A long-empty block on Biscayne Boulevard in Edgewater finally looks like it is getting a serious wake-up call. Melo Group's Biscayne 18, a two-tower mixed-use complex, has moved a step closer to construction after a flurry of permit activity and federal aviation filings. If the project rises as planned, it would bring about 1,178 apartments, ground-floor retail, office space and a hefty parking podium to a stretch just north of downtown Miami. Local review boards have already weighed in, so these latest filings are the strongest sign yet that Melo is gearing up to build.
Permits filed, FAA notices submitted
According to Florida YIMBY, Melo Group has submitted a stack of construction permit applications to the City of Miami along with matching paperwork to the Federal Aviation Administration for the Biscayne 18 site at 1825 Biscayne Boulevard. The filings signal a shift from entitlement and design into the nuts-and-bolts permitting and site-prep phase.
Master permit lays out units, retail and budget
Project documents summarized by Floridian Development show the master building permit calling for 1,178 residential units split evenly between the two towers. Below them, a shared podium is set to stack in about 17,670 square feet of professional office space, roughly 26,860 square feet of retail, a 10,150-square-foot banquet hall and a parking structure with more than 1,400 spaces. The report lists Melo Contractors Corp. as the general contractor and pegs estimated construction costs near $321 million. It also notes separate site permit applications for piling, tree removal and phased vertical construction that can move ahead while the master permit works its way through review.
Board review and requested design tweaks
Before any of that paperwork landed, the project picked up a recommendation from the City of Miami’s Urban Development Review Board, which pushed for several design tweaks. Members urged Melo to break up the podium massing, add texture to the garage facades and make life better at street level with a more comfortable pedestrian realm, Miami Today reported. Board feedback, including calls for taller and more inviting ground floors plus additional shade trees along Biscayne Boulevard, now shows up in the permitting set. City staff will be checking those conditions as the permit package cycles through corrections.
FAA filings request a height cushion
Florida YIMBY also notes that the FAA applications seek clearance for structures up to about 490 feet, even though architectural drawings and city permit filings list the towers at roughly 465 feet. That spread is common on large high-rises, since developers often ask for a bit of extra room from the FAA to preserve flexibility while finalizing design and working through construction. An FAA determination will still be required before the city can issue the final vertical building permits.
Where this sits in Edgewater’s boom
Melo Group assembled the Biscayne 18 site through parcel purchases in 2019, with an earlier acquisition reported at about $28 million by the South Florida Business Journal. At the same time, the broader Edgewater and Biscayne Bay building spree has drawn scrutiny from researchers and some local advocates, who have pressed for stricter geotechnical safeguards on new waterfront towers after satellite data showed settlement in parts of Miami. Those concerns, summarized in reporting on Miami towers on shaky ground, center on monitoring, foundation design and long-term liability, and are likely to resurface as Biscayne 18 gets closer to full construction.
Timeline and what to watch
With the master permit still in review and several site permits already in the pipeline, the next big milestones to watch are final city sign-offs and the FAA determinations that would unlock piling and foundation work, Floridian Development notes. If those arrive without major revisions, activity on the ground could shift from early prep to full-on structural work later this year. Until then, the flurry of applications remains the clearest public hint that this long-talked-about pair of towers is edging toward the starting line.
