Commissioners voted to add millions of square feet in commercial, residential, and hotel space to the city’s core, Developers now have approval for a mega-project that seeks to transform a mostly vacant stretch of west Brickell into a dense, pedestrian-friendly urban district, and approving a proposed new mixed-use tower in the Omni District.

The $700-million project would spread 4.68 million square feet of mixed-use development over 3 1/2 mostly vacant blocks spanning South Miami Avenue just south of the Miami River and north of the successful Mary Brickell Village redevelopment.

The new Biscayne Boulevard tower, on a block facing the Omni complex that is now occupied in part by a Burger King restaurant, would contain hotel, residential and office space. The requested change would also reduce the height of a companion, already-approved residential tower by 100 feet. The project’s attorney, Vicky Garcia Toledo, said the addition of the third tower was made possible by resolution of litigation over control of a portion of the block.

Swire’s architect, Arquitectonica principal Bernardo Fort-Brescia, picked up on the theme when he said Brickell CitiCentre would transform a mostly “desolate’’ space in the heart of Miami’s financial district into “a real city.’’

The project would comprise a residential tower, hotel and two mid-rise office buildings set amid a series of interconnected retail spaces open to the street. The environmentally-friendly plan would place a series of open-air plazas and gardens, which Fort-Brescia described as an “internal street,’’ at the center of each block, shaded by a translucent “climate ribbon’’ canopy that would snake through the entire complex.

Pedestrian bridges containing shops or restaurants would span South Miami Avenue and Southeast Seventh Street, though Swire says a principal goal is to bring bustle to now-lifeless streets. Swire’s U.S. president, Stephen Owens, said the project would convert South Miami Avenue into “a true main street’’ for west Brickell.

The Miami Beach home that was owned by singer Jennifer Lopez, has had a price increase from $29 million to $34.5 million

The home is located at 5800 North Bay Road Miami Beach, Fl. also known as Millionaires Row.

There has been  several offers on it in the $20 million range, but the seller is looking for more. There aren't that many houses left like it, and the only one that really competes is the $60 million home on Indian Creek.  

The home's seller is Mark Gainor, who works in healthcare, and who bought the home in 2005 from Lopez for $13.9 million.