Metropolitan Miami, to be built on six acres in the heart of Downtown, will consist of three luxury high-rise residential towers with a total of 1,500 condominium and apartment units--Met 1, Met 2 and Met 3--a lifestyle/entertainment center called Met Square, 10,000 sf of office space, parking, pedestrian-friendly open piazzas, as well as tree-lined walkways and loggias. The final project could have up to six upscale casual-to-fine dining restaurants and upscale retailers. Metropolitan Miami will have about 220,000 sf total of retail, entertainment and lifestyle center space.

"Metropolitan Miami is not just a real estate development, it is a brand new, completely dynamic urban neighborhood," Tim Weller, vice president of development for MDM Development Group, says in a statement. MDM, with architects, interior designers and urban planners/landscape architects, will transform the existing parking lots into Metropolitan Miami over the next five years.

Met 1, the first of three planned residential towers, will feature 40 stories and 447 condominium units, including classic one-, two- and three-bedroom floor plans, lofts, tower suites and penthouses. The L-shaped building has unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay and the city. These units are priced from the $190,000s. In addition, the building's first and second floors will have pedestrian-friendly retail and restaurant space.

Met Square, a four-story, 120,000-sf retail and entertainment facility, will be the centerpiece of Metropolitan Miami. The complex will include restaurants, entertainment venues and national retailers on the first, second and third floors. The fourth floor will feature a multi-screen theater with stadium seating, advance ticketing and a café. The cinema complex will feature independent art and foreign films, as well as a mix of mainstream first releases. Phase one includes the 40-story tower with 85 authentic lofts featuring 20-ft high ceilings, the four-story lifestyle center and a 1,500-space garage. Phase two will consist of a 40-story tower with 450 rental apartments, a 922-space garage, 41,790 sf of retail space on the first and second floors and office space. Phase three will feature a 72-story tower with 650 rental apartments, a 1,467-space garage and 16,745 sf of retail space."Metropolitan Miami will bring a uniquely exciting 24-hour lifestyle to Downtown Miami," according to Ron Shuffield, president of Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell Realtors, the exclusive residential broker for Metropolitan Miami.Other MDM South Florida projects have included JW Marriott Hotel, Dadeland Marriott Hotel, Courtyard by Marriott, Mellon Financial Center, Datran I, Datran II and Dadeland Executive Center.