Melody Tower Set for Construction in Downtown Miami's Arts & Entertainment District

Melo Group's new 497-unit luxury rental tower has won the City of Miami's approval and is set to bring new life to an emerging neighborhood. End Quote

Miami, FL (1888PressRelease) May 21, 2014 - Breathing new life into an area of Downtown Miami that is residentially underserved, Miami-based real estate developer Melo Group has announced plans to build Melody, a 36-story, luxury mixed-use residential tower at 245 NE 14 Street in Miami's Arts & Entertainment District. Melody will replace a vacant lot now operating as a parking lot and will rise adjacent to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.

Melody stands to be a game changer for the area, which is currently deprived of luxury residential units for those working in the performing center, Brickell Avenue and downtown Miami.

"With the Arts & Entertainment District building momentum as a world-class cultural epicenter in the Southeast, one thing is still lacking-a luxury residential community that serves young professionals who work in the area," said Carlos Melo, a principal with the Melo Group. "At Melody, professionals seeking an urban lifestyle will enjoy a family-friendly atmosphere in a walkable neighborhood that will attract much-needed restaurants and retail to the district."

Melody will be one of the first luxury rental buildings to be built in the greater downtown Miami in decades. High-end rentals are a rare commodity in Miami's urban core, which is experiencing a wave of development of new luxurious condominiums, often unaffordable to professionals wanting to live close to their jobs in the Brickell area and downtown Miami, two of South Florida's largest employment hubs.

Although sophisticated developers like Genting and Espacio USA have discussed plans for building new residential towers in Downtown Miami's Arts & Entertainment District, Melo Group will be the first developer to build a privately-funded project in the long-time neglected area surrounding the eight-year-old arts center in decades. Now in the permitting stages, Melody will deliver 497 luxury apartments along with 8,500 square feet of ground floor restaurant and retail space. Construction is planned to begin in June 2014 and be completed in May 2015.

Melody's restaurants will help urbanize the neighborhood and cater to theater-goers, who now need to get in their car and drive to a restaurant after a show. The restaurants will offer outdoor seating in a plaza that will anchor the development at the corner of 14th Street and Second Avenue to help promote walkability.

The Melo Group last week submitted a redesigned tower with an asymmetrical façade. The parking garage, for the most part, now hides behind the building. Up to the eighth floor, both sides of the tower were designed with the illusion of movement and lush landscaping to create a sculpture-like façade.

Downtown Miami's Arts & Entertainment District is home to the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts-the largest performing arts center in Florida and one of the largest in the United States-the new art and science museums, the Perez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) and the Patricia & Phillip Frost Museum of Science, at Museum Park, the AmericanAirlines Arena, the MDC Museum of Art & Design at the Freedom Tower, the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO), and the Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, among many other venues. Margaret Pace Park and Sea Isle Marine & Yachting Center also call the district home, and the Miami Children's Museum and Parrot Jungle are just a short distance away.

"Melo Group has built a reputation for entering emerging areas with luxury multifamily projects that help spark neighborhood revitalization, most recently Edgewater," says Melo. "We see tremendous potential in the Arts & Entertainment District and believe our rental community-including prime restaurant space-will fill the demand among professionals who have a taste for world-class cultural events. Melody adds a missing dimension in this emerging district."

Melody is within walking distance to many of Miami's major employment centers, including Miami-Dade County's Government Center, the Main Public Library, the Metrorail Station and a host of other city, county and federal government offices. Also, a variety of efficient and cost-effective transportation options are within close proximity to the building, including the Miami Trolley, Metromover and Metrorail, which provides access throughout Miami-Dade with frequent direct service to and from Miami International Airport. Melody is just one block from the Metromover.

Luxury finishes and amenities include granite countertops, laminated wood floors, porcelain tile, and full-size washers and dryers in all units. Large balconies open up to sweeping views of Biscayne Bay. Building features include a fully-equipped fitness center, sauna, ample covered garage parking, and a residents social room. The project will offer one-, two-, and three-bedroom units.

###

space

Other Related Press Releases