Top 5 Things Developers Overlook When Designing a Mixed-Use Building in Miami by Miami architect

Mixed-use Building by United Architects, Inc.

Developing in the City of Miami is not easy.  I can tell you that as a Miami mixed-use development architect.  The City of Miami Zoning Code is very complicated, and in addition to zoning and the building code, other departments such as Public Works and Miami-Dade Water and Sewer can add a wrench to the process.

Let’s start with the most important issue.

WATER AND SEWER CONNECTIONS

Before you even buy a property, you need to check on the available water and sewer lines.  Most of Miami has city water, but sewers are another thing entirely.  There are a few areas that generally have sewer lines – areas such as Little Havana and some of the major thoroughfares of the City of Miami. There may be more, but it is extremely important that you check on the sewer lines for the area where you are going to buy a property.

Commercial buildings cannot be built on septic tanks, and a sewer line could be very far away.  Trying to connect to a sewer line that is blocks away will likely make your project economically unfeasible, unless it is a very large building.  So, looking at this issue early is of the utmost importance!

PUBLIC WORKS

Even though almost always when a government takes your property or part of your property, the government is compelled to pay you for the property they take, in this case, when you are going to build on your property, this does not happen. 

When you apply for a permit, Public Works can demand that you give them a piece of your site for them to improve their street parking or the actual street(s) next to your property.  This seems patently unfair, but it is the price they demand for giving you a permit.

In one of my projects, the city demanded 7.5’ from the side of the property.

Now, let’s discuss another very important issue – parking.  Parking, with a few exceptions, will normally determine how much you can build on your property.

PARKING

Mixed-use developments usually entail retail on the bottom floor and/or parking.  Somewhere, except in a few circumstances, parking needs to be somewhere on the lot.  And normally, if you want retail on the ground floor, you are going to need to put a parking deck to start on the 2^nd floor.

Unless you are building a small building, maybe a two-story building that does not take the entire ground floor and where you can fit some parking, you will need a multi-deck parking garage. 

A parking garage is not something you can place anywhere.  It takes planning to get it to work and have the right entrances and exits.  Most City of Miami lots are about 50’ wide x 100’ deep.  It will normally take at least 3 lots to have enough areas to build a parking garage.

And depending on the zoning and the adjacent zoning, depending on the required setbacks, even this size lot may not be enough.  Each property will have very specific requirements.

Let me go over some of the issues that need to be studied.  Let’s start with the parking requirements for apartments.  And normally, the amount of parking that is created will determine how much can be built.

Parking Requirements for Apartment Units in T4 Zoning

In T4 zones, we have the following parking requirements for apartment buildings:

• Minimum of 1.5 parking spaces per principal Dwelling Unit.

• Minimum of 1 Bicycle Rack Space for every 20 vehicular spaces required.

• Except for sites within 500 feet of an ungated T3 Transect Zone, the parking ratio may be reduced within a TOD area or within a Transit Corridor area by up to thirty percent (30%) by process of Exception with City Commission approval;** by up to fifty percent (50%) by process of Exception with City Commission approval and payment into a transit enhancement Trust Fund, as established by Chapter 35 of the City Code;** or by one hundred percent (100%) for any Structure with a Floor Area of ten thousand (10,000) square feet or less by process of Exception with City Commission approval.***

  
  

** Properties located within the following areas may utilize the parking reduction provision by process of Waiver:

1.    the Downtown Development Authority (“DDA”) boundary;

2.    the Urban Central Business District boundary;

3.    the OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency(“CRA”) boundary;

4.    the SEOPW Community Redevelopment Agency(“CRA”) boundary; and

5.    the NCD-2 boundary; and

6.    the Opportunity Zones or similar federal programs.

*** Properties located within the following areas may utilize the parking reduction provision by right:

1.    the Downtown Development Authority (“DDA”) boundary;

2.    the Urban Central Business District boundary;

3.    the OMNI Community Redevelopment Agency(“CRA”) boundary;

4.    the SEOPW Community Redevelopment Agency(“CRA”) boundary;

5. the NCD-2 boundary; and 6. the Opportunity Zones or similar federal programs.

Parking Requirements for Apartment Units in T5 Zoning

The requirements for T5 Zones will be similar, except that with the elimination of parking spaces, more bicycle racks will be required.  Also, in T5, parking may be provided offsite within 1000 feet, except when the sending site is within 500 feet of T3. Offsite parking shall not result in a deficiency of parking at the receiving site and shall be subject to a covenant recorded against the sending and receiving site.

In addition, there is a requirement for 1 additional visitor parking space for every 10 Dwelling Units.

In T5, there will also be loading requirements for trucks and delivery vehicles.

Parking Requirements for Apartment Units in T6 zoning

T6 will be very similar to T5.

In T6-60 & T6-80, parking for residential Uses located within 1,000 feet of a Metrorail or Metromover station shall not be required.

Micro Units and Live-work units follow a different standard, which we are not discussing here.

Parking for Ground Floor Retail Spaces in T4, T5, and T6 Zoning

Now, let’s continue this discussion with the parking requirements for the ground floor retail spaces

• Minimum of 3 parking spaces for every 1,000 square feet of commercial use.

• Parking requirement may be reduced according to the Shared parking standard, Article 4, Table 5.

• Minimum of 1 Bicycle Rack Space for every 20 vehicular spaces required.

• In T5 and T6, or within a TOD area, in addition to the above, there is a requirement for one (1) Bicycle Rack Space required per 3,000 sq. ft. of commercial area.

PUBLIC SIDEWALKS

In addition to all the requirements that are in the city zoning code, be aware that they demand that you provide a large swath of land for their sidewalk.  It can encroach into your property.  This could present a problem if you want to put a fence along your property line.

And if your property is on a major thoroughfare owned by the state of Florida, such as Flagler or 8^th Street, you will have to deal with the Department of Transportation when the city requires that you put trees in that sidewalk.  And just like the City of Miami, they have their own demands.

CONTACT INFORMATION

If you are interested in building a new building in the City of Miami, call me, Maria Luisa Castellanos, the principal of United Architects, Inc., at 305-439-7898, to discuss your project.  It is better to get a professional involved at the beginning of the project who can help you with the process and not overlook important issues.