By Victor J. Rosario, Candidate for Miami-Dade County Mayor
In the middle of Brickell, one of the most valuable business districts in the country, sits a 1970s federal office building that the federal government itself no longer wants. It's the Brickell Plaza Federal Building at 909 SE 1st Avenue, Miami, FL 33131, and today it houses the headquarters of Coast Guard District 7, now called the Southeast District.
Under my administration, Miami-Dade County will buy that property, tear the old building down, and build something that works for the residents: a county-owned hotel and office tower under MDC Quarters.
The Site
The Brickell Plaza Federal Building is a nine-story structure built in 1971 on a lot of about 60,000 square feet. It sits right on the Metromover line and within walking distance of Brickell City Centre, surrounded by some of the highest-value real estate in Miami-Dade County.
In late 2024, the General Services Administration named the building one of eight federal properties nationwide it planned to sell. Rather than spend millions modernizing an aging building, the federal government decided to get rid of it.
That is our opening. That land should not go to the highest private bidder. It should go to the residents of Miami-Dade County.
The Plan
- Purchase the property. Miami-Dade County buys 909 SE 1st Avenue.
- District 7 relocates out of Brickell. The Coast Guard district headquarters will have to move somewhere else, just like the station on the island at 8 Torres.
- Demolish the old building. A 1971 office block is not the best use of prime Brickell land.
- Build a hotel and office space. A new county-owned tower with hotel rooms for the visitors who come to Miami every day, and modern office space for the businesses that want to be in Brickell.
Why a Hotel and Office Space
Brickell is where the business world meets Miami. Companies are moving here, visitors are coming here, and demand for rooms and office space isn't going away. Today, when that demand is met, the profits go to private developers and out-of-town owners.
With MDC Quarters Brickell, every night a hotel room is booked and every month an office lease is paid, the money goes to a property the residents own.
And because it sits right on the Metromover, guests and office workers can reach it by transit instead of adding more cars to Brickell's streets.
How It Pays the Residents: Project Fund
MDC Quarters Brickell is part of Project Fund, alongside 8 Torres on the island off the MacArthur Causeway.
- Profits from the hotel and office space flow into Project Fund.
- Profits are split 70% to residents and 30% to the county.
- Residents receive their benefit every 3 months.
Project Fund is not a stock, a dividend, or a financial product. It's a benefit. The county owns the property, and the residents own the county. So the residents share in what it earns.
Building It Right
I am pro-development and pro-construction, but we will build responsibly, without cutting corners.
- Built for our climate. Hurricane standards and flood resilience are non-negotiable from day one.
- Full transparency. The purchase price, the demolition and construction contracts, and every dollar of revenue from the hotel and office space will be published on the Public Integrity Portal. Residents will be able to see exactly what their building is earning.
Residents First
This administration puts the residents of Miami-Dade County first, ahead of developers, ahead of donors, ahead of friends. Brickell land has been making other people rich for decades. MDC Quarters Brickell makes sure some of it pays the people who actually live here.
MDC Quarters Brickell. Bought by Miami-Dade. Built by Miami-Dade. Paying Miami-Dade.
— Victor J. Rosario victormiamidadecountymayor.com
About Victor J. Rosario
Victor J. Rosario is the Residents-First candidate for Miami-Dade County Mayor 2028. A U.S. Coast Guard veteran, entrepreneur, technologist, and artist, Victor brings a track record of building real solutions — from AI tools to campaign policy — that serve Miami-Dade's 2.8 million residents.
Learn More About Victor