Leading Swire Properties US development, Stephen Owens is responsible for Brickell’s changing skyline.

Mr. Owens has been with Swire for 34 years and is a leading South Florida developer – having spearheaded the development of Brickell Key.

Under his leadership, Swire will soon break ground on its latest project, Brickell CitiCentre – a 9-acre mix-use complex that Mr. Owens says will transform urban Miami.

“This is the concept that we have used in other projects and major cities in Asia, and it’s been a game-changing development,” he said. “We’re not just building or developing larger projects, we’re changing communities. Brickell CitiCentre will certainly do that.”

The project encompasses office space, over 400 residential units, a hotel, underground parking and about 139,000 square feet of retail. Mr. Owens said it has been designed with traffic in mind and will not introduce new net traffic to already congested Brickell.

“The entire concept is in response to the most comprehensive traffic study that we’ve undertaken,” he said. “It starts with traffic, it ends with traffic, and our efforts to bring in the best professionals to address traffic has been fundamental since the beginning.”

The project will also incorporate public transportation by integrating the Metromover parcels near the Eight Street into a mix-use building.

Besides the development of CitiCentre, Swire is looking to add a condominium next to the Mandarin on Brickell Key and plans to push a large development in urban Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Owens said no timeline is set on those future projects.

Mr. Owens discussed his career with Swire and detailed the Brickell CitiCentre project with Miami Today staff writer Patricia Hoyos at his Brickell Key office.