Grass River Property Begins TOD Apartments in Miami

By Dees Stribling, Constributing Editor

Miami—Work is under way on the 184-unit Grove Station Tower in Miami, near the Miami neighborhood of Coconut Grove. The project, set to deliver in early 2016, is being developed by Grass River Property, a real estate investment and development firm based in Coconut Grove.

The property counts as transit-oriented, since it’s near the Coconut Grove Station on Miami-Dade’s Metrorail system, which connects with downtown and other points. Located at 2700 Southwest 27th Ave., the development is also near the intersection of US 1 and Southwest 27th Ave.

Grove Station Tower will comprise one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments averaging about 1,000 square feet. The building will also include two-story townhomes offering direct access from 27th Court. All units will be equipped with balconies and smart-building technology. There will be about 6,000 square feet of street-level retail space.

Plans for the property stress sustainability, with the building designed to earn Florida Green Building Standard certification, which establishes green criteria for multifamily buildings. Designed by Miami-based architectural firm Behar Font & Partners, Grove Station Tower is being built by GC Ortega Juneau Construction Co.

According to the developer, the property is responding to a growing demand for market-rate rental apartments in South Florida. A recent study by the Center for Housing Policy ranked Miami as the nation’s least affordable major city, due largely to the recent influx of upmarket condo developments, and the resulting rise in real estate values. The site’s previous owners intended to develop a condo on the property, but those plans were shelved during the 2009 downturn.