Axios reports that Miami’s Design District is entering a new residential chapter. Nearly 1,000 residences are planned in and around a neighborhood best known for luxury retail, architecture, art and dining, extending its role from a destination people visit into a place more residents may call home.
The shift comes as some buyers look beyond an increasingly built-out Brickell for addresses that remain close to downtown while offering a less congested setting. The projects now moving through the pipeline combine condominiums, rental residences, hospitality and street-level retail across several prominent sites.
From Luxury Destination to Residential Neighborhood
For developer Joe DaGrosa, who is developing Kempinski Residences Miami Design District, the expansion into housing follows naturally from the district’s established appeal. He described the retail-to-residential transition to Axios as a “natural outgrowth.”
“People want to be near great restaurants, near great shopping, and they don’t want to be in a congested area.”
That combination of culture, convenience and neighborhood scale is driving a new mix of branded residences, rental apartments and hotel-linked homes, each with a distinct position within the district’s emerging residential landscape.
Kempinski Residences at the District’s Gateway
Kempinski Residences Miami Design District is planned for 3801 and 3883 Biscayne Boulevard, immediately east of the district. Axios describes the development as a pair of 23-story towers with 128 residences, six townhomes and 18 guest suites. DaGrosa Capital Development Partners is the developer.
The development is set to mark the European luxury hotel company’s first branded residential project in the United States. Axios cites pricing beginning at $3.7 million and an anticipated 2029 completion. Its location brings together the Design District’s cultural and commercial energy with an eastern outlook toward Biscayne Bay, reflecting the broader convergence of neighborhood life, hospitality and waterfront perspective.
A Pipeline of Branded and Mixed-Use Projects
Fouquet’s Hotel and Residences Miami. Planned for 39 NE 39th Street, the development is expected to include a 25-story building with 143 condominiums, connected to a 12-story hotel with 85 rooms and 20 residences. The project, part of Parisian brand Fouquet’s first U.S. hotel, is led by Dacra, Miami Design District Associates, Fort Partners, Raycliff Capital and Constellation Hotels Holding. Residences are reported to start at $1.8 million, with completion expected in 2030.
Jean-Georges Miami Tropic Residences. Terra and Lion are planning a 49-story, 338-unit residence branded for Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten at 3501 NE 1st Avenue. The development would add 27,500 square feet of ground-floor retail. Axios reports starting prices of $914,000 and an expected 2028 completion.
Cassi Miami. The 20-story rental project planned for 3600 NE 1st Avenue would bring 107 apartments and 23,000 square feet of retail space. Its development team includes Hunter Pasteur, the Forbes Company and Miami Design District Associates, with completion expected in 2027.
The Design District’s Next Chapter
Together, the projects point to a broader evolution already taking shape: a district long associated with shopping, dining and design is adding a meaningful residential dimension. The emerging mix gives future residents access to the neighborhood’s established cultural life while expanding the ways people experience it beyond a visit.
Read the full story at Axios.
