Former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine Plans South Beach Office Dev

Former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine has filed plans to build a high-end, boutique office development in South Beach just months after the Miami Herald revealed sexual assault allegations tied to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The plans call for the construction of an eight-story building with 37,037 square feet of office space at 930 and 960 Alton Road, adjacent to 10th Street, across the street from a Whole Foods grocery store in South Beach. Construction is estimated to cost $36 million.

About 760 square feet of retail space would be on the ground floor, with 106 parking spots between first and third floors. The fourth and fifth floors would house so-called “residential office” suites, featuring 1,623 square feet of office space and 1,000 square feet of residential space.

The Class A, Arquitectonica-designed development would replace the existing office building, which was built in 1990, and a neighboring retail building on Alton Road.

The Miami Beach Planning Board is scheduled to hear the application on Dec. 8. The lawyer representing Levine in the development application, Tracy Slavens of LSN Law, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Demand for high-end offices in Miami Beach has been rising since the pandemic, as wealthy executives seek offices near their homes.

Sumaida + Khurana and Bizzi + Bilgili’s The Fifth, a five-story development in the South of Fifth, is nearing completion. This summer, Todd Rosenberg’s Pebb Capital purchased a boutique office building nearby for more than $69 million.

Levine served as Miami Beach’s mayor between 2013 and 2017. The development proposal comes months after Sarah Kellen, an assistant to Epstein, testified before the U.S. House Oversight Committee that Levine and others had sexually assaulted her, the Miami Herald reported. Levine has not been charged with crimes relating to Kellen’s testimony.

Levine also faced scrutiny after emails released by the U.S. Justice Department revealed he maintained a friendship with Epstein after 2008, when he pleaded guilty to two state charges tied the solicitation of prostitution with a minor.

Julia Echikson can be reached at jechikson@commercialobserver.com.

Source: commercialobserver.com — article syndicated from the publisher’s feed; all rights remain with the original publisher.