Florida Construction News staff writer
Swire Properties has completed the controlled demolition of the former Mandarin Oriental Hotel, marking a major milestone in the redevelopment of Brickell Key and setting the stage for a multi-billion-dollar construction project scheduled to break ground later this year.
The 23-storey hotel and adjacent six-storey parking structure were brought down in a controlled implosion on April 12, clearing the site for The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, a two-tower ultra-luxury development that will combine residential and hospitality uses.
The project will include 298 private residences, 28 turnkey hotel collection units and a new 121-key flagship hotel for Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group in North America. Plans call for 228 units in the South Tower and a mix of residential and hotel components in the North Tower.
From a construction standpoint, the demolition represents the culmination of nearly two years of planning, permitting and coordination. The implosion was carried out by a team that included The BG Group LLC, Controlled Demolition Inc. and Moss Construction, working in collaboration with the City of Miami.
The highly controlled operation took only seconds to execute but required extensive pre-demolition work, including structural weakening, sequencing and safety planning. Crews also installed perimeter container walls, deployed temporary barges and set up vibration and air-quality monitoring systems across the island.
Swire Properties initiated a broad community outreach program ahead of the blast, holding more than 30 meetings with local residents and businesses and distributing protective materials to surrounding buildings. Environmental precautions included pre-implosion marine surveys of Biscayne Bay, with post-event analysis planned to confirm no impact.
With the site now cleared, contractors will move into a six-month debris removal phase, a critical step before excavation and foundation work can begin. Material will be hauled off-site under a tightly managed logistics plan, given the constrained island location.
The redevelopment is already demonstrating strong market momentum, with more than $1.3 billion in residential sales secured to date. This includes two penthouse transactions of $49.9 million each, among the highest condo sales recorded in mainland Miami.
Project officials say the strength of pre-construction sales reflects continued demand for high-end residential product in Miami, which remains a key driver for large-scale mixed-use construction across South Florida.
Groundbreaking is expected later in 2026, with vertical construction to follow shortly after. The full build-out is anticipated to take approximately four years, with completion targeted for 2030.
