Two years after the tragic collapse of Champlain Towers in Surfside, the new owner of the site has announced more details of what is planned for the beachfront lot. Dubai-based developer Damac Properties has submitted plans to build a 57-unit, luxury condo tower at the site of the collapsed Champlain Towers. 

Bringing beauty and a legacy to this location, the new tower will be designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, with two separate renderings in review with the city. Damac had originally proposed developing a Roberto Cavalli-branded tower at the oceanfront site, but plans are being reevaluated with several branding options on the table. 

Spokespersons for both Damac Properties and Zaha Hadid Architects commented that they will be building a structure that is respectful of the site’s painful and tragic past. Surfside officials also have designated a portion of 88th Street, just north of the former Champlain Towers South, to be developed as a memorial site.

8777 Collins Avenue - Design Scheme A. Credit: DAMAC International.

— Zaha Hadid Architects - Oceanfront Luxury in Miami Beach Neighborhood

Rising 12 stories with only 57 luxury residences, the oceanfront condo property will carry one of the most prestigious names in architecture – Zaha Hadid Architects (ZHA). While Dame Zaha Hadid passed away in Miami Beach in 2016 from a heart attack, her architecture firm has continued to operate. Damac’s new residential tower will be designed in association with Hollywood-based O’Donnell Dannwolf and Partners Architect. Initial renderings show two connected boutique towers will grace the 2-acre site at 8777 Collins Avenue.

Founded by the late Pritzker Prize-winning architect Zaha Hadid, this will be the second Florida building by the group. Zaha Hadid also designed Downtown Miami’s famous scorpion tower called One Thousand Museum. The bayfront tower brought Miami its first rooftop helipad in a residential building along with a striking, exposed exoskeleton design.

Units at the proposed Surfside towers could range from 4,000 to 15,000 square feet in size. Amenities are likely to include a 100-foot-long rooftop pool plus a 75-foot indoor exercise pool.

Aspiring to bring “the most luxurious project ever in Surfside,” developer Damac Properties plans on launching sales by year-end 2023 or early 2024, with more details coming soon.

— Damac Properties’ First U.S. Project

Closing on its $120 million acquisition of the oceanfront site in July last year, Damac Properties announced its first residential project in the U.S. Damac Properties is a leading real estate developer of luxury properties in Dubai and the rest of the United Arab Emirates. With several international projects under its belt, the development firm has a presence in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan, Lebanon, Iran, Oman, and the United Kingdom. The company is led by billionaire Hussain Sajwani.

Damac was the sole bidder for the property at 8777 Collins Avenue in Surfside last year. Proceeds from the sale are being held in a trust to fund a more than $1 billion lawsuit with the survivors of the building collapse.

— New Level of Luxury Coming to Miami Beach’s Surfside Neighborhood

The pocket-sized beach town of Surfside is known to be a tight-knit community. Sitting on the north boundary of the City of Miami Beach, the neighborhood spanning just one square mile is marked by serene beaches, a soulful collection of eateries, and its yearly sea turtle visitors. Only a handful of new construction condos are scheduled to break ground in this quiet beach town, of which Damac’s proposed towers will be the only bringing branded luxury to Surfside in recent times.

Sandwiched between Bal Harbour and North Beach, the uptown beach community of Surfside sits right next door to the upscale Bal Harbour Shops and a great golf course over at Indian Creek. By car, the dog-friendly Haulover Park and Beach are just 10 minutes, the Aventura Mall is 25 minutes, the destination beaches of South Beach are 30 minutes, and the airport is about 40 minutes away.

If you are interested to know more about this property, or residences in Surfside, please contact us.