In a world of its own

An official ground-breaking ceremony was held recently for the Miami Worldcenter, the United States’ second-largest mixed-use urban development and the biggest building project in the history of Florida state.

The development is a multi-billion-dollar retail, residential, entertainment and transportation complex, built on a 1.1 million square foot (102,195 square metre) site spread across six downtown Miami city blocks. At 27 acres, the project is second in size only to New York’s 28-acre Hudson Yards development.  

The first phase of construction includes the 60-storey Paramount Miami Worldcenter, the development’s signature residential skyscraper, which is planned to rise 738 feet and cost $500 million. It will include one of the largest private amenities deck in the US, featuring resort-style pools, walking paths, gardens, bungalows, tennis courts and even an outdoor soccer field.

Residents will ride in private elevators to the ground floor, which leads to an expansive restaurant and retail promenade. The building will also house an unprecedented collection of two- and three-level high street-style stores. The promenade leads to a sprawling public plaza accented by fountains.

The development will combine six other downtown Miami residential and office buildings, a 1,800-room Marriott Marquis and convention centre, and several other hotels.

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said that they are building a city within the city of Miami, which many forecast will be America’s City of the Future. 

Miami Worldcenter will create thousands of new construction jobs, generate billions of dollars in taxes and revenues, and provide a futuristic infrastructure for generations of Miamians.

Adjacent to the complex will be the main terminal of All Aboard Florida, an interstate high-speed railroad connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, The Space Coast and Orlando. The project is scheduled for completion in 2018. AN