Project 02
MONTEJO COMMERCIAL MIXED-USE BUILDING IN MIAMI
This 2-story building, designed by Miami architects, United Architects, is going to be built on the corner of W. Flagler Street and SW 19th Avenue. Approximately, 9,300 square feet, the building will contain retail on the bottom and professional offices on the second floor.
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The ground floor has 3 individual spaces approximately 900 square feet each with individual unisex toilets and air-conditioning for each space. The downstairs space is flexible and unfinished except for the demising partitions, toilets, and closets for the air-conditioning unit. We prepared the space with an exhaust duct that goes all the way to the roof, in case in the future, a tenant wants to use this space for a restaurant in the future. There is no grease trap, but this could be added for a future restaurant as well.
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The second-floor offices each has its own air-conditioning unit for the space, however, the toilets are grouped at the end of the hall. The public toilets are divided into two spaces, one for women and one for men. The second floor is finished space with lighting installed for each office and the hallway. The offices on the Flagler side of the building have balconies surrounding the spaces. The curved parapet follows the radius setback line. The balcony has horizontal electrostatically painted railings.
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The building site contains 13 parking spaces, including one stall for the handicapped, although a building this size on a major transit corridor is not required to have parking. The parking on the north side of the lot is partially covered. There is a stucco ceiling over this area so as not to see the plumbing pipes or electrical conduits above.
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It will be completely landscaped according to the Miami 21 Zoning Code with street trees, onsite trees, shrubbery, and ground covers.
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The north side, which faces W. Flagler Street, will have an extra wide sidewalk. The retail spaces as well as the 2nd-floor professional offices will have lovely glass and aluminum storefronts with impact-resistant glass. The entire building will have polished concrete flooring.
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GROUND AND SECOND FLOOR PLANS
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United Architects, a firm with offices in Coral Gables, went through the process of design with the client and then submitted the drawings for the Zoning Department review and approval. We made changes to accommodate what the city required. Then, we started with the actual construction documents. We hired and coordinated with the structural, civil, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineers. We discussed our preferences with the client and then together we made a decision on the best systems to use. At the end of the process, the Public Works Department required that we re-build the sidewalk on SW 19th Avenue after forcing the client to dedicate 7.5’ of his lot to the city and making the available space for the sidewalk smaller. One of the streetlights had to be removed because it was in the way of the driveway. Due to this, the electrical engineer had to do a photometric study of that part of SW 19th Avenue so that a new light could be installed which met the new city lighting standards.
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Because Flagler Street is a state road, we had to coordinate the landscape and drainage with the Florida Department of Transportation. The civil engineer coordinated the water and sewer permits while we worked with the new digital filing system (ProjectDox) at the city to get all the plans approved.
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Working with the City of Miami Building Department is very difficult because nobody answers his phone and emails are often responded to slowly. Sometimes they are never answered at all. However, throughout this process, United Architects has persevered and pushed the project along. If it had not been for our proactive process, this building would never get built.
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If you have a two-story or mid-rise building you want to have designed and built, call the principal of the firm, Maria Luisa Castellanos, Architect, at 305-439-7898. Should you want to read more on this topic, read my blog, Want to build on a small lot in the City of Miami? by going here.
I can help with that! If you need to find a lot for the building you are planning, we can help you with that too. You can read about the real estate services she can provide to you here.
THE ARCHITECTURAL PROCESS
