http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/130411/story1.shtml
Building on the concept of the new urbanism, Miami developer Santiago Vanegas is planning a condo building that not only satisfies owners’ need for shelter, but also for transportation.
“It will be an intelligentbuilding involving Smart Cars,” said Mr. Vanegas, a principal in Habitat Development LLC. The ROA Group and Santianto Cordovez are also partners in theproject. “We spoke with Mercedes and they looked like they wereinterested,” Mr. Vanegas said.
The as-yet-unnamed buildingwill rise at 1775 SW Third Ave. in West Brickell in about a year, Mr. Vanegassaid. The developers have applied for a domain name for the project, which willcomprise about 190 units and will be LEED Gold certified, he added.
In addition to giving buyers anoption of having a Smart Car wrapped into their purchase, the developers willinclude iPods, innovative appliances and “smart” gadgets that controlthe heating, cooling and electrical systems, he said.
The building will target localworkers in the Brickell office district, the Mary Brickell Village retailcomplex and in Swire’s massive Brickell Citycentre development, he said.
Even if owners decide againstgetting a Smart Car, the property is within walking distance of a Publixsupermarket, three blocks from Metrorail and across from a City of Miamitrolley station, Mr. Vanegas said.
By incorporating parking for Smart Cars, the developers hope to limit the parking they will be required toprovide.
“That is not in the coderight now, but we are talking to the city about it,” he said. “Wewill propose to the city 20 parking spaces of normal size, which will fit 40Smart Cars. Not all of the people will have the cars.”
If that doesn’t work, thedevelopers will consider installing a lift system to be able to stack carsvertically. They also might incorporate a station for car sharing, allowing afranchise like Zipcar or Car2Go to operate there, Mr. Vanegas said.
“The idea is that we caninclude one car in the sales price of $200,000 to $250,000, install intelligentfixtures and give them a smart kitchen,” Mr. Vanegas said. “The SmartCar comes in five colors, and the kitchen counters will be offered in thosefive colors. It’s very attractive for the price, and I think it couldsucceed.”To read the entire issue of Miami Today online, subscribe toe-MIAMI TODAY, an exact digital replica of the printed edition.