Once an isolated cell of office buildings, downtown Doral, Fla., has received its first taste of mixed-use community life, via The Flats at CityPlace Doral. Developed by The Related Group, the luxury apartment property covers 2.6 million square feet on 16.46 acres in the city center, with 303 apartments across two mid-rise residential towers and a retail center at the street level.
PROJECT DETAILS
Location: Doral, Fla.
Developer: The Related Group
Architect: Arquitectonica
Builder: Suffolk Construction
Landscape architect: ArquitectonicaGEO
Opened: March 2017
Number of units: 303
Unit mix: Studios and one-, two-, and three-bedrooms
Rents: $1,600 to $3,500
The community’s design, created by Arquitectonica and led by principals Bernardo Fort-Brescia and Laurinda Spear, is based on the behavior of natural light as it interacts with the property. The project’s spaces are characterized by wide windows, simple lines, geometric forms, and open interior spaces, as well as a chrome, wood, and quartz material palette. Landscape architecture firm ArquitectonicaGEO designed the surrounding streetscapes, which include shade plantings throughout the property.
The community’s open-concept units feature a fiber-optic network, providing residents with high-speed internet and other network improvements, along with stainless-steel appliances, deep soaking tubs, and designer vanities with custom-framed mirrors. Amenities include an infinity-edge pool deck on the rooftop with a fire pit and poolside cabanas, a fitness center with a yoga and virtual spinning room, a club lounge with a catering kitchen, and an outdoor barbecue area on the rooftop. Access to the residential elevators and amenity areas is granted via personalized card scanners and biometric fingerprint scanners.
Nick Garcia
On the ground level, CityPlace Doral’s retail, restaurant, and entertainment spaces serve as a hub for residents and surrounding community members alike, with a Walk Score of 93. The central plaza has held a number of community events, including Cinco de Mayo parties, concerts, and karaoke events, and features a water fountain with choreographed music, lights, and water movements. Retail includes coffee shops, a Fresh Market grocery, beauty salons, boutiques, fitness centers, and casual and upscale restaurants.
“We know from research and feedback that walkability and access to entertainment, dining, and shopping have become increasingly important to residents. This area did not offer anything like this property before, and that absence made it all the more important to create this for the Doral neighborhood while at the same time providing incredible amenities and excellent service,” says Erica Guzman, sales and marketing manager for The Related Group.
The Flats at CityPlace Doral is Gold-certified by the Florida Green Building Coalition (FGBC) and has been honored with the FGBC’s Best Project award. About 93% of the development’s construction waste was recycled, and all property and project staff received training in energy-conservation strategies. Energy-efficient features include high-efficiency air filters, energy-efficient glass, drought-tolerant landscaping, WaterSense plumbing, Energy Star appliances, and low- and no-VOC paints and adhesives.