Inside Related Group’s GranParaiso Groundbreaking with Alex Rodriguez

MLB Star Alex Rodriguez joined the Related Group to celebrate the groundbreaking ceremony of GranParaiso–the fourth and final tower of the group’s Paraiso mega-development along the Biscayne line. Once completed, A-Rod will reside in this new architectural masterpiece in Edgewater along with other famed neighbors such as World No. 1 tennis champion Arantxa Sánchez Vicario, NBA champion Manu Ginóbili, and DJ/producer David Guetta.

The beautiful daytime event took place at the GranParaiso sales center, allowing guests to take in the stunning waterfront view and enjoy bites prepared by Chef Michael Schwartz, whose restaurant will be located within the property. The ceremony began with a visual presentation and panel discussion of the latest progress on the Biscayne Line initiative, a project conquered among the University of Miami, ArquitectonicaGEO and Related teams. Panelists included Carlos Rosso from the Related Group, Wyn Bradley from the University of Miami, and Jeremy Gauger & Robert Lloyd from ArchitectonicaGEO.

During the Fall 2015 semester, the University of Miami joined forces with ArquitectonicaGEO and Related to offer a studio course focused on the development of the Biscayne line–the proposed 12-mile waterfront linear park to connect Downtown Miami to the entire length of Edgewater, while opening up the previously inaccessible waterfront to the community for recreation. The challenging program allowed 5-year students to work on the impressive project, resolving to develop nine key sights along the Biscayne Bay line. Students were then prompted to problem solve and determine how to move and make a continuous line into Downtown Miami while avoiding obstacles and other buildings. “The students were finally able to move out of the ethereal world of academia into real-life problem solving,” Wyn Bradley said. In the end, the students came up with fantastic solutions to get the continuous pathway to work and make the project come alive.

Photo Credit: David Heischrek / DHPA.com 

After the panel discussion, guests got to join A-Rod and friends in the celebratory ground-breaking ceremony, officially leaving their mark on the final tower of the Paraiso complex.The luxury property is among many upcoming gems bordering the Biscayne line. At a later date, students and Rudolph el-Khoury, dean of the University of Miami School of Architecture, joined the team for a second panel discussion where they got to give their personal input from the experience working with the team and celebrate the exciting groundbreaking ceremony.