One Bayfront Plaza - History

History

One Bayfront Plaza was originally proposed as a 1,180-foot (360 m) office and hotel tower. The design included 2,100,000 square feet (200,000 m2) of office space, a 650-room hotel and a 3,000-lot parking garage. However, due to the height limits for buildings in downtown Miami and the possibility of interference with aviation traffic going into and coming out of Miami International Airport, it was unlikely that the building would be approved for construction with the proposed height. The FAA conducted hundreds of impact surveys in the downtown area and negotiated with many building developers during the mid-2000s boom to lower the planned heights of their buildings. One example is 900 Biscayne Boulevard, located just a few blocks to the north of the OBP site, which was reduced from 700 feet (213 m) to 649 feet (198 m). The FAA reasoned that the skyscrapers interfered with their radar, in addition to being a physical hazard to landing planes. The redesigned One Bayfront Plaza was approved at its exceptional height of 1,049 feet due to its determination by the city as a significant landmark and because it got a Major Use Special Permit (MUSP).

We have a vision for an icon. As part of my legacy, I want to leave this city with a high-profile building on par with the Chrysler building in New York or the Sears Tower in Chicago, a building that is home to major banks and law firms.

In July 2007, a revised design of the building was released. The new design scaled back the height to 1,049 feet (320 m), and the floor count of the building was reduced to 70. The major feature of the new design was the incorporation of a separate hotel building to be located adjacent to the tower. The main tower was to be all office space. This revised design was subsequently approved by the City of Miami on July 25, 2007, but construction never began. In the fall of 2008, the building's height was scaled back again slightly due to new zoning laws to its current design as a single, 80-floor, 1,010-foot tower. The single tower would contain residential space at the bottom, accounting for the higher floor count. This design of the tower was to incorporate fluid dampers used to absorb wind gusts and create energy efficiency for the skyscraper. The tower was designed to resemble a sail to reflect the bay it overlooks.

In mid-2011 it was announced that the project was still alive and that the plan should be ready in 14 months. It was also announced that architectural firm Kohn Pedersen Fox had been chosen to work on the project to help TERRA Architecture with the design. The plan was released in early 2012 and included another redesign of the tower.