With voters' approval of Miami's SkyRise Miami project, Berkowitz Development Group Inc. is moving ahead with construction of the estimated $430-million observation tower. The dramatic, curvilinear structure was designed by Arquitectonica International Corp. of Miami, with structural engineer Magnusson Klemencic Associates and consulting engineer Cosentini Associates.

The site, which juts into Biscayne Bay, is going to make the tower especially challenging to build, says Coastal Construction, which is teamed with Tishman Construction Corp., Florida. "There's really no access," Sean Murphy, an executive vice president with Coastal, told ENR Southeast. "You're based on a point with one lone entrance."

Murphy, who said the project team had been reviewing the logistics of the site for roughly 18 months, said the contractor was considering setting up a batch plant on the port side of the bay.

Voters overwhelmingly approved the project, which was tied to an extension of existing leases held by Berkowitz for city-owned property. Additionally, the referendum approves a $10-million payment from Berkowitz to the city, along with $27 million worth of improvements to the existing Bayside Marketplace, owned by the developer.

The 1,000-ft-tall tower will include an observation deck, a restaurant, a ballroom, a bungee jump-type attraction, a chair-drop ride, night club and other amenities. The building is scheduled to open in mid-2017.