The bridge connecting West Avenue south of the Collins Canal with the smaller section of the street that cuts through Sunset Harbour is finally done. The connection gives Sunset Harbour another link to the heart of South Beach, although it does add more concrete and asphalt to an area that already feels overwhelmed with roads.
The massive train station called MiamiCenral that will be the Downtown Miami terminus of the Florida East Coast Railway's Brightline (formerly known as All Aboard Florida) is taking shape on a long strand of city blocks stretching north from the Dade County Courthouse.
After who-the-hell-knows-how-long of nothing happening to the torn up Espanola Way, one of Miami Beach's most iconic architectural compositions, things have finally begun moving forward with its conversion to a completely pedestrian environment.
Miami Beach's quaint Espanola Way has been under renovation to become a permanently pedestrian street since significantly earlier than when I last wrote about it–October last year, "Espanola Way to be Permanently Pedestrianized"–and from the looks of things pretty much zero progress has been made since then. So, what's going on here?
Well kablooie. Aria on the Bay, a condominium project which I once called the Melo Group's least hideous tower yet, is very close to being topped off at its full 52 story height, as we can see in new construction photos by Miami's premiere street architecture photographer Phillip Pessar. I'm happy to say my initial impression of the Arquitectonica-designed tower is proving to be very true.
