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Since our last update in late 2015, progress has been moving along nicely at Phase One of All Aboard Florida's MiamiCentral Station. Designed in part by the Chicago-based Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), the project will come in two phases, beginning with two residential towers and an office building, all of which will rest atop the station. Phase Two, to begin mid-2017, will include the addition of a hotel. Recent images captured by Flickr user Phillip Pessar highlight the construction progress since breaking ground in 2015.
Captured in the image above, the beginnings of two of the eventual total of four towers can be seen, along with some of the cement columns that will help suspend the entirety of the station platform 15 metres above street level. Once complete, the surrounding road network will be reconnected under the station, bringing pedestrian and automobile traffic directly into the station. In its capacity as a station, MiamiCentral is set to become a major hub, connecting two LRT lines and accommodating the arrival and departure of long-distance and commuter rail lines capable of carrying passengers all over Florida.
Seen in the photo above, an alternate view of the site reveals more of the aforementioned support columns, along with providing a better context shot of the surrounding urban environment. Once complete, the 280,000-square-metre mixed-use complex will span nine acres across several blocks. The first two NBWW-designed towers, at 33 and 39 storeys, will contain 800 residential units, while the 10-storey office tower at the north edge of the site will bring 18,500 square metres of office space. The final addition of the hotel during Phase Two will be the tallest at 259 metres, and will sit at the southern edge of the site.
The final product will thus become a major contributor to the ongoing urbanization of South Florida, helping to connect an expected 12 million travellers to their destinations. Estimates suggest that the station will also take up to three million cars off the road within the same period of time.
What do you think about Miami's new train station? Let us know by leaving a comment at the bottom of this page, or by visiting the dedicated Forum thread.
