SkyRise Miami, a 1,000-ft tall entertainment and observation tower, is set to begin construction in the first quarter of next year, according to Plaza Construction, which recently was chosen to build the structure by its developer Berkowitz Development Group.
Scheduled for completion in 2023, the SkyRise Miami, overlooking Biscayne Bay, would be the tallest building in Florida. It is being positioned as a vertical theme park that will draw more than three million visitors a year with multiple attractions that include:
•Skyplunge, a base-jumping feature where jumpers attached to a high-speed descent wire plummet at nearly 55 mph.
•Skydrop, where riders slowly ascend more than 600 ft and then drop 540 ft at free-fall speeds up to 95 mph.
•SkyRise Flying Theater, where up to 72 riders are secured in seats that, when the floor drops out, are suspended 40 ft in the air. A 4D simulator moves the seats in sync with a movie projection, supplemented by real special effects like wind and aromas. The ride will last six minutes.
•Skyway, which will bill itself as the world’s tallest rotating observation attraction.
•Skyfly, a zero-gravity tunnel that allows visitors to float to the top of the tower.
•Skywalk, where tethered strollers can walk out onto an open deck with no handrails, 908 ft above ground.
•Skyglide, whose transparent slide allows visitors to “glide” outside for a panoramic view of Miami.
•Skyledge, whose transparent skydeck cantilevers off of the structure’s outside wall, 866 ft above ground.
There will also be scenic boat cruises and virtual reality experiences available to visitors, as well as catering halls, restaurants, and nightclubs.
A sky deck, moving observation bubbles, and a ledge from which tethered visitors can hang are some of the ways people will be able to experience SkyRise Miami. Image: Berkowitz Development Group
Coconut Grove-based Berkowitz Development Group’s portfolio includes more than 1.5 million sf of office and retail building development. Its Building Team for SkyRise Miami, besides Plaza Construction, includes Arquitectonica (architect), Magnusson Klemenic Associates (SE and CE), Cosentini Associates (ME), gsmprjct° (exhibition design), and DVS (engineering consultant). Legends, a joint venture of the Dallas Cowboys and New York Yankees, will operate SkyRise Miami.
This is the eighth project that Plaza and Arquitectonica have worked on together.
Brad Meltzer, Plaza Construction’s CEO, tells BD+C that the tower’s unique design presents challenges. “The building is void of uses from the podium to almost 500 ft, making the planning of the structure more complicated,” he explains, adding that the structural steel and concrete design that’s being contemplated hasn’t been tried before in South Florida, and will require more upfront integration of fabricators and tradespeople in the planning process.
While some press reports have pegged SkyRise Miami’s construction cost as high as $400 million, Meltzer says those costs have yet to be finalized.
SkyRise Miami will be built on land that juts into Biscayne Bay. Image: Berkowitz Development Group.
Miami’s city commission and Miami voters approved SkyRise Miami in the Summer of 2014, but the project had been delayed by litigation.
Jeff Berkowitz, chairman and founder of Berkowitz Development Group, initially claimed that he could complete the tower without taxpayer money, but he subsequently applied for $15 million in economic development funding. A lawsuit attempted to block Miami-Dade from allocating $9 million in property taxes for SkyRise’s development and construction. Other suits accused the landowner of skirting competitive-bidding requirements, and objected to the tower on environmental grounds.
A 2015 Florida Supreme Court ruling in the developer’s favor effectively ended opposition to SkyRise moving forward.
Related Stories
University Buildings | Jan 30, 2023
How wellness is reshaping college recreation centers
Moody Nolan, a specialist in the design of college recreation centers, has participated in the evolution toward wellness on college campuses.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 26, 2023
Miami’s motorsport ‘country club’ to build sleek events center
Designed by renowned Italian design firm Pininfarina and with Revuelta as architect, The Event Campus at The Concours Club will be the first and only motorsport-based event campus located within minutes of a major metro area.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Jan 24, 2023
Nashville boasts the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada
At 30,105 seats and 530,000 sf, GEODIS Park, which opened in 2022, is the largest soccer-specific stadium in the U.S. and Canada. Created by design firms Populous and HASTINGS in collaboration with the Metro Nashville Sports Authority, GEODIS Park serves as the home of the Nashville Soccer Club as well as a venue for performances and events.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Dec 15, 2022
Community centers reinforce a town or city’s sense of place
The intersection of a community with its natural surroundings is one key to a successful design of community centers, according to a new 24-page paper titled “Creating a Wellness Culture,” about the benefits of this building type, cowritten by HMC Architects’ Civic Practice Leader Kyle Peterson, and Director of Design James Krueger, who used three of their firm’s recent projects to buttress their thesis.
Retail Centers | Nov 29, 2022
'Social' tenants play a vital role in the health of the retail center market
After a long Covid-induced period when the public avoided large gatherings, owners of malls and retail lifestyle centers are increasingly focused on attracting tenants that provide opportunities for socialization. Pent-up demand for experiences involving gatherings of people is fueling renovations and redesigns of large retail developments.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 75 Sports Facility Engineering and EA Firms for 2022
Alfa Tech, AECOM, ME Engineers, and Walter P Moore head the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility engineering and engineering/architecture (EA) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 110 Sports Facility Architecture and AE Firms for 2022
Populous, HOK, Gensler, and Perkins and Will top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility architecture and architecture/engineering (AE) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Giants 400 | Nov 8, 2022
Top 60 Sports Facility Contractors and CM Firms for 2022
AECOM, Mortenson, Clark Group, and Turner Construction top the ranking of the nation's largest sports facility contractors and construction management (CM) firms for 2022, as reported in Building Design+Construction's 2022 Giants 400 Report.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Nov 7, 2022
Gilbane, Turner, Populous tapped to design and build new Buffalo Bills stadium
The joint venture of Gilbane Building Company and Turner Construction Company, in association with 34 Group, has been selected to provide construction management of the planned new NFL stadium for the Buffalo Bills in Orchard Park, N.Y. The project team also includes the project management firm, Legends Project Development, and Populous as the designer.
Sports and Recreational Facilities | Sep 8, 2022
Chicago Bears unveil preliminary master plan for suburban stadium district
As the 2022 NFL season kicks off, the league’s original franchise is fortifying plans to leave its landmark lakefront stadium for a multi-billion-dollar mixed-use stadium district in northwest suburban Arlington Heights.