Development news still remains very slow in the South Florida area.  Many of the projects announced in the last few months have yet to break ground and very little new news has been announced.  The following is a rundown of recent news regarding development in the Downtown Miami area in October 2009:

1. Miami Today News is reporting that the Civica Towers project in the Health District outside Downtown Miami is still in the works.  The project has been reworked to consolidate Jackson Hospital staff in the Health District.  The 25-story, 578,000-square-foot building is to rise at 1050 NW 14th St. The site is owned by Miami Hotel Investments Ltd. and late last year was slated to be developed into the Civica Medical Center that would have included medical and traditional office space as well as retail.  This project is competing with UM’s Life Science Park for a 60 million bond from the county.
2. Miami Today News is reporting that the Downtown Development Authorityis hashing out plans to bring Tri-rail to Downtown.  The current stop at the Metrorail transfer station is only blocks away from FECR tracks leading into Downtown Miami. This is one great bit of news that actually seems attainable.
3. In what could be a good news for remaining condo inventory on the market, the Miami Today News is reporting that Brickell Condo developers are facing facts and slashing prices to unload remaining condo inventory. 
4. The Miami Downtown Development Authority’s (Miami DDA) board of directors voted unanimously to approve the 2025 Downtown Miami Master Plan, a 15-year roadmap for enhancing the livability and quality of life in Downtown Miami. The plan is to serve as a benchmark for encouraging investment by both the public and private sectors, with the goal of transforming Miami’s urban core into the “Epicenter of the Americas.”
5. Miami’s Jade Ocean Condo Takes Hurricane Resistant Glass to New Heights.
6. According to the South Florida Business Journal, the Miami DDA launched a new initiative to lure a national supermarket to the city’s downtown area after the deal to place a Whole Foods Market in the Metropolitan Miami complex collapsed.
7. Although this is not local news, it does highlight that Miami is not alone in the current high-rise construction slump.  According to Architectural Record, there are at least 50 tall buildings around the world on hold after initiation of foundation work.  Of the tallest 20, eight are in the Middle East, and six are in Latin America.

Related posts:

1. September Development News in Downtown Miami
2. July Development News
3. New Development in Miami?
4. 2025 Downtown Miami Master Plan
5. Positive News for Mass Transit In Florida