A developer in Miami has added a skyport to his high-rise luxury apartment building, anticipating a demand for VTOL flying taxis, according to The Miami Herald. Dan Kodsi, who is building the 60-story, 530-unit Paramount Miami Worldcenter, is designing the rooftop to accommodate a 5,000-square-foot skyport. Kodsi said he got the idea after hearing about last year’s Uber Elevate conference, which included plans to work with developers in Dallas, Los Angeles and Dubai to create skyports by 2020. “Being a developer, you want to see where the trends are heading and stay ahead of them,” Kodsi said.
“I really truly believe the skyport will be the future train station,” Kodsi added. “Why not buy in a building that has the potential to be in line where transportation is heading?” Construction of the Miami building is expected to be completed next year. The glass-encased rooftop will serve as an observation deck for now. When VTOLs arrive, the rooftop will be equipped with a landing pad, and the observation deck will accommodate travelers as a “sky lobby,” according to the Herald. Officials in Dubai already have begun flight tests with prototype air taxis built by Volocopter and eHang.
