A developer seeking to build a 180-foot-tall condo tower where the Grove Isle Hotel currently stands has upset neighbors and spurred a City of Miami review.
Miami City Attorney Victoria Mendez said the proposal for the 18-story building on the northern end of the island off Coconut Grove is being looked at by zoning officials, the Miami Herald reported. Grove Isle Associates wants to replace the hotel with the 65-unit tower, which would include a private club, spa and tennis courts. It acquired the property last spring.
A Grove Isle condo association meeting in December sparked anger about the prospect of loud construction and potential loss of Biscayne Bay views if the tower is built. Since then, project opponents have launched the Preserve Grove Isle Committee to fight the proposal. The developer countered with its own website to pitch the benefits of the tower.
The project’s fate could come down to the city’s interpretation of a 1977 zoning agreement that allowed a prior developer to build up to four 18-story towers with a maximum of 575 units. Only three towers were constructed at the time. [Miami Herald] — Eric Kalis