As Miami faces ongoing challenges with housing affordability, a new approach is emerging that focuses on developing small- to mid-sized projects on lots often considered unbuildable. Developer Laura Weinstein-Berman’s Project Peach is an example of this strategy.
Located at 123 Northwest 14th Street, Project Peach features a four-story building with three live-work units that are already leased, a floor for a community services group, ground-floor space for a juice bar, and amenities such as a rooftop terrace and interior courtyard. The project draws inspiration from Overtown’s historic Black-owned Cola-Nip Bottling Company, known for its Peach Whip soda before its demolition in 2002.
Architect Carie Penabad, who designed the building with her husband Adib Cure, explained the significance of the development. “Even though it’s a small project, it provides a model that is almost nonexistent in the city,” Penabad said. “If you were able to do this kind of development on many lots, you can densify the city without losing the human scale that people love.”
The $2.6 million project was built on a lot measuring less than 3,000 square feet—about half the size of standard residential parcels in Miami. Financing came from two sources: a $1.3 million loan from the Florida Community Loan Fund, partially supported by a Knight Foundation grant, and another $1.3 million forgivable loan from the Miami Omni Community Redevelopment Agency.
Project Peach sets rent limits for households earning up to 50 percent of the area median income (AMI). Weinstein-Berman noted that navigating bureaucratic challenges posed significant difficulties during development, including lengthy processes to address parking and fire-safety regulations.
Weinstein-Berman represents developers aiming to provide options for individuals classified as part of the “missing middle”—those whose incomes are too high for affordable housing but insufficient for market-rate homes. While some developers like Bluenest Development have expanded into townhome communities in south Miami-Dade County since their founding in 2018, few focus on smaller or overlooked parcels.
State policy has also influenced recent trends. The Live Local Act encourages affordable and workforce housing by letting developers bypass local zoning rules if at least 40 percent of apartments serve households earning no more than 120 percent of AMI. This law has resulted in numerous proposals for large towers across Florida cities.
For instance, in Riviera Beach, Related Urban, BH Group and Tezral Partners plan to build two 20-story towers with 418 units under these incentives. In Miami’s Wynwood Norte neighborhood, ABH Developer Group has proposed Wyn Park—a 36-story tower with 293 units—and KYU restaurant co-founder Alan Omsky seeks approval for a 55-story tower with nearly 500 units in Overtown.
While large-scale developments remain common under state incentives, Project Peach highlights an alternative approach that uses small sites to add housing without sacrificing neighborhood character.
