Rapper Pitbull Wants to Replace His Childhood Miami Home With Office

Miami rapper Pitbull, known for hit songs like “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)” and “Fireball,” wants to replace his childhood home with an office building in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood to serve as the headquarters of his music label.

An entity tied to Pitbull’s Mr. 305 Records has filed plans to build an eight-story office building on a 1,438-square-foot site at 25 Northeast 28th Street in the northeast corner of Wynwood, near Midtown Miami. 

The 11,211-square-foot building would include about 9,728 square feet of office space but no parking. The applicant is seeking a density boost to allow three additional floors, in exchange for making a donation to the Wynwood Public Benefits Trust Fund. 

The artist, whose real name is Armando Christian Pérez, has partnered with the Rilea Group to develop the building, which is on the same block as the Miami-based developer’s 152-unit condo and 300-unit multifamily properties. Both developments are now under construction.

The site of the proposed office project holds a single-story home, which has been approved for demolition. Pitbull’s music label purchased the asset for $400,000 in 2015 from the rapper’s mother, according to property records. A representative for Rilea Group confirmed that the house was in fact Pitbull’s childhood home.

“Given the personal significance of the site, we are approaching the opportunity with care and look forward to thoughtfully bringing new life to the property as part of Wynwood’s continued evolution,” Luis Ojeda, project executive at Rilea Group, said in a statement.

Since Pitbull’s youth, Wynwood has become a hotbed of development with high-end condos, restaurants and offices, including that of tech giant Amazon. The Wynwood Development Review Committee will review the development application March 10.

Pitbull’s career has also shifted since the height of his music success in the 2010s. In 2012, he founded Slam! Foundation, which supports a charter school network. Last year, the City of Miami approved the sale of the historic Olympia Theater for just $10 to the school organization in return for renovating the property, a project expected to cost $77 million.

In 2024, Pitbull also bought the naming rights to Florida International University’s football stadium.

Julia Echikson can be reached at jechikson@commercialobserver.com.