Bazbaz Development Plans 48-Story Apartment Tower in Wynwood under Live Local Act
May 31, 2024
Bazbaz Development aims to construct a 48-story apartment tower in Wynwood, setting a new record as the tallest project proposed for the Miami neighborhood. According to city records, the company applied to a 544-unit project spanning a 1.5-acre site at 2110, 2118, and 2134 North Miami Avenue, as well as 2101, 2129, and 2135 Northwest Miami Court. Bazbaz Development, which operates out of New York and Miami, is led by Sonny Bazbaz.
The proposed development would encompass 755,700 square feet and include 321 on-site parking spaces and eight off-site spaces. The Wynwood Design Review Committee is scheduled to vote on the project during its meeting on Tuesday. It will include considerations for the request to reduce the required parking spaces.
The Live Local Act, a state law enacted last year and amended this year, provides developers with flexibility with zoning regulations if they allocate at least 40 percent of the units to households earning no more than 120 percent of the area median income. This legislation permits developers to build to the highest density and tallest height within a one-mile radius of the development site.
While Bazbaz’s proposal for 48 stories is below the 60 stories permissible under the Live Local Act, it significantly exceeds the 12-story maximum currently allowed in Wynwood, according to the application and Wynwood zoning records.
This new proposal represents a shift from Bazbaz Development’s earlier plan, which included an eight-story and 12-story building totaling 339 apartments, 25,653 square feet of retail space, and a 407-space parking garage. The Miami Urban Development Review Board approved this plan last year.
Bazbaz Development acquired the site in 2022 for $12 million, with the purchasing entity also connected to Isaac, Jacobo, Simon, and John Bazbaz.
Developers throughout South Florida are leveraging the Live Local Act for new projects. In Fort Lauderdale, Moderno Development Group and 75Invest Group proposed the 27-story, 290-unit 500 Art Lofts at 501 Southwest Second Avenue last month. Additionally, in March, entities led by Alberto Fernandez Falcon and Rene Sanchez proposed an 11-story, 112-unit Live Local Act apartment project at the northwest corner of Northwest 27th Avenue and Northwest 46th Street in the Model City neighborhood of unincorporated Miami-Dade County.
In Bal Harbour, Whitman Family Development’s mixed-use Live Local Act project, featuring towers up to 275 feet tall at the Bal Harbour Shops, has sparked significant controversy. In response to the opposition, the village council has voted on ordinances that could prevent the development, prompting Whitman Family Development to file a lawsuit against the village.
