Braman Motors to Rev Up Edgewater with 60-Story Towers and Auto Hub

Key Points:

• Braman Motors to redevelop the 21-parcel Edgewater site into a massive mixed-use development featuring residential, office, and auto facilities.

• Plans include two 60-story towers with over 1,100 residential units and a state-of-the-art automotive center.

• Project filed under a Special Area Plan (SAP), leveraging zoning flexibility for added height and walkability enhancements.

Norman Braman, the billionaire car magnate behind Braman Motors, is making a bold shift from selling Bentleys and BMWs to building real estate towers. His longtime auto campus in Miami’s rapidly transforming Edgewater neighborhood is set for a dramatic overhaul that could redefine the area’s skyline and land use strategy.

The plan, which is now before Miami’s Urban Development Review Board, proposes a multi-phase redevelopment with high-rise residential towers, a modern service center, and pedestrian-friendly infrastructure. 

First Phase: Auto Core with a Modern Spin

Braman’s move starts with a serious investment in his roots. The first phase focuses on a new 11-story service building along Northeast 19th Street. This flagship facility will centralize the company’s luxury dealerships into one sleek, vertical hub.

The structure will include a five-story showroom totaling over 47,000 square feet, a 34,000-square-foot paint and body shop, and 1,675 structured parking spots. Designed by Arquitectonica, the building features auto-inspired aesthetics—think grille-like facades—that link back to Braman’s brand heritage.

This automotive core is not only functional but also foundational, anchoring the broader live-work-play concept of the master plan.

Second & Third Phases: Residential High-Rises to Transform the Skyline

Next come the towers. Two 60-story residential buildings will bring over 1,100 new units to Edgewater—further fueling a neighborhood that’s become a magnet for high-end condo and apartment development.

The tower facing Biscayne Boulevard will feature 624 units, more than 27,000 square feet of commercial space, nearly 58,000 square feet of offices, and over 1,100 parking spots. Its counterpart on Northeast Second Avenue will deliver another 550 units and a 50,000+ square foot showroom—though notably, it will have no parking, signaling a shift toward transit-friendly, pedestrian-prioritized planning.

A pedestrian bridge will connect the two towers, further reinforcing the walkable nature of the campus.

Final Phase: Reimagining the Shell Station

As a capstone to the development, the Shell gas station on the northwest edge of the site—built in 2009—will get a facelift. The redesign calls for playful, car-themed touches like hubcap-inspired awnings and an 838-square-foot retail store.

Though small in scope, this corner renovation contributes to the cohesive design language and customer experience Braman is pushing across the site.

Zoning Flexibility: The Power of SAP

What makes this project feasible at such a scale? Braman uses Miami’s Special Area Plan (SAP) zoning overlay, which allows for added density and height in exchange for public benefits.

That means a “woonerf” (shared-use street), open space, and integrated pedestrian paths connecting Biscayne Boulevard to a new internal park. These features transform a traditionally car-dominated block into a hybrid zone supporting vehicles and walkability—rare for a legacy dealership site.

Verticle Value

Braman Motors is doing what few long-time landowners manage to pull off—flipping decades-old operations into vertical value. With Miami’s Edgewater area heating up and demand for urban mixed-use development surging, this project is positioned to be a landmark transformation in the city’s real estate narrative.