The Coral Gables City Commission held a workshop earlier this week to discuss adopting an updated zoning code. The update includes both major and minor changes. Particularly there is one area which is getting all the attention – Miracle Mile. Some commissioners have reservations on the update as presented and the effect it will have on the landscape of Miracle Mile forever.
Since 1922, Miracle Mile has been the main-street of Coral Gables. Like all other main-streets in America, on-street parking is limited and buildings are low-rise mixed use. Such examples can be seen in Palm Beach’s Worth Avenue, Scottsdale’s Main Street Old Town even Los Angeles’ Rodeo Drive.
In the 1940’s Miracle Mile saw a redevelopment boom of what is currently still standing today, simplistic one-story designs relying on on-street and municipal garage parking for their patrons.
The new proposed zoning code is several hundred pages, complex in language and terminology. Most of the changes are harmless and provides necessary corrections to things that were ambiguous and obsolete. Yet words matter and what appears to be a simple change to parking requirements on Miracle Mile could result in higher buildings on the city’s main-street.
Current Zoning Code: Max 6 stories, 70-foot-high buildings with on-site parking requirements.
Proposed Update: Max 6 stories, 70-foot-high buildings without on-site parking requirements, allowing for remote parking.
Last year a developer announced they wanted to bring a boutique hotel to Miracle Mile without any onsite parking. After a transfer of development rights, the hotel was slated to be 7 stories, with over 28,000 square feet of food and retail space. Patrons would rely on the overloaded valet system and remote parking it would lease from existing garages within 1,000 feet. This change in code is exactly what they are waiting for to break ground. City Hall Insiders tell Gables Insider that the former Navarro Pharmacy is also looking to re-develop and increase its height and density.
The reason that you do not see higher buildings on Miracle Mile today is because of parking requirements, essentially one-story buildings (1.45 FAR) do not require on-site parking. Hillstone’s Restaurant is an example of a newer construction with 1.45 FAR without on-site parking. If the proposed update is adopted as presented at the workshop, you could see a Hillstone’s with five additional floors on top and parking someplace else.
The item will be heard on first reading and is open to the public for comment at the next City Commission meeting on October 27, 2020.
Let’s recall everyone. Enough of so called progress and pushing all this so called modernity down our throats. Revolt .
STOP the madness !! The “city beautiful “ is becoming a “concrete jungle” the mayor and commissioners are selling out again and don’t care about our city. Miracle Mile does not need fixing, it’s great the way it is. Plus the city needs to get back on its feet after this pandemic…. Please vote against the proposal
Don’t need a 7 story hotel with NO room to park on the mile. Enough traffic etc right now.
Please stop destroying the charm of City Beautiful. I believe we already have more than enough
People keep forgetting that Coral Gables, is a RESIDENTIAL, not commercial neighborhood, The Gables used to be an Oasis from in the middle of Miami, know, its an concrete oasis in the middle of Miami.
We keep electing commissioners, that are new transplant to the Gables life, people that don’t understand the meaning of “City Beautiful”, people with a political agenda. I still consider myself a “new’ resident after 40+ years in the city, compare to my wife and kids that were born and rise in the Gables.
Again the city commissioners & the mayor are selling out to the developers. City Beautiful is suppose to be that & not the hot mess it’s become. I have worked & lived in CG since 1985 & truly sad to see what it has become. The traffic is unbearable plus all the overdevelopment. Please have some sense of duty & vote against this proposal!!
WHY DOES THE CITY KEEP TRYING TO “FIX” MIRACLE MILE WHEN IT WAS NEVER BROKEN. In 1955, the street was officially named Miracle Mile by resolution of the City Commission. Now 65 years later, the City is looking to change it? The historical marker on Miracle Mile specifically states “Coral Gables Miracle Mile is composed of small boutiques in the heart of the Central Business District and is one of the few remaining developments of its type that has maintained its original purpose and significance in the continental United States.” Let’s preserve the Mile’s original purpose and significance! Send comments before October 27th to: jfors@coralgables.com; pkeon@coralgables.com;vlago@coralgables.com; mmena@coralgables.com; rvaldes-fauli@coralgables.com
These proposals are another example of our Commissioners putting their donors ahead of Coral Gables residents.I do not blame the Commissioners. We knew where they stood when they were elected and we rejected every candidate who voiced concern about overdevelopment. Until we elect candidates opposed to changing the character of the “City Beautiful” we cannot expect a different result.
I propose changing the motto “The City Beautiful” to “The City Congested” as there seems to be limitless residential redevelopment with no regard for alleviating traffic congestion.
I hope the mayor & commissioners will reject the proposal. That’s crazy. I won’t vote for any of them in the future.
This is insane!!!! Definitely looking to move elsewhere.
Ridiculous!!! Lets just sell out downtown CG to the developers! Oh thats right, we already have, just keep the demolition going….I have lived here since 1972 when the City Beautiful was truly that…but at least our residential area is still the “City Beautiful”