Why? I love my reef. Such beautiful colors and it's really going to be a show piece.
I also really love our predator tank which is FOWLR but to keep predators, that's the way it almost has to be... FOWLR. With the right setup, neither is any more difficult to maintain then the other.
And you are certainly building a great setup and positioning yourself for success with a reef. It would also be successful as a FOWLR.