Residents in a Brickell apartment building are still without power weeks after a fire
Brickell has one serious housing story this week, one new Brickell Key dinner option, a condo-assessment lawsuit to follow, and nearby weekend options downtown.
Residents describe unsafe conditions after an electrical fire left a small apartment building without power and AC.
The most pressing local story this week isn't an event — it's people in the neighborhood living without electricity and air conditioning as summer heat sets in. CBS Miami reported on May 27 that residents of a nine-unit apartment building at SW First Avenue and 11th Street said they were still without power and AC following an electrical fire earlier in the month.
According to the residents CBS spoke with, the city deemed the property unsafe to live in, and some said they stayed anyway because they had nowhere else to go. An attorney for the property told CBS the affected tenants were month-to-month renters and had been offered immediate relocation to comparable accommodations. County and city commissioners told the station they had connected residents with legal and housing resources. Those are competing accounts, and the careful read is to keep each side attached to its source: residents described an unsafe building and few options; the property's attorney said relocation was offered.
The Mexican is open on Brickell Key
Brickell Key has a recent dinner-only opening with later weekend hours.
For something lighter: Brickell Key has a new dinner option. The Mexican opened to the public on April 9, at 601 Brickell Key Drive, Suite 100. It's a dinner-only spot, open Monday through Wednesday and Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m., and Thursday through Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m. — so it is on its later Thursday-through-Saturday schedule this weekend. Reservations were available through OpenTable as of the opening announcement. That April date means it's no longer brand new, but it's still a recent addition to the Key, and if you've been doing the same rotation of restaurants over there, it's one more door to try.
A condo-assessment lawsuit on Brickell Key
Condo owners on Brickell Key have sued over a large seawall and baywalk assessment.
Still on Brickell Key, and more consequential for the people who own there: a group of condo owners has sued the developer over a large special assessment. The Real Deal's South Florida page this week listed a May 26 story headlined around a "calculated scheme," describing a suit by Brickell Key condo owners against Swire over a $32 million seawall and baywalk assessment. The summary says residents allege they're being billed for repair and construction of areas the developer owns.
The important caveat is that these are allegations in a lawsuit, not findings. The available listing summarizes the allegation, but it does not include the full complaint or a complete response from the developer, so this is a case to follow rather than a settled account. If you own on the Key and this assessment lands on you, the next useful documents will be the court filings and any response from Swire.
Near Brickell, not in it: a museum and a concert
PAMM and Kaseya Center are downtown, not Brickell, but close enough for weekend planning.
Two things downtown are close enough to fold into a Brickell weekend, with the honest label that neither is in Brickell proper.
The Pérez Art Museum Miami, a short ride up Biscayne at 1103 Biscayne Blvd., opened a new exhibition on May 23 called "This Is America: Selections from PAMM's Collection." It's built around the United States' 250th anniversary and draws entirely from the museum's permanent collection, and it runs through June 6, 2027.
Kaseya Center at 601 Biscayne Blvd. has Miami Bash 2026 on its calendar for Saturday, May 30 at 8 p.m. Again: downtown, not Brickell, but close enough to work as a nearby arena option.
A quick wellness note on The Underline
The Underline has recurring wellness programming along the corridor.
The Underline hosts a recurring Saturday strength and mobility program at its Inter Stage, listed by The Underline, along with a Moms on the Move walking group. The available event pages did not show a clean May 30 confirmation, so check The Underline calendar before treating either program as a firm Saturday plan.
One last bit of neighborhood context
Bridge openings remain a daily-life friction point for Brickell drivers.
Not a weekend item, but a standing Brickell annoyance if you drive: CBS Miami reported on May 11 that Brickell Avenue Bridge openings have fueled rush-hour gridlock complaints, with residents describing openings during restricted times and backups running 20 to 40 minutes. FDOT owns the bridge and controls its day-to-day operation. If you've been stuck, you're not imagining it.