Miami's Top Construction Permits: Rilea's $86M Wynwood Apartments Lead Weekly Filings

What Miami's Latest Permit Filings Show

The largest permit in the latest Miami roundup is an $85.6 million new construction filing for Mohawk at Wynwood, a 300-unit apartment development at 50 Northeast 29th Street in Miami. The permit covers 488,880 square feet for Miami-based Rilea Group, led by owner and CEO Alan Ojeda and President Diego Ojeda. Rilea assembled the financing earlier this year: a $149.2 million construction loan that includes $124.2 million in C-PACE financing from Nuveen Green Capital and a $25 million loan from Abanca USA. The developer paid $22 million for the land in 2021, and construction is set to finish in 2028.

The second-largest filing is a $31.1 million permit for Sweetbird North at 95 Northeast 40th Street in Miami’s Design District. The eight-story project totals 115,820 square feet of office and retail space and is being developed by Miami Design District Associates, the Craig Robins-led entity behind the district, together with Raycliff Capital. Completion is also slated for 2028.

A $28 million permit was issued for Alton Biscayne at 11240 Biscayne Boulevard in North Miami Beach. Kolter Multifamily’s 701,390-square-foot project will include 336 apartments across a 12-story residential tower, a seven-story parking garage with amenities such as a pool and clubhouse, and eight townhome-style flats. The 3.2-acre site was acquired for $15 million.

The roundup also includes two high-end Miami Beach residential actions: a $3.7 million permit for a 10,980-square-foot waterfront project at 424 West DiLido Drive, where records show the property last sold for $13.4 million in August 2025 to an LLC managed by Dexter Dwight, and a $175,000 demolition permit at 13 Star Island Drive. The Star Island mansion was previously associated with Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez and is now listed under Fleetwood Star Holdings LLC.

The Developers and Financing Moves Behind the Projects

Rilea Is Moving From Land Purchase to Vertical Construction

The $85.6 million permit signals that Mohawk at Wynwood is now entering the physical construction phase. Rilea bought the site for $22 million in 2021, but the January construction loan totaled $149.2 million — well above the permit valuation. That gap likely reflects total project costs beyond the hard construction work covered by the permit, including land carry, soft costs and financing structure. The heavy use of C-PACE — $124.2 million from Nuveen Green Capital — is notable because it suggests the developer is using long-term, energy-linked financing to reduce the cost of the capital stack on a large multifamily project near one of Miami’s highest-profile creative districts.

Sweetbird North Adds Office Space to a Retail-First District

The $31.1 million permit for Sweetbird North is a different bet. The Design District is known for luxury retail, restaurants and cultural spaces, but the eight-story project will include office as well as retail. For Miami Design District Associates and Raycliff Capital, the project appears to deepen the district’s mix beyond shopping, potentially creating more daytime foot traffic and making the neighborhood less dependent on discretionary retail spending alone. A 2028 completion date means the developers are positioning for demand several years out, rather than chasing current leasing conditions.

Kolter Extends Its North Miami Beach Multifamily Pipeline

The $28 million permit at 11240 Biscayne Boulevard shows Kolter Multifamily continuing to build in an infill location outside Miami’s core. The project’s mix — 336 apartments, a 12-story tower, townhome-style flats and substantial amenities — is aimed at renters who want larger-format living with suburban-style amenity packages while remaining on a major transit corridor. The $15 million acquisition price for 3.2 acres reinforces that the developer is building at a relatively low land basis compared with central Miami pricing.

The Star Island Demolition Shows the Teardown Cycle Is Still Active

The smaller residential permits are less about volume and more about Miami Beach’s luxury replacement market. A $175,000 demolition permit at 13 Star Island Drive follows a $32.5 million sale in 2020; the property is now owned by Fleetwood Star Holdings LLC. The filing suggests the buyer is paying primarily for the island location rather than the existing mansion, a pattern that continues to support high-end builders and architects even when broader construction financing tightens.

What the 2028 Pipeline Signals for Miami Real Estate Players

For multifamily developers and lenders:

• Rilea’s use of $124.2 million in C-PACE financing on Mohawk at Wynwood shows that non-bank, energy-linked capital can play a material role in large Miami apartment projects; developers with energy-efficient designs may be able to reduce conventional construction debt requirements.
• With Mohawk at Wynwood and Alton Biscayne together adding 636 apartments targeted for 2028, owners and investors underwriting nearby multifamily assets should treat 2028 as a potential supply inflection for those submarkets.

For office and retail stakeholders in the Design District:

• Sweetbird North’s 115,820 square feet of office-retail space signals new competition for office tenants, but also a potential increase in weekday foot traffic for surrounding retailers and restaurants as the district adds more workers.

For contractors and luxury home builders:

• The top commercial permits alone represent more than $144 million in filed new construction across Rilea, MDDA/Raycliff and Kolter projects, creating near-term bidding opportunities for subcontractors active in Miami-Dade multifamily and mixed-use work.
• The 13 Star Island demolition is another reminder that Miami Beach’s high-end teardown pipeline remains active; builders serving that segment should track permit filings for waterfront replacements rather than relying only on sales listings.