Icon Bay – A First Look at the Exterior and Bayfront Sculpture Park [VIDEO]
The wait is almost over! Closings are expected to start next month for the highly anticipated Icon Bay. This was the development that set off the mad land grab in Edgewater among Miami real estate developers. Preconstruction condo sales for this luxury waterfront development launched back in August 2012. Finishing touches are currently being made to the exterior of Icon Bay as well as to the bayfront sculpture park.
Earlier today, I took a drive up to Edgewater, parked my car, and then walked the grounds at Icon Bay. I was able to take some photos as well as a quick video tour of the property to give you a good feel for what you should expect from Icon Bay once it arrives next month.
Below are the photos that I took earlier today of Icon Bay and the bayfront sculpture park:
Drone Video – Marinablue Unit 5602
Throughout my career, technology has played an instrumental role in the success of my business – from implementing the latest website technologies to launching mobile apps for the Miami condo market. One such technology that has been a mainstay in my business is video. Since at least 2006, I have incorporated video in my real estate business to capture and market properties online. Back then, to capture a video tour of a property, I would strap a digital camcorder to a tripod and push it around on dolly wheels. Since then, not only has video technology improved significantly but the means with which to capture footage has seen major advancements as well. Perhaps the most notable of these advancements is drone technology. By attaching an HD camera to a drone, one is able to capture breathtaking shots from way up high. It also is a fabulous way to provide geographic perspective to an online audience who may not be familiar with the location of a property.
Over the past year, I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to integrate aerial footage captured via drone to my marketing arsenal. My recent listing of unit 5602 at Marinablue – a turnkey furnished 2 bedroom condo located just one floor below the penthouse level – seemed more than ideal. The video above demonstrates the power of drone technology in capturing stunning footage from the skies above. After watching it, I am sure you will agree that drones and real estate are a match made in heaven.
Marinablue is located at 888 Biscayne Blvd in Downtown Miami – directly across the street from Museum Park.
Showroom-quality Industrial Loft at Parc Lofts – Asking $539,900
It is with great pleasure that I introduce my newest listing – unit 503 at Parc Lofts – a fully furnished, showroom-quality 1 bedroom, 1.5 bath bi-level loft with soaring, 20-foot ceilings and 1,109 interior square feet. No expense spared. Over $150,000 spent in upgrades, furniture, lighting, and renovations. Incredible attention to detail. Master and half baths both completely renovated. Master bath features a steam shower with rainfall shower head and side body jets. The entire residence has been elegantly designed and furnished. A true work of art!
Additional features include: a Samsung 4-door refrigerator, Fisher & Paykel DishDrawer dishwasher, Bosch front-loading washer, Bosch front-loading dryer/steam dryer, tankless water heater, and more. A hydraulic lift to park a second vehicle also comes included.
Asking $539,900 – a fabulous opportunity for the uncompromising buyer in search of the finest of industrial lofts in Miami. Unit 603, the exact same floor plan but without ANY upgrades, sold unfurnished last year for $420,000.
Parc Lofts – just minutes from Downtown Miami, Edgewater, Wynwood, and Midtown Miami – is located at 1749 NE Miami Ct in the neighborhood known as the Arts + Entertainment District and catty-corner from the preconstruction condo development called Canvas, which has been selling at an average of $475 per square foot.
For questions and/or requests to view the property, please contact me via email at lucas@miamicondoinvestments.com or by phone at 786-247-6332.
The Emergence of the Arts + Entertainment District
As if out of thin air, a new neighborhood has emerged in Miami – the Arts + Entertainment District – an area located north of Park West, south of Wynwood, and west of Edgewater. When I first heard of the newly coined neighborhood, my first thought was, “That’s silly; you can’t just create a neighborhood out of thin air.” But that’s exactly what NR Investments did, and their PR firm is doing a helluva job in making the name stick. It’s a gutsy play, but one that could pay big dividends for NR Investments if things go according to plan.
See, NR Investments has a sizable stake in the area. Not only do they own Filling Stations Lofts – the 81-unit rental development located at 1657 North Miami Avenue – they also own a one-acre parcel located between Northeast 14th and 15th Streets, with plans to one day develop a mixed-use project on that site.
Most notably, NR Investments is the developer behind the 37-story, preconstruction condo development called Canvas, located at 1630 Northeast 1st Avenue. In October 2013, they acquired Canvas’ 1.1-acre site at a bankruptcy auction for $7.2M. Last October – just one year later – NR Investments dubbed the area the Arts + Entertainment District, and kicked-off its launch with a community event featuring free food, coffee, and WiFi. But they didn’t stop there. Since then, weekly events have been held at Filling Station Lofts or their Canvas sales location. These events have included such offerings as live music, yoga classes, food and drinks, a social media workshop, and, most recently, a risque circus show featuring aerial acrobatics – all free to community participants.
NR Investments has taken the “if you build it, they will come” approach, with “it” being community and “they” being residents, who, in turn, it is presumed, would attract the interest of buyers both near and far. The Arts + Entertainment District even has its own website, and the awareness that is brought to the area via its social media channels is on point (again, hat tip to the PR firm). Their commitment to the neighborhood shines through in the content that is produced and published. To see what I mean, follow them on Twitter and Instragram.
But NR Investments is no longer the only major player with a vested interest in seeing this emerging neighborhood succeed. This past January, Rebuild Miami-Edgewater, LLC purchased, for $64M, the 7.35-acre lot located directly north of Canvas and east of Parc Lofts at the corner of Northeast 2nd Avenue and Northeast 17th Street. The site, which is to include hotel, retail, and residential components, is zoned for up to 3 million square feet. Just last week, it was announced that a boutique, 200-room hotel called Vīb will setup shop there, with groundbreaking to occur this November.
In and of itself, news of the 7.35-acre lot finally being developed is huge. In 2005, when closings for units at Parc Lofts began, I remember there being talk of development plans that were all but inevitable for that site. It was to be a big-box retail center called Bayview Market. But, alas, it never happened. The plan got scrapped, and the land sat empty for all these years.
Marketing ploy or not, it appears that NR Investments’ plan is working. With prices averaging $475 per square foot, 40 percent of Canvas’ 513 total units have already been reserved – and that’s saying something. What NR Investments has done with the neighborhood in such a short amount of time is, quite simply, incredible. Creating community is no easy task. In fact, it’s a huge undertaking, one that requires commitment, consistency, and patience. Thus far, they’ve done a spectacular job in bringing residents together and providing an identity to an area of Miami that had been lacking. Undoubtedly, this is an exciting time for this emerging neighborhood. In the coming year, it will be interesting to see the type of capital this area is able to attract from other developers and/or investment groups.
Miami Design District Video Tour
Over the past couple of years, there’s been a lot of chatter about an incredible transformation taking place in Miami’s Design District. I must admit, I wasn’t buying into it. I was definitely skeptical. At best, I figured it would be many, many years before such a grand vision would come to fruition. Yesterday, I became a believer.
Craig Robins, the developer, is an absolute genius! Robins’ creation is, without a doubt, a game-changer for the neighborhood and a welcomed addition to the city of Miami as a whole. His vision has become a reality, and it’s more spectacular than I could have ever imagined. I walked the site with my own two feet yesterday. The birds were chirping, the sun was glistening, and the best-of-the-best fashion and jewelry brands were in full effect. In every direction. Everywhere I turned. Bvlgari. Louis Vuitton. Valentino. Givenchy. Pucci. Harry Winston. Rolex. Cartier. Versace. Giorgio Armani. And that’s just to name a handful – okay, maybe two – with more big-time designers on the way. By the end of next year, if all goes according to plan, over 120 luxury shops will have opened.
The public art is spectacular in its own right. Buckminster Fuller’s 24-foot Fly’s Eye Dome acts as an illustrious center piece of this ultra-luxury shopping mecca. It’s beautiful. And interesting. I walked inside of it. I now know what my life would have been like as a fly. Pretty neat, except for the fact that it’s very difficult to focus on just one thing. Like having a sever case of Attention Deficit Disorder times ten. Where was I? Oh, yes, the art…
Xavier Veilhan’s Le Corbusier, which sits opposite of Fly’s Eye Dome in the Palm Court, is another noteworthy art installation. The piece is a fiberglass sculpture of celebrated architect Le Corbusier – one of the pioneers of modern architecture.
Overall, the newly redeveloped Miami Design District is fabulous. But don’t take my word for it. I highly suggest that you go check it out for yourself. At the very least, check out the video below for a quick tour. Better yet, watch the video and then go check it out in person. By the way, the area shown in the video is just a small section of the overall site plan. It’s still a work in progress. A hotel, condo tower, restaurants, and an additional 60 opulent shops are in the works.
Of course, the obvious question becomes, with such an impressive collection of luxury brands all in one place, why would a luxury flagship retailer even consider any other location, such as Brickell City Centre or The Mall at Miami Worldcenter? Will those shopping destinations be DOA and forced to fill their retail space with less-luxurious brands. And what kind of an effect will Miami Design District have on already established shopping centers such as The Shops at Bal Harbour and Village of Merrick Park? I would love to hear your thoughts.
