Controlled Implosion Clears Brickell Key Site for The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami - Florida YIMBY

Credit: Alain Martinez Studio.

By: [Oscar Nunez](https://floridayimby.com/author/oscar)8:00 amon April 14, 2026

Swire Properties has completed the controlled implosion of the former 23-story Mandarin Oriental, Miami hotel and its adjacent six-story parking structure at 500 Brickell Key Drive on Brickell Key, clearing the site for The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami. The implosion took place on the morning of Sunday, April 12, with debris removal expected to take up to six months before preparations for groundbreaking advance.

The demolition was the product of nearly two years of planning and coordination among Swire, the City of Miami, The BG Group LLC, Controlled Demolition Inc., and Moss Construction. Site preparations included the installation of perimeter container walls and temporary barges, deployment of vibration and air quality monitors, and a pre-implosion survey of Biscayne Bay to establish a baseline for post-implosion marine environment comparison. Swire also conducted more than 30 community outreach meetings with Brickell Key residents and the broader Brickell community ahead of the implosion.


“Mandarin Oriental has been a defining part of Brickell Key for more than two decades, and the brand’s legacy will live on with the development of two towers set to transform residential living and hospitality in Miami,” said Dave Martin, President of Swire Properties. “With demolition now behind us, our team is eager to get going with vertical construction as we entertain buyers from across the U.S. and around the world.”



The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami is a two-tower ultra-luxury residential and hospitality development designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox. The 66-story South Tower will contain 228 private residences with interiors by Tristan Auer. The 34-story North Tower will contain 70 private residences with interiors by AD100 designer Laura Gonzalez, 28 turnkey Hotel Collection residences, and 121 hotel guest rooms positioned as the Mandarin Oriental brand’s North American flagship. Landscape architecture is by SHMA. The two towers will share a podium with more than 100,000 square feet of amenity space.


Credit: The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami.


Credit: The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami.

The project has recorded $1.3 billion in residential sales to date. Two penthouse transactions at $49.9 million each atop the South Tower closed in March, setting a record for the highest-priced condominium sales on mainland Miami at approximately $6,300 per square foot. Groundbreaking is anticipated in late 2026, with construction completion targeted for 2030.