UDRB approves Wynwood Park workforce tower with conditions to revisit podium and tower detailing

The Urban Development Review Board granted approval with conditions for Wynwood Park, a Live Local workforce housing project that proposes a 36‑story tower with 293 residential units and a series of waivers for parking and podium treatments.

Ivo Fernandez of Modus Architects presented the site plan, describing a project that fronts Northwest Second Avenue and will apply Live Local workforce housing provisions to provide a mix of studios, one bedroom and two bedroom units. Fernandez told the board the project would include about 190 parking spaces and apply a 30% parking reduction under NRD workforce rules; some parking spaces would be covered by payments into the parking fund under NRD2 regulations.

Board comments focused on the podium and facade screening. Members asked the applicant to reduce the visual massing of the punctuated podium panels, study the rhythm and materiality of the ground‑floor piers and columns, and revisit rooftop architecture to better signal a potential rooftop restaurant. After discussion, the board approved the item with conditions to: 1) study rooftop architecture to ensure it reads as a restaurant destination; 2) revisit colors and massing so the tower reads less blocky and more vertical; 3) extend the ground‑floor cornice/canopy; and 4) study podium column size and materiality. The vote passed 2‑1 (Member Lewis voted no).

The applicant said the design uses corrugated and perforated metal panels on the podium to create texture, and that vertical elements would be carried up the tower to link podium and tower. The board and applicant agreed to further staff coordination on color, podium screening, and the entrance canopy before building permit.