. Give them everything below the metromover, i.e. where that fancy starbucks retail thing would go. Basically, make Flatiron Park a honest-to-goodness permanent park. Now the idea has time to ferment. Will they really miss the rental income from Starbucks all that much?
· Flat Iron Park II [The Crespogram Report]
· Brickell Flatiron coverage [Curbed Miami]
· 1100 Millecento coverage [Curbed Miami]
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