Four Towers Planned On Watson Island

Developers are now planning a total of four towers on Watson Island, according to the Herald.

The development proposals are contingent on two separate items to be voted on by City of Miami voters in a referendum, scheduled for tomorrow.

On the north side of the island, two residential towers are planned to rise 40 stories each, by developers Terra and ESJ Capital Partners. There would be between 500 and 600 residential units between the two.

In addition to compensating the city for the land, the developers would build a public park.

On the south side, BH3 and Merrimac Ventures want to build two towers, rising approximately 30 and 40 stories each.

The taller tower would have 105 condos and 150 hotel rooms, while the shorter would be a lifestyle hotel with over around 350 rooms. Residences would be priced above $1m.

There would also be retail, restaurants, and offices on the south side.

Permitting for the BH3 and Merrimac project would begin in 2025, with groundbreaking in 2026.

 

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Anonymous
16 days ago

Love this!! I voted yes. Can’t wait to see Watson Island turned into something great that we can all use!

Anonymous
16 days ago

I agree. I can’t wait to use some of the million dollar condos

Anon
16 days ago

Not sure if you are aware but a 13 acre public park is the main part of the proposal – the towers are just replacing a parking garage.

s.k
16 days ago

VOTED YES! I just hope it’s a real park and not a typical Miami park which is just a big esplanade of grass and no trees.

Anonymous
12 days ago

Nobody gives a crap about a park you can’t even walk to get to – this won’t serve any of us

Cover the podiums
15 days ago

We need workforce housing, not another billionaire bunker!

Anon
15 days ago

You’re not gonna get it on Watson Island.

Anonymous
12 days ago

This is going to be Rosevelt island let’s be real, all people who can’t afford to live in Miami or Miami Beach

Anonymous
12 days ago

Why not just turn the entire island into a park? This was stupid. Where is all the traffic going to go now?

Fetisha
16 days ago

The skyline will be beautiful … and by the time these buildings are completed, if built , the view of the pond where the ships turn around will be spectacular !

Cover the podiums
16 days ago

How much were you paid to post this? Literally nobody wants this. Over 75% of the island owned by the city will given to the developers to continue the ultra luxury condo construction frenzy going on in Miami. The rich getting richer while pricing out the locals.

Lee Atwater
15 days ago

Cover the podiums has posted some doozies, but this is incredibly wrong. Apart from that first question, every fact stated is false.
1. “Literally” no developer creates a plan, creates renderings, creates studies, creates due diligence packages, creates operating agreements, creates websites, creates voter sentiment studies, etc. etc. unless they want this. Literally.

2. The City of Miami owns the Watson Island land (86 acres), but Merrimac/BH3 has a leasehold interest on 10.8 acres for 75 years. They pay rent, the City did not give them anything.
Further, the Parrot Jungle theme park entities paid $60m for a leasehold interest for 18 acres for the next 37 years. Again, NO ONE gave them anything, ESJ pays money the City of Miami.
Merrimac/BH3 will improve Watson Islands’ bay walk and access and taxpayers will not pay a penny for those improvements. It’s the opposite.

3. Knowing that the Developers are locals, how can you have it both ways? Having looked at the proposals, it is obvious that most of the architects, construction workers, real estate attorney’s etc. are all local.
The modification of the 37 year lease sounds great to me. I’m a local. I’m not priced out. I won’t live there, but it is a great product for my fellow man, and a great project for the community.

When unproductive real estate is developed into productive real estate, the entire community benefits by way of an increased property tax base. Great for schools, great for roads, great for the community.

A YES vote brings in revenue for the City and a very nice park for free.
A NO vote keeps a 37 year ground lease for a failing Parrot Jungle.

Ask any NO voter if they have a plan. You will likley get…..”turn the world into a park” type of answer. Sorry, you have to evict the tenant, Parrot Jungle, first.
Vote NO then hire some lawyers to start the eviction process….then what?

Anonymous
12 days ago

Why not just terminate the lease? Was selling it the only way to get out?

Anon
15 days ago

Just because you sat in a classroom in Miami eating paste as a kid does not give you a birthright to live here. You live where you can afford, not where you were born.

Anon
16 days ago

That island needs to remain public. We don’t need more piggy banks in the sky for the rich on public land

Vote no
16 days ago

Vote no! this development is only good for the millionaires and billionaires, and have zero positive impact on the average hard working resident of Miami

Lee Atwater
15 days ago

Incorrect. The proposal has a postive impact on the average hard working residents of Miami
AND
the above average hard working residents of Miami.

Come pinga
15 days ago

Nice try, but the only people that will benefit from this would the foreign investors that will live in the units for one month out of the year

Lee Atwater
15 days ago

Think about this…..
That “Foreign Investor” who you imagine only lives in the unit for one out of twelve months, will be paying about $20,000 per year in Property Taxes.

In your imagination, they will live for 8.3% of the year, but pay for 100% of the property taxes.
Their children will not be going to Miami Dade Public Schools, but they will pay about $8,000 per year, EVERY YEAR, to the MDPS System that “Average Miami residents” rely upon.

Given only these facts, it should be clear that Real Estate development does not benefit only Foreign Investors, even in the most absurd assumptions.

Anon
15 days ago

Wrong, and not even a nice try for ya. These investor units generate loads of property tax money that go to pay for thinks like schools, fire, police, even the free beer can short bus you love so much. You think the County can pay for all this largesse with just tax taxes on homesteaded SOH-capped condos in Hialeah?

MIA
15 days ago

very odd that people who were born here and have seen the horrible changes that people “VOTE” YES for are failures….. AKA past issue with Parrot Jungle Jungle Island failure

transplant
16 days ago

VOTE NO. Make the government turn that entire space into a public park. At the cost of giving away 75% of the land, we do not need the developers $1M to build the park. Build it ourselves. Tons of property tax revenue flowing with all the new construction.

YES!
16 days ago

VOTE YES for a World Class Public Park!

MIA
15 days ago

Hardly

Anon
16 days ago

These accounts are lying – the only land that is being taken for the towers is currently a parking garage. “75%” of the land isn’t going to the towers – 0% is.

Anonymous
16 days ago

These accounts are lying ? I think they are exaggerating.watson island is big and these towers will only occupy a very small part of the island.I think the city will build a park if the project is rejected but it will probably be a crappy park.

MIA
15 days ago

and, just who?, is going to visit this park? people will have to drive… then park… or they will simply continue east to the biggest park AKA Miami Beach…. this will never be a Destination Park

Anonymous
12 days ago

It should be a cross over exchange for ferry services and affordable housing or that homeless shelter they tried to out on key biscayne, at least this is safer for them

Lee Atwater
16 days ago

Maybe they are just unaware or uninformed.

NO land is being “taken”. An unsolicited offer to buy property and cancel the Theme Park Lease (existing) has been made. The offer is above market rate for that land.

If the voters vote NO…..congratulations geniuses….you now have a lease on a Parrot Jungle Theme park for very long time.

Jordan
16 days ago

Vote YES.
The “Government” has been in charge of that land for well over 50 years.
It should be obvious that they do not know how to do anything productive.

Has you “Government” even bothered to show you a Rendering of what your Government is going to do for you? (That was for you Shawn)

anon
16 days ago

While I get the sentiment, let’s be real… we vote no the city is going to do NOTHING to develop this land and make it into anything better, and developers won’t foot the bill unless they have an incentive to. We need to not delude ourselves

Anonymous
16 days ago

O.K. CAVER. If we had that kind of money already, where are the Metrorail expansions?

transplant
15 days ago

After further thought and review, I will be voting YES here. Thanks all for the responses which spurred a reanalysis of my position.

MIA
15 days ago

Please remember why you are here…. because of less taxes and a better state than NY and CA NJ et al Please do not bring your politics to Florida

Anonymous
15 days ago

This isn’t a partisan issue, but if it was, conservatives are generally more in favor of “yes” on this. Hope that helps.

Anonymous
16 days ago

I am pro development but voted NO due to the fact that they are removing the bidding process. If we are going to sell the land to developers i rather they pay top dollar for it.

Lee Atwater
15 days ago

This wasn’t done in secret or overnight.
The proposal to pay $110 Million for the land and to renegotiate the lease is top dollar.

If it weren’t a fair price, you can be assured that Jorge Perez would have made some noise, and/or another offer would have been presented.

This development group is very well qualified, the offer price is more than market, and including the park is a great sweetener for the community.

Anonymous
15 days ago

100% agree with you. Miami is selling short

Nope
16 days ago

VOTE NO

Genus Podium
16 days ago

Voted Yes. Terra will have this island developed in no time with a beautiful park. The city hasnt done anything with the land in decades anyways so why not give it the private sector.

Anonymous
15 days ago

Agree, but they need to go through the bidding process. Cant just give it away to the first person that makes an offer. Have Terra and Related fight for it and sell for 250m instead of 150m.

MIA
15 days ago

Yes, agreed.
Not sure why Terra (Miami) and Related (NYC… related MIA is a sub form of Related NYC) should dictate our city without some other creative teams (hopefully from Europe).

Anonymous
15 days ago

Related Miami is the related group and is independent of related New York which is the related companies

YES!
16 days ago

VOTE YES!

Don’t listen to these paid Nimbys. This island is literally nothing but PARKING LOTS and a touristy attraction – lets turn it into a beautiful public park for all of Miami to enjoy!

Native
5 days ago

No not true, only tourists or the tower residents will go. It will be a matter of time before they will charge for entrance and then get tired of all those unwanted people.

Anonymous
16 days ago

The view of the Miami skyline from the upper floors these towers will be spectacular.

Cover the Podiums
16 days ago

yeah for the top 0.001%

Anon
16 days ago

There will also be incredible views from the new public park

Jordan
16 days ago

If you are born and raised in Miami, FL USA, you are already in the top 0.001% of all the people born on this earth.

What’s the point?

MIA
15 days ago

Sorry but if you are on this blog site then you are NOT a part of the 1% who are ABOVE IT

you’re delulu
15 days ago

Yes we are.

Henry Christophe.
15 days ago

Yes for the one that can afford it ,meaning 1% of the Miami population.

Danny
16 days ago

The entirety of Watson Island was supposed to be public when it was handed over to the City of Miami.

Anon
16 days ago

It’s easier understood as “west” and “east” halves. The Merrimac project is on the west side, the Terra project is on the East side.

GUCCI LOUIS FENDI PAPI
16 days ago

So I can’t take my out of town tinder dates to joia beach anymore?

Simone Anderson
16 days ago

Vote NO! All the new development is only for the millionaires and billionaires and not for us. More importantly, they are destroying the last piece of nature and wildlife we have close to the beach. A colony of 100 cats (spayed, neutered, vaccinated and registered/photographed), racoons, opossums and birds live there. None of them will survive the mega construction. It’s incredibly sad. And all that because all it matters in Miami is money, money, money.

Anon
15 days ago

Forego millions in sales revenue and future property tax revenue to save a few racoons? Are you serious?

No vote!
16 days ago

I voted no and have told everyone I can to as well, I am not going to vote sell public land to these developers for a measly park.

Jordan
16 days ago

So instead of making money, you have spent your time and energy telling everyone you know how to vote to NOT make money?

Let me guess…the next step in your grand design is to Tax Millionaires and Billionaires to “pay their fair share”.

Brilliant.

Anon
15 days ago

what are you spinning!?

Anon
16 days ago

So you are voting to preserve old, buckling parking lots over millions in revenue for the city and a world class public park. Absolutely mind boggling.

Anon
15 days ago

Look. We had this issue a few years ago with the FAILED Jungle Island waste of space

Anon
16 days ago

That’s right, say no to collecting millions in sales proceeds and future property tax revenue just to save a few weeds.🤦‍♂️

MIA
15 days ago

bravo

Cover the Podiums
16 days ago

Vote no! another greedy project. If it was 2 or 3 buildings that were 10 stories high with plenty of mixed use and mostly green areas, I would be ok with it. But 40 story skyscrapers and 75% of the island would be private with a park that nobody would ever visit. Hard pass. Vote no.

Anon
16 days ago

When will they rename Watson Island to Jungle Island? Sounds a lot more pleasing to visitors and locals alike. Especially if there’s gonna be a beautiful public park that reminds me of Singapore

Ulrich
14 days ago

It’s a small island and with 4 towers not much room left for a park. Good luck parking there!

No no no
16 days ago

comment image

YES YES YES
16 days ago

Ignore the NO’s they are all one person spamming like a nutjob.

MIA
15 days ago

actually I think quite the opposite the PROs are an iA drain of this blog

Noel
16 days ago

I’m pro development, but I voted no one this one. Sure the views would be great from The towers, but they would destroy the view of the skyline from the MacArthur causeway. Driving from the beach to Miami will never be the same without that gorgeous view.

No Views
16 days ago

I simply think that as much as we LOVE TERRA…. they are still very pedestrian.
We need a major entity.
Related Failed in Hudson Yards. Terra is no better. IMO. Of course, we all have our standards of what is The Best. Terra is not the best.

Anonymous
16 days ago

Um, apart from tenant closures as a result of the NY City and State governments botching how to deal with the pandemic, Hudson Yards is rather successful.

Vote No on Watson Island
16 days ago

Watson Island is too valuable to just build a few towers and essentially a private park for the residents living in those buildings. I would rather have something that benefits the majority of the Miami residents. Maybe a jungle like public park, wildlife ecosystems with views to the skyline and accessible to many of us.

Vote no
15 days ago

The city needs urban green spaces

Brooklyn
15 days ago

I voted No because while I’m not against development I don’t think this plan is very well thought out by the developers. Should present more renderings than the sorry images posted on the PAC website (https://watsonpark.vote/). They are also presenting this as just a park when it’s obvioulsy a park + luxury condos. I’d say yes to development here in principal and the financial terms actually feel alright ($135mm for the dirt + more for the park and affordable housing funds) but don’t think it was presented transparently enough. They should also be required to committ to a specific cost of the park.

transplant
16 days ago

At the cost of giving away 75% of the land, we do not need the developers $1M to build the park. Tons of property tax revenue flowing to build it without some token contribution from developers.

YES!
16 days ago

The towers will be built where there is currently a parking garage. You’re not actually giving away any land.

No Views
16 days ago

We voted for that wasted garage that no one uses. It was a MISTAKE by VOTERS!

please, lets be a better version of our past.

Jordan
16 days ago

The developers are paying top dollar for the land.
Once built, every condo will pay property taxes EVERY year.

Empty parks COST money.

Voted no
16 days ago

Totally hypothetical but imagine if the resources to build these towers were used filling in some of the empty lots in Edgewater instead? How much better that would be for the city’s growth instead of on a remote island that would just make traffic to and from Miami Beach even worse

Antennae
16 days ago

I would definitely say these towers would be approved contingent on construction of a baylink.
No baylink?
No towers or development on Waatson Island

No Baylink NFG
16 days ago

No, that’s not how it’s gonna work.

Anon
16 days ago

It doesn’t work like that. This is real life not Sim City.

Jordan
16 days ago

So right…these things should be obvious, but they arent.

Jordan
16 days ago

You use your money to do what you want.
These developers can use their money to do what they want.

Anonymous
16 days ago

Maybe if the UDRB did their job and stopped recommending approval of Arquitectonica cereal boxes… but that’s another story.

MIA
15 days ago

TOTALLY AGREE

Anon
16 days ago

Developers need to provide massive bonuses to the City of Miami for infrastructure. These wealthy condos are adding many more toilets and waste.

No Views
16 days ago

Also, rather funny that the “rendering, to change at developers directive” only represents (2) towers and not (4). This is a small amount of land unless we want to see dense urban sprawl on a green island. Why not simply change the island to a Claughton Island which in the 70’s was first proposed as low income, middle income, and high income mixed economies….. and we all know how that is now the case in 2024? Um? Low Income? donde?

Lee Atwater
16 days ago

There are two different project, each one has two towers.
The rest of that “No Views” post should be titled “no clues”.

Jordan
16 days ago

They already do.
Please read up on how the world.works.

Anonymous
16 days ago

TOO MANY TOILETS! Great argument there, son.

Anonymous
14 days ago

I know it has been approved for 2 towers and park.
Questions:
Will park be for ALL to use ?
Will the condo units be affordable to some of our community that goes back and forth to work at restaurants and hotels that generate income for this city?

I hope there was an agreement, where it is only for the ‘lifestyle – jet set’!!!!

Anon
14 days ago

^^Of course not. Bedsheet changers and bus boys can’t expect be able to afford to live on an island in the middle of Biscayne Bay.

Anonymous
16 days ago

No, No, No

Howard Roark
16 days ago

Traffic is already horrible on the MacArthur. Especially heading west at the Biscayne Boulevard exit. This will only make it much worse. Watson Island needs to be left as is. Or, do this: move the cargo port to Islandia (25 year project) and develop the south side of Dodge Island for residential / commercial. The tunnel is there already to support that development.

Jeremey Howlett
16 days ago

The south side of the island should be zoned as an after hours nightclub district. Club goers could party it up until the sunrises with views of all of downtown miami, without disturbing residents of buildings.

Anonn
16 days ago

Vote no. Build a stadium for University of Miami football + a park on the land

Anon
16 days ago

🤡😂