In a part of Miami better known for nightlife than nurse budgets, NR Investments has started construction on a $190 million workforce and affordable housing tower that is squarely aimed at people being squeezed out of downtown rents.
The project, branded Uni Dos, quietly broke ground in late February in the Omni and Arts & Entertainment District. When finished, it is expected to rise roughly 30 stories and deliver about 398 income-restricted apartments, along with ground-floor retail and a sizable parking podium. Developers say they are targeting teachers, nurses and other essential workers who are finding fewer realistic options near the urban core.
According to the South Florida Business Journal, NR Investments has budgeted the development at about $190 million and has already started work at 1445 N. Miami Avenue. The outlet reports the building is part of a broader effort to bring more workforce housing into Miami's central neighborhoods.
What the Tower Will Include
Plans and filings reviewed by Florida YIMBY show the tower topping out at roughly 312 feet and holding about 398 residences on the upper floors, mostly microunits through two-bedrooms. The same set of documents describes more than 15,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor amenities, 8,539 square feet of ground-floor retail and a 451-space parking garage, with Corwil Architects listed as the designer.
Those filings indicate that many of the units will carry income restrictions tied to workforce bands on the area median income scale, a structure meant to keep rents within reach for the very residents the project is marketed to.
Developer Background and Local Partnerships
The City of Miami’s affordable-rental listings highlight NR Investments’ nearby Uni Tower at 1642 NE 1st Avenue, underscoring the developer's repeated role in city-backed, income-restricted housing efforts. The company’s unsolicited proposals and pitch materials further stress reserving units at specific area median income levels for workers, a strategy that also appears in its formal filings and presentations.
Why It Matters for Renters
Even with new buildings opening across the skyline, Miami-Dade's rental market remains tight, demand is still strong and affordability pressure has not let up. Recent reporting shows occupancy and renewal rents staying elevated in recent months, which helps explain why both the city and private developers are leaning hard into income-restricted workforce projects.
Uni Dos is the latest in a growing line of developments trying to balance market-rate construction with Miami's affordable-housing goals. More details, including a formal construction schedule and specific income bands for each unit type, are expected as the project moves through permitting and deeper into construction.
