A 16-story, 79-unit workforce housing tower is coming to the corner of Alton Road and Seventh Street in South Beach, and no elected official or land use board ever voted on it.
Miami Beach's Planning Director administratively approved the 204-foot building at 663 Alton Road under Florida's Live Local Act, the state law that requires cities to greenlight qualifying affordable housing projects without rezoning or public hearings. The tower will stand nearly four times the height the site's zoning permits, according to the Miami Beach Journal, which first reported the approval.
The project, designed by RSP Architects and filed under planning number PB24-0683, is the first Live Local Act workforce housing tower approved in South Beach. All 79 units are designated workforce housing.
The Live Local Act, codified at Florida Statute § 166.04151, bars cities from holding public hearings or requiring commission votes on qualifying multifamily developments built on commercially zoned land when developers commit to affordability requirements.
Sewer work required before move-in
Before any residents can occupy the building, the developer must build out a substantial piece of South Beach's sewer infrastructure as a condition of the approval.
Commission already pushing back on state law
The approval came days after the City Commission took two actions aimed at the same state law. At its Wednesday, July 22 meeting, commissioners passed Resolution C7AO, directing the City Manager and City Attorney to work with Commissioner Vicki L. Lopez's office and the Miami-Dade County Office of Intergovernmental Affairs to draft proposed amendments to the Live Local Act for the 2027 Florida Legislative Session.
At the same meeting, the Commission passed Resolution R7AN, directing the City Attorney to coordinate with the City of Miami's City Attorney and evaluate potential legal options to challenge the law.
The city's approved Live Local Act applications page lists projects that have received administrative sign-off under the statute.
Statewide context
Across Florida, more than 200 Live Local projects have been proposed, but fewer than 20 had broken ground as of mid-2026, according to a commercial real estate overview. The gap between approval and construction reflects financing costs and market conditions that could affect the 663 Alton Road timeline.
What's next
The City Commission is in its August recess. The next regularly scheduled meeting is Thursday, September 10, when the Live Local Act legal challenge and legislative amendment efforts could come back before commissioners. No timeline for a building permit application or construction start at 663 Alton Road has been announced.
