Bird Road near LeJeune used to be commercial. Now it’s getting even more apartments.
Yet another apartment building is coming to the already dense corner of Coral Gables surrounding Merrick Park.
Coconut Grove-based Alta Developers is planning a luxury apartment building with 18,650 square feet of ground floor office and retail space at 250 Bird Road, said the firm’s principal and chief executive officer Raimundo Onetto by email. The site sits on 1.41 acres.
The 11-story project would include 215 units with 362 parking spaces, a pool deck with cabanas, barbecue area, gym and pet spa.
“We believe the Gables offers a strong demand for a high-end, multi-family product as it is a very special community that offers an exclusive and luxurious lifestyle surrounded by arts and culture, high-end boutiques, amazing restaurants, as well as a dynamic array of local and international businesses. It’s the perfect location for the market we are developing this project for,” Onetto wrote.
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The firm is in discussions with landowner Baptist Health, which bought the Alta site as part of a 2.8-acre purchase in 2019 for $37 million from developers Masoud Shojaee and Ugo Colombo, said Ana Lopez-Blazquez, Baptist Health South Florida chief strategy and transformation officer.
“We are not a real estate developer. Whenever we get into an acquisition of land, it’s for areas that we want to be involved in,” she said. Baptist Health is co-developing Belmont Village Coral Gables, which will include a 9,000-square-foot wellness center. That project is adjacent to the Alta site.
Alta Developers will seek approval from the City of Coral Gables Planning and Zoning Board in September, Onetto said. The exact meeting date will be provided by late June.
The shopping and dining of open-air Merrick Park has been a magnet for developers. The once-commercial stretch of Bird Road near LeJeune already is home to several new rental buildings and Merrick Manor, a luxury condo. Earlier this year, Shoma Group announced it will build more than 350 units at nearby 3650 Bird Road.
This story was originally published June 5, 2020 at 7:00 AM.
