Ponce Park Residences seeks Coral Gables P&Z nod for 16-story high-rise

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Developers of a mixed use project on Ponce de Leon Boulevard in Coral Gables want the city to let them add nine stories to the Ponce Park Residences on the corner of Malaga Avenue by changing the zoning limit from seven floors to 16 stories, more than twice as tall as allowed.

Oh, and they want part of University Drive given to them. And an alley, too.

Guess that famous, controversial, long-debated rewrite of the City Beautiful’s building code — passed earlier this year — didn’t fix everything. And although commissioners approved higher density in the Craft Section where this project would be, it’s not enough for Mr. Allen Morris.

Know more: Coral Gables commission oks zoning shift for Crafts Section, not Miracle Mile

That’s who is building this “monstrosity,” as called by some of the neighbors against it. They’ll probably be there en masse Wednesday evening when the Gables planning and zoning board considers Ponce Park Residences, which comes with a recommendation for denial from the staff.

The project would have 161 residences — brought down from 171, oooohhh what a favor — a little more than 18,000 square feet of retail on the ground floor and 265 parking spaces. Morris’ RC Acquisitions company promised to build a public park. But that really seems unnecessary and gratuitous since it is a couple of blocks from Ponce Circle Park, which is Central Park in the City Beautiful.

“This increase of building bulk, mass, height, and size conflicts with the character of the neighborhood and the city,” writes Ramon Trias, the assistant director of development for planning, in the staff report.

“The use of possible development square feet of the proposed street vacation has the potential to set a precedent for future development to propose similar requests that may adversely affect the use of other properties,” the report states.

“The request to construct a larger building that what is allowed within the private parcels is not compatible with the allowed development of adjacent buildings and structures.”

Ya think?

The report goes on to say that the project is inconsistent with the city’s comprehensive plan goals, objectives and policies.

David Winker, an attorney for the residents who live close to the proposed development, says his clients have stayed involved and made a difference.

“This miraculous turnaround is the culmination of a year of hard work by the Ponce Neighbors and we will be there in force on Wednesday to make sure our voice is heard urging the Planning Board to recommend denial before it goes to Commission,” Winker told Ladra.

It’s going to be difficult for the planning and zoning board — which now includes former commission candidates Alex Bucelo and Claudia Miro — to go along with this massive change. But we’ve seen stranger things happen.

The meeting starts at 6 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way, in commission chambers. It will also be live streamed.

  Coral Gables development