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Miami's priciest condo sales of May 2015

5/18/2015

Miami's Most Expensive Condo Sales of May 2015

Via www.therealdeal.com

Miami Beach was the king of pricey condo sales last week. The city saw five of the 10 most expensive condo closings — all over the span of four days — totaling $12.5 million, according to data from condo.com

Three of those units traded in one development: the former Canyon Ranch Hotel & Spa mega complex, now known as the Carillon Hotel & Spa, under its new owners Z Capital Partners.

The week’s most expensive sale was a penthouse in Bellini Williams Island, which closed for $4.2 million after spending 418 days on the market. Vivian Toppe of Esslinger Wooten Maxwell was the listing agent.

Moving down the list, prices stayed between the week’s high point of $4.2 million and its low of $1.86 million. The second most expensive sale, a $3 million unit at the Setai, blew the competition’s price per square foot out of the water — the unit closed for $2,473 per square foot.

There were 165 condo sales in Miami-Dade County, selling for a total of $74 million. The average price per unit was $453,131 and $845 per square foot — a new weekly high.

Here’s a breakdown of the data for the week of May 10 to May 16. Click on the map for more information:

Most expensive

Bellini Williams Island, Aventura | $4.2M | $845 psf | 418 days on market | Vivian Toppe of Esslinger Wooten Maxwell Least expensive

Ocean One, Sunny Isles Beach | $1.86M | $714 psf | 86 days on market |Oney Santibanez of Beachfront Realty Most days on market

Canyon Ranch, Miami Beach | 426 days on market | $2.35M | $1,148 psf | Janice Christensen of Douglas Elliman Least days on market

Ocean One, Sunny Isles Beach | 86 days on market | $1.86M | $714 psf | Oney Santibanez of Beachfront Realty - See more at: http://therealdeal.com/miami/blog/2015/05/18/the-week-in-luxury-a-map-of-miami-dades-priciest-condo-sales-15/#sthash.pRthswYJ.dpuf

Priciest Home Listings In The Tri-County May 2015

5/4/2015

Priciest home listings in the tri-county area this week Ranged from $3.9M to $39M
Courtesy Of: Sean Stewart-Muniz and Katherine Kallergis of TheRealDeal.com

Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach — over the past week ranged from $3.9 million to $39 million, according to Zillow data. Miami-Dade had the priciest property and a home in Palm Beach was on the low end.

Miami-Dade

#1 A Palm Island mansion was listed for $39 million. 10 Palm Avenue includes a 130-foot heated pool with a Jacuzzi, grotto and waterfall; a beach volleyball court; gym; and movie theater. The eight bedroom, six-bathroom and two-half-bathroom mansion has 9,893 square feet and sits on a 35,348-square-foot lot, according to Miami-Dade County property records. Jago Tech Investments LLC, tied to entrepreneur Christian Jagodzinski, paid $2.25 million for the site in February 1999. Lisa Blake of Villazzo is the listing agent, according to the MLS.

#2 The house at 110 Arvida Parkway was on the market for 539 days as of early December. It was relisted this week for the same price — $35 million. The property last sold in 1990 for $1.9 million. It includes six bedrooms, nine-and-a-half bathrooms and 12,756 square feet. It features more than 200 feet of dockage, attached in-law quarters with an elevator and a third-story observatory. Engel & Volkers’ Lourdes Alatriste has the listing for this Gables Estates home.

#3 Kobi Karp designed the house at 2920 North Bay Road, which was listed at $29.5 million. The 9,815-square-foot mansion in Miami Beach has seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms. The property includes a gym, private office, elevator, custom kitchen, wine cellar, and a rooftop deck with a bar and heated saltwater pool. The Jills’ Jill Hertzberg of Coldwell Banker is the listing agent.

Palm Beach

#1 A massive equestrian property at 10366 Wellington Preserve Boulevard is being listed for $32 million. The compound totals 102.8 acres with five barns and 120 stalls. Four of the barns is 11,510 square feet, while one is 23,000 square feet. All five are climate controlled. The compound also has six 1,917-square-foot staff quarters with four bedrooms. The property also has a three-bedroom, two-bathroom guest home. Other features include two regulation-size polo fields and an exercise track. Carlos Arellano of Equity Realty Group has the listing.

#2 The 8,233-square-foot mansion at 444 East Coconut Palm Road in Boca Raton has hit the market for $8.5 million. The listing describes the eight-bedroom, eight-bathroom home as inspired by “Gianni Versace.” It’s on a half-acre lot fronting a canal. Peggy Turk of the Berger Realty Group has the listing.

#3 A Mediterranean-style home at 323 Seabreeze Avenue in Palm Beach has been listed for $3.9 million. The 4,430-square-foot residence was built in the 1920s, and its listing describes it as “meticulously maintained.” It has an expansive outdoor patio, which surrounds the property’s pool, and comes with a next-door guest home. Dana Koch of the Corcoran Group has the listing.

Broward

#1 A home with Chinese decor in Hallandale beach was listed for $10.5 million. Located at 660 Oleander Drive, this 7,458-square-foot home sits on a half-acre lot near the Intracoastal Waterway. It has five bedrooms, six bathrooms and a heated outdoor pool. Janet Ben Zvi of Engel & Voelkers has the listing.

#2 A penthouse at The Diplomat Oceanfront Residences in Hollywood is on the market for $9.9 million. Unit 2901 at 3535 South Ocean Drive has 7,861 square feet, six bedrooms and eight-and-a-half bathrooms. It takes up an entire floor, has ocean views and 12-foot ceilings. The home also has a private theater room, motorized window shades and smart-home technology. It is being listed by Bozena Kaluza of Diplomat International Realty.

#3 The mansion at 16710 Stratford Court in Southwest Ranches has been put up for sale at $4.7 million. The gated property sits on 2.5 acres and has six bedrooms and seven-and-a-half bathrooms. It features smart home technology, a media room, full gym and what the listing describes as a “free-form pool.” Jodi Macken of Macken Realty has the listing.

Amazon.com brings One Hour Delivery Service to Miami.

3/29/2015

Amazon One-Hour Delivery Service Launches In Miami

Since last December, Amazon.com has been experimenting with their new "Prime Now" One-Hour delivery service in Manhattan, New York. Now, Miami (along with Baltimore) will be the second city to get the service.

For $7.99, shoppers who have an Amazon Prime account, which costs $79 a year, can have a package delivered within an hour between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m., seven days a week. Two-hour deliveries are free.
The total list of zip codes which are available for this service are: 33131, 33186, 33172, 33182, 33184, 33174, 33122, 33144, 33126, 33125, 33155, 33134, 33135, 33136, 33142, 33145, 33128, 33133, 33127, 33130, 33129, 33137, 33132.

Amazon, however, announced that they will "rapidly" expand the zip codes covered by the service. So if your area isn't covered yet, be patient. The service launched in only a few areas of Manhattan, but quickly rolled out to the entire island.

Those areas actually aren't that much of a surprise. Amazon opened a new distribution center near Doral in the 33182 zip code last November. The service offers 25,000 products, though that's a small fraction of the 20 million that Amazon offers in total. And those delivers are made by a person ... not by drone. (Not yet, anyway.)

"Since launching, we've seen high demand on everything from essentials like water and paper towels to more surprising deliveries like getting a customer a hard-to-find, top-selling toy in 23 minutes," Dave Clark, Amazon's senior vice president of worldwide operations, said in a statement. "We are excited to continue delivering to customers in record-breaking time."

Metromover will remain free to the public for now.

3/29/2015

Metromover Remains Free For Public Use

The downtown Metromover system will remain free for now as Dade County commissioners rejected a plan yesterday to add a fare by a vote of 10-2.

It would have cost between $2.4 million and $9 million to begin collecting fares, and an additional $525,000 every year. A fare of $1 would have generated between $1.8 million and $2.7 million each year, meaning that it would have taken years to recoup the costs.

The county is now considering privatizing the system, according to a report in the Herald.

Proposed Parking Garage/Residences Above Historic Biscayne Boulevard Church.

2/15/2015

Proposed Parking Garage Over Historic Biscayne Boulevard Church

Proposed Parking Garage Over Historic Biscayne Boulevard Church

Developer Fifteen Group along with designer Architect Add Inc prepared a creative plan to preserve the historic church at 1836 Biscayne Boulevard, while adding 352 residential units and a parking garage.

The proposal is currently being reviewed by Miami’s Historic and Environmental Preservation Board. The church would be restored and retrofitted to become hurricane-resistant. Instead of a place of worship, a grocer would occupy the space.

A 34-story residential tower would be built next to the church. ‘Floating’ above the former church would be a parking garage. In total, up to 480 parking spaces are planned.

Developer Fifteen Group paid $14.25m for the property last year. R.J. Heisenbottle Architects is working alongside ADD Inc for the developer as a historic preservation consultant.

The church is directly across the street from Atlas Capital Group’s newly proposed 429-unit residential tower at 1900 Biscayne.

The Priciest Real Estate Listings in South FL Feb 2015.

2/8/2015

The top three most expensive listings to hit each of the tri-county real estate markets – Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach – over the past week ranged from $3.4 million to $24 million, according to Zillow data. Palm Beach had the priciest property and a Fort Lauderdale house was on the low end.

Miami-Dade

#1 Palazzo del Mare, a four-bedroom, four-bathroom home on Fisher Island was listed for $8.6 million. The 3,690-square-foot condo at 7124 Fisher Island Drive includes wrap-around terraces, marble floors and floor-to-ceiling glass doors. Keyes Company Realtors’ Scott Pressman has the listing.

#2 A six-bedroom, nine-bath estate in Miami Beach is on the market for $8.25 million. Optimar International Realty’s Leon Weinschneider has the listing for 5154 La Gorce Drive. The 5,830-square-foot house sits on a 10,018-square-foot lot.

#3 A Coco Plum estate was listed for $7.2 million. The two-acre property includes a separate guest house, tennis court and oversized lagoon pool. Avatar Real Estate Services’ Josie Wang has the listing for the seven-bedroom, seven-and-a-half bathroom house at 4770 Southwest 80th Street. The property was last sold in October 2011 for $3.2 million.

Palm Beach

#1 Corcoran’s Paulette Koch has the listing for 6 Lagomar Road, which is on the market for $24 million. The Lagomar estate was fully renovated in 2006 and comes with an elevator and natural gas generator. It was last sold in 1997 for $2.3 million.

#2 An equestrian estate in Wellington was listed for $9.9 million. The five-bedroom, six-bathroom home at 3196 Mallet Hill Court comes with an 18-stall barn, guest cottage and private driveways. Martha Jolicoeur of Illustrated Properties has the listing.

#3 Douglas Elliman’s Steven Solomon has the listing for a Highland Beach home at 3511 South Ocean Boulevard. The five-bedroom, five-bathroom duplex has 6,358 square feet, a 1,000-bottle temperature controlled wine room and a private elevator. It’s on the market for $7.9 million.

Broward

#1 Multiple loggias, balconies and separate guest (or captain) accommodations are included in a listing at 2 Pelican Isle in Fort Lauderdale. The five-bedroom, seven-bathroom estate is on the market for nearly $15 million. Janus Realty’s Lucy Lu has the listing for the 10,218-square-foot home.

#2 A five-bedroom, eight-bathroom waterfront house in Fort Lauderdale is on the market for nearly $9 million. The 8,088-square-foot home at 38 Isla Bahia Drive was built last year. The property last sold for $1.8 million in 2011. Florida Luxurious Properties’ Jose Gouvea has the listing.

#3 Another Fort Lauderdale home was listed for $3.4 million. The four-bedroom, four-bathroom house at 633 Fifth Key Drive has 3,157 square feet and was last

- See more at: http://therealdeal.com/miami/blog/2015/02/06/priciest-home-listings-in-the-tri-county-area-this-week-8/#sthash.iZqabN50.dpuf

County May Vote to start charging for Metro Mover rides.

1/25/2015

Metro Mover rides may no longer be free.

Since its creation in the 1980s the downtown Metromover system has always been free of charge. This may becoming to an end though as city and county planners are now moving forward with motions to put a final vote on whether there should be a charge of $1 per ride on the Metromover. The costs to convert to a paid system will be between $2.4 million and $9 million and could it could take years to recoup those costs. There's also an additional $525,000 of ongoing annual maintenance that wouldn't including any issues that will come up in the future.

The positive: County Officials say it will bring in an estimated revenue between $1.8 million and $2.7 million each year. This additional renvenue would go towards paying other transit related projects

Article courtesy of Next Miami

Frost Science Museum (Opening Summer 2016) Unveils "Martini" Shark Tank Construction

1/4/2015

Via Frost Science Museum Website

Beginning Friday, December 12, crews worked non-stop for 24 hours, 48 minutes and 59 straight seconds, to place over 1,200 cubic yards (120 trucks) of concrete, making up more than 9,000 square feet of tank surface area, filling the walls of the massive cone-shaped Gulf Stream tank aquarium and marking the Museum’s biggest milestone in construction to date. The 500,000 gallon tank, open to the sun and sky, will serve as the centerpiece of the new Museum. Not only will this be the city’s newest iconic landmark, but also one of the most complex projects currently being undertaken in the United States. In addition to the erection of monumental amounts of shoring and formwork, impressive in and of itself, the laborious groundwork included the installation of over 370 tons of epoxy coated steel reinforcement intertwined by a web of 57 pipes containing over 700 high strength post tensioning cables that generate over 14,000 tons of compression force into the concrete to prevent cracking once poured. Stepping onto the outdoor top level of the Living Core once the Museum opens in 2016, visitors will encounter the 100-foot open surface of the tank vessel to catch glimpses of marine creatures such as hammerhead sharks and tunas.

One of the most significant achievements in architectural design and one whose shape alone has never been done before, the form will come to life later this week as the wet blanket is removed, and the dried and settled concrete is revealed. The tank is now prepared to support over 4 million pounds of sea water and… SHARKS! Complex in its conical shape, inclination and suspension, as well as a 30-foot diameter oculus at the bottom of the basin, the shape is energy-efficient and ideal for sharks as there are no sharp corners, maximizing the cruising surface while reducing the amount of water – it’s not just the view that’s great.

This milestone means the Museum is officially more than half-way through construction and on track to open its doors in the summer of 2016. In a city where construction cranes dominate the skyline, this Museum is undeniably the most elaborate project being built in Miami, and we’re excited to celebrate key milestones with you.

New "Eye On The Bay" Ferris Wheel Concept Proposed.

12/14/2014

Article Courtesy of The Miami Herald: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/downtown-miami/article4453373.html

Rigoberto Valdes is just a marble salesman from North Miami Beach — trying to build something akin to the world’s largest Ferris wheel in downtown Miami.

Over the past three years, Valdes, his brother and his two sons have quietly developed a series of plans to design, build and finance a monumental theme-park attraction in South Florida. Valdes, 56, says they have shopped their idea during meetings with numerous politicians and government officials, at first hoping to receive approval to build at PortMiami, then Fort Lauderdale’s Swimming Hall of Fame, then the vacant lot behind the AmericanAirlines Arena.

None of those sites panned out, and so now the company they created, Caribe-Miami Corp., is seeking to erect the 650-foot-tall steel oval above the FEC boat slip between the arena and Museum Park. They’re calling it “Eye on the Bay” — even if one key local politician is calling it “horrible.”

The structure — which New York engineer Malcolm McLaren explained isn’t actually a Ferris wheel — would rotate glass-skinned pods large enough to host a small party on a track around a 2,000-ton steel oval. The track would be mounted atop four legs that dive directly into the water.

The $350million structure would include a restaurant and bar about 250 feet up in the air, plus a retail-lined walkway beneath the wheel connecting Museum Park and Parcel B behind the arena. The walkway would be 40 or 50 feet above the slip, tall enough to allow a number of yachts to continue to dock along the seawall, McLaren said.

But first, Valdes, director of operations for the company, needs permission from the city and the county to build on public land and bay bottom. Right now it appears that may be a long shot, but Valdes says he’s going to make it happen.

“I think we can convince the city,” said Valdes, whose sons run the company while he markets the project. “This came to my mind while I was watching the Olympic Games in London. We saw the London Eye and said, ‘Why don’t we have this in Miami?’”

With the help of family, Valdes created plans he first called Miami Skyline Wheel for a traditional Ferris wheel at the PortMiami site where Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez once proposed building a Ferris wheel back when he was a county commissioner. When that site didn’t pan out, he spoke with Fort Lauderdale officials about building just off Fort Lauderdale beach.

Then he began to talk to county commissioners about Parcel B, the county-owned lot behind the arena where the Miami Heat plays. He said he had at least three discussions with Gimenez’s former chief of staff, Lisa Martinez, and also met with most of the county commission, some of whom were enthusiastic.

Martinez said the meetings never went beyond looking at renderings, and she referred Valdes to the procurement office.

He has a team of noted experts. McLaren Engineering Group, which designed the wheel, has worked on everything from theme park rides at Universal Studios to Rolling Stone stage setups. President Malcolm McLaren called the attraction “a new concept.”

“To me this augments the use of the waterfront. I think that’s a good thing,” he said.

LEDO International is conducting a feasibility study for the project, Valdes said. And Miami architect Kobi Karp is aboard.

“It worked successfully in London,” said Karp, referencing the London Eye Ferris wheel. “The question is, do we want it to work in Miami? And is it the right platform?”

Valdes said the port clearly was not the right spot. And Parcel B became moot when Miami-Dade commissioners agreed to support a Cuban exile museum behind the area. Now it seems, that for all Valdes’ wishful thinking, the FEC slip might not be in play either.

“It’s horrible,” Miami Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who represents downtown, said of the project.

Sarnoff actually publicized the first details of Valdes’ vision Thursday during a city commission meeting, although it wasn’t to advertise the idea. Sarnoff opposes the attraction, and said Valdes told his chief of staff that all the other commissioners were in favor of the project, and that he was holding it up.

“I’m not in favor of Eye on the Bay or anything of a magnitude like that, and if there is a commissioner that’s having conversations about this, then go on record and let us know that’s your vision,” Sarnoff said during the meeting.

Only two other commissioners were in attendance Thursday evening. Chairman Wifredo “Willy” Gort said he’d met with Caribe-Miami Corp, and told them, “I don’t think you can do it downtown.” Francis Suarez said his staff had scheduled a meeting next week.

Other hurdles: Most any proposal to build on or near the bay has been controversial, as the public has been protective of the few waterfront views and access that remain in Miami. And the Miami commission can be difficult.

Healthcare mogul Mike Fernandez, for instance, recently backed off plans to build a massive American flag and veterans memorial on the same corner of Museum Park after he said relations soured with some elected officials.

Valdes, however, is optimistic. He says the project would be open to the public and would spur foot traffic in downtown between Museum Park and Bayside Marketplace, where the 1,000-foot observation tower SkyRise Miami is to be built. He says each pod would take a half-hour to move once around the wheel and would hold about 25 people, large enough to host parties and weddings.

He said he’s still securing financing, but has interested local investors and plans to seek Chinese investors through the U.S. EB-5 visa program.

“We’re a poor family,” he said. “But we have big ideas.”

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/downtown-miami/article4453373.html#storylink=cpy

Florida Film & Television Center Breaks Ground On New Facility

12/14/2014

Florida Film & Television Center Breaks Ground

The Florida Film & Television Center broke ground last Friday (Dec 12th) on a new state-of-the-art production facility in Miami.

EUE/Screen Gems Studios has a contract with the Omni Community Redevelopment Agency, which owns the land, to design, build and operate the facility.

EUE/Screen Gems will lease the Florida Film & Television Center after completion for 10 years at $100,000 a year plus 11 percent of gross revenue, according to a press release. There is an option for a nine-year renewal.

“This is an innovative public-private partnership where the lease payments and gross revenue share will be reinvested back into the neighborhood,” Omni CRA executive director Pieter Bockweg said in the release.

The new studio will house two sound stages of 15,000 square feet each, a 50-foot roof, 40-foot grid height, and approximately 12,000 square feet of office, editing suites, and accessory rooms, according to the release.

http://therealdeal.com/miami/blog/2014/12/12/florida-film-television-center-breaks-ground-in-miami/

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