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Plans for a hotel and new parking garage at Jungle Island are moving ahead, reports the developer, despite a city review board’s denial in December.
In an email response to Miami Today, ESJ Capital Partners’ chief of staff Micha Dubernard said Tuesday that ESJ has submitted plans for the garage to the city, and the team is working on the design of what is to be a 300-room hotel.
“I am pleased to give you the current status of this project,” he wrote.
“The garage (where the hotel and garage will be located) demo permits and garage plans have been filed with the City and are under review. The plans for the hotel are being drafted in order to submit for a permit,” wrote Mr. Dubernard.
Jungle Island, formerly Parrot Jungle, was a zoological park relaunched as an eco-adventure park on Watson Island.
The City of Miami owns the island and leases about 19 acres to ESJ JI Leasehold LLC.
In December, the city’s Urban Development Review Board (UDRB) saw updated plans for a themed hotel and parking garage for Jungle Island.
The board voted 3 to 0 to deny the project as presented. The board makes recommendations to the city’s planning director.
Board members expressed several concerns with the new designs, in particular the size and look of a proposed 7-story garage with 965 spaces topped by solar panels.
Members criticized the height and the massing of the proposed garage.
In his update this week, Mr. Dubernard referenced the August 2018 referendum when city voters approved the Jungle Island hotel off the MacArthur Causeway. He also expressed disappointment that only three review board members attended the December meeting.
“Regarding the UDRB 12/21 recommendation, I think it is unfortunate that only 3 out of 10 members were present for this vote, especially given that the basis for the recommendation for denial is grounded on an inaccurate statement which is, per the minutes: ‘The main reason for said disapproval is that the project is substantially different than what voters were presented in their referendum,’” he said.
“As I am sure you know, the voters did not vote on any specific design, the plans were actually improved to include the comments of the previous UDRB meeting, and create a better synergy with the Japanese Garden,” wrote Mr. Dubernard.
He continued, “Our team is working tirelessly to make this landmark project become a reality, despite several delays on the Administrative side in the past during the height of the pandemic and due to personnel changes, we are glad that at this point the current leadership team at the City is supportive of our vision and seemed determined to bring it to life.”
In his email, he attached images of the project which he described as “recent renderings, conceptual and in progress.”
Jungle Island now features new elevated nature treks, zip lines and more. The park reopened following a series of renovations after damages by Hurricane Irma.
A major planned expansion is the construction of a hotel, along with several associated uses.
In 2020, ESJ requested approvals for a hotel and garage as a Special Area Plan, or SAP, under Miami 21 zoning.
The original plan submitted by ESJ called for an 11-story hotel with up to 300 guest rooms, and a garage for 783 vehicles, topped by green space, landscaping and civic space.
Two existing conference buildings were to be incorporated into the new construction, and an existing parking garage was to be demolished.
The UDRB recommended approval of the original plan with conditions, in October 2020.
In a letter to the city, Nicholas J. Barshel, an attorney representing ESJ, wrote of the latest plan: “The Hotel Project involves complete demolition of the existing, outdated parking garage and construction of a new hotel building and garage separated by an expansive ground-level public plaza. The development program includes 300 hotel rooms in a 12-story building on the east side” and the new garage on the west.
He continued, “Applicant has designed the new garage to have better circulation and to contain additional parking capacity within a smaller footprint.
Loading and service areas will be internalized at ground-level in the hotel.”
Jungle Island is on the northeast side of Watson Island, bordered to the east by Parrot Jungle Trail and to the south by the Ichimura-Miami Japanese Gardens.
https://www.miamitodaynews.com/2023/02/07/jungle-island-hotel-garage-plans-march-ahead/
