A sweeping development destined to transform about 12 acres in the West Grove is finally moving forward with a city board’s unanimous approval.
Grove Village, a six-block mixed-use residential and commercial project, has been in the works for more than a decade. The original Grove Village Major Use Special Permit (MUSP) was approved by the City of Miami in 2011.
Each block of the development was named after an island in the Bahamas, paying homage to those people who moved from the Bahamas to Coconut Grove and who played an important role in the creation of the city.
In this latest move, the developers are requesting a modification to the Bimini Block segment of Grove Village, at 3520 Grand Ave. They propose a five-story mixed-use structure, home to 176 residential units, 26,182 square feet of commercial space, and parking for up to 348 vehicles.
Listed as the applicants for this new plan are GV Bimini LLC, CG 3574 Grand LLC, Grove Bimini Nassau QOZB LLC, CG 3559 Thomas LLC, and GI 3428 Hibiscus LLC.
The city’s Urban Development Review Board recommended approval with one condition: Incorporate a richer color into the awnings, such as a dark blue. The original overall plan for Grove Village MUSP included about 349 residential units and about 750,924 square feet of commercial and office space.
The roughly six-block site is bordered by Florida Avenue on the north, Margaret Street on the east, Thomas Avenue on the south, and Plaza Street on the west. Grand Avenue runs down the center of these blocks. The Bimini Block is framed by Grand Avenue on the north, Hibiscus Street on the east, Thomas Avenue on the south and Plaza Street on the west.
Brian Dombrowski, an attorney representing the owner-developers, said the Grove Village Project was approved in 2011 by the Miami City Commission as a Major Use Special Permit for six blocks in the Village West Island District and Charles Avenue Neighborhood Conservation District (NCD-2).
In a letter to the city Mr. Dombrowski wrote: “The required parking for the Grove Village Bimini Block Project is located onsite and loading has been internalized as consistent with Miami 21 (zoning code), where the (original) MUSP provided on-street loading maneuverability.”
He said the new site plan modifies the project’s design and enhances its compliance with the NCD-2’s Village Island West and Grand Avenue Architectural and Urban Design Guidelines.
The latest plan for the block has a total floor area of about 330,000 square feet. About 4,000 square feet of amenities are planned for the ground floor and another 1,745 square feet on the second floor including a swimming pool.
Dombrowski wrote: “The proposed design modifications to the Bimini Block project celebrates and highlights the architecture and design that defines the Bahamian and Caribbean history of the Village West.”
Mr. Dombrowski said this request seeks to refine the architectural design of the Grove Village Bimini Block Project in a manner that also enhances and promotes pedestrian activity at the property and surrounding areas.
“Specifically, it modifies the proposed structures by increasing the amount of open space and promoting pedestrian interaction by creating a large pedestrian plaza area fronting Grand Avenue and by orienting additional retail bays onto Grand Avenue, the main pedestrian route and principal frontage,” Dombrowski wrote. “The proposed request maintains the overall height of the proposed building, but reduces the impact of the levels of parking by fully lining the garage with habitable uses. By doing so, it increases the amount of habitable space fronting the streets, activating the pedestrian realm as encouraged by Miami 21.”
“We will show you how it has evolved, to where it was and where it is now,” Dombrowski told the board.
To illustrate the changes, the developer’s team presented the original site plans from 2011 and renderings of the elevations planned alongside the modified site plans and new renderings, presented by Ray Fort of Arquitectonica.
“One major change is that the original MUSP for Bimini Block had three curb cuts off Thomas Avenue. Those have been removed,” said Mr. Fort. “Along the path of the retail uses will be a dedicated and covered pedestrian walkway. The main lobby entrance will be at Hibiscus Street and Thomas Avenue, with a secondary lobby entrance off Plaza Street, with a courtyard fronting Grand Avenue. The structure has design elements based on Village West Caribbean standards. This includes metal arched roofs, siding elements, stone at the building base, and awnings over the retail spaces. It will also have decorative metal railings and balconies.”
“Well done. Nicely presented. I like the before and after. Significant improvement,” Board Acting Chairman Dean Lewis said.
“Are you kidding? Significant? This is night and day from when we originally approved this,” Board member Robert Behar responded. “One, we’re keeping with the same MUSP approved but improving it and bringing it up to Miami 21 standards. I think you’ve done a fantastic job. I’m just curious to see how Ray was able to work on the vernacular architecture … you did a fantastic job. Everything you guys have done here is night and day to what was there before. I commend you for it. And I just hope that after years, finally we could get something built on this site. Congratulations.”
“I really wish we’d see more arcades. I really kind of like arcades, and I don’t see any on Grand Avenue,” newest board member Francisco Perez-Azua said. “I appreciate the plaza. I think it’s great. If it was expanded a little bit more and have a secondary plaza it would have been a little nicer. Other than that, it is a great improvement over the first version. Thank you for bringing the comparison. Overall, a great project.”
“I agree. I think it’s a significant improvement. It’s like night and day. It’s much better,” Board member Gia Zapattini said. “I have some small suggestions. I think the light shutters in the blue and teal and the blue canopy, I would suggest changing them to something maybe a deeper blue so it feels more sophisticated and less beachy. It’s not really a beach. It’s really an urban, semi-urban environment. I think if you tweak the colors, it would feel a little more elevated and elegant. Other than that, I think it’s a beautiful project and I can’t wait to see it built.”
The vote to recommend approval was unanimous.
Source: MiamiToday