Miami Beach Board Critical of Michael Stern’s Tower Proposal

Michael Stern’s JDS Development Group and Gianluca Vacchi’s GV Development Group are heading to the Miami Beach City Commission next month with an unfavorable recommendation from the city’s planning board for their proposed tower.

The developers are proposing a luxury condo project on the bay at 1250 West Avenue that would require legislative changes to the city’s future land use map to create an overlay district. That would give the developers bonuses in floor area ratio and height. The proposed project would call for a taller and slimmer tower than what’s allowed as of right.

Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design designed plans for the project, a 32-story, 100-unit condo tower with 9,500 square feet of commercial space. The latest version calls for a 330-foot building, compared to the 150-foot building allowed as of right.

On Tuesday, the Miami Beach Planning Board voted four-to-three to send the proposed amendment and development regulations to the city commission with an unfavorable recommendation. The commission would have to approve the applications on first and second reading, with a public outreach meeting scheduled in between, before an approval is final.

The development site is currently home to the 15-story Bay Garden Manor condo building, which was built in 1964 on a 1.9-acre lot. Stern has secured a buy-in from nearly all of the unit owners, a source previously told The Real Deal.

The developers are seeking a floor area ratio, or overall project size, of 5.75. City staff is recommending no more than 4.75. The developers’ bid for 5.75 FAR marks a reduction from the 7.75 FAR initially proposed last year.

Board members called the proposal “out of scale” with the neighborhood.

Part of the proposal includes a public benefits package to the city, attorney Michael Larkin said. That includes Stern’s offer to acquire the Bikini Hostel property across the street at 1247 West Avenue and redevelop the site into a park for the city. The Bikini Hostel, owned by Philip and Michael Muskat, has been housing former Camillus House residents after the city of Miami, in a controversial move, relocated them to Miami Beach in November. Some Miami Beach commissioners have been trying to shut the property down in response.

Stern said via text that the developers “look forward to continuing to work with elected officials and community stakeholders” as they move forward in the process.

Stern is familiar with in the neighborhood.

Next door to the development site, JDS and its partners completed the Jean Nouvel-designed Monad Terrace at 1300 Monad Terrace in 2020. The 13-story, 59-unit luxury condo project was also designed by Karp’s firm. JDS spent more than $50 million assembling that site, which covers the block between West Avenue and the bay.