ME Miami Hotel Update

Although it may not seem like it from the outside, a significant amount of progress has been made to the ME Miami Hotel at Marquis in Park West. Late last week, CGI Merchant Group – the Miami-based investment and asset management firm which owns the lower 15 floors of Marquis – sent a newsletter to residents of the luxury high-rise to update them on the current and future plans for the hotel and hotel facilities, including the pool deck, spa, and fitness center.

Below are the highlights:

• All building permits have been approved
• The pool deck will undergo a complete renovation
• The exercise facility will receive updates to design and functionality as well as updated equipment
• The Spa design will evoke an exciting and relaxing environment complete with locker rooms for men and women and will offer a variety of spa and beauty treatments
• The valet and parking services will have enhanced safety and accessibility features
• Implementation of technological advances such as the ability to enter to your room and control lighting, TVs and sound system with your own smartphone are underway to position ME Miami as the leading smart hotel in South Florida
• The design and equipment layout for the ground floor restaurant, 3rd floor kitchen and bar, and the 14th floor sky bar are complete
• The demolition activity on the east side of the Hotel is 98% complete
• The demolition of the interior of each townhouse been been completed
• Landscaping in the valet area is scheduled for the coming weeks
• All old signs referencing previous hotel have been replaced

Dog Park Coming Soon to Margaret Pace Park

Every dog has its day…a day at the dog park that is! At least that could be the case for your furry, four-legged friends once the new dog park opens in Edgewater at Margaret Pace Park.

This morning, while out showing property in the neighborhood, I spotted heavy machinery clearing the land to a fenced-in portion of the park. So, with camera phone in tow, I ran over to investigate. To my delight, I discovered a sign hanging, which read: Pardon our mess! A new dog park for your furry friends is coming soon!  The sign also included the logo for Easy Grass – a company which produces safe, artificial grass – leading me to assume that Easy Grass will be laid within the designated dog park area.

A dog park in Greater Downtown Miami is something that has been long overdue for residents and their dogs. No more trekking it to Coconut Grove or South Beach in order to allow your dogs ample space to run and play with their friends without fear of being ticketed by the po-po.

The designated area will be located directly parallel to 1800 Club and catty-corner from Quantum on the Bay. Ironically, both of those building are not pet-friendly for tenants. No word yet on when the designated dog area is scheduled to open, but my guess would be within the next 1-2 weeks.

Biscayne Beach – Construction Update (Photos)

Of all the condo developments that are completed or currently under construction in Edgewater, Biscayne Beach is by far my favorite. It will be the only condo development in Miami to include an actual beach. How awesome is that? Some of you, especially non-locals, may be thinking, “So what? There’s tons of sand in Miami.” Well, that’s where you’d be wrong. Miami is situated along the bay, not the ocean, and, therefore, does not have sand-filled, waterfront land. On the other hand, Miami Beach, which is a completely different city from Miami, has plenty of sand along its coast, because it’s situated along the Atlantic Ocean. And the rest of you may be thinking, “Duh, well of course.” Sorry, but I feel the need to clarify that very rudimentary point for locals, because, so often, I come across people who aren’t from Miami who think that Miami Beach is a beach off the coast of Miami and that beaches there are plentiful.

Anyway, enough with the geography lesson – all that is about to change. The developer of Biscayne Beach is bringing the beach to Miami. Residents of Biscayne Beach and their guests will be just an elevator ride away from feeling the sand on the bottoms of their feet and/or enjoying a cocktail at the beach club bar. The atmosphere at Biscayne Beach should truly be a unique and special experience. The building hasn’t even been completed, yet every time I drive by it, the song “Beachball” by Nalin and Kane comes to mind. For those of you who have never heard of that song, “Beachball” was the 1997 international dance club hit. The song starts off with the words, “Yeah, let’s go to the beach”. The rest of the song is then filled with rhythmic yet soothing beats and voices. Such an amazing track! To me, it embodies the energy and atmosphere that one will find at Biscayne Beach once it is completed.

Construction of Biscayne Beach is well on its way. Earlier today, I made a visit to the construction site  to show a 2 bedroom condo at Platinum. While there, I had an opportunity to snap some photos showing the progress being made to Biscayne Beach. By my count, construction has reached the 26th floor. Below are the photos I took this afternoon. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, just a handful of units remain at Biscayne Beach, one of which is a two-story grand penthouse residence with 4 bedrooms, a den, a study, wine room, 5 full bathrooms, and a rooftop terrace with private plunge pool and summer kitchen. The penthouse has 7,878 interior square feet plus an additional 2,785 square feet of outdoor space. Asking $9,450,900 ($1,200 per square foot).

Elysee Condos – Edgewater’s First Ultra-Luxury Condo Development

With new condo developments being announced seemingly on a weekly basis, there are few that excite me these days. Elysee -a recently announced, ultra-luxury tower with just 100 total units – is one that does. Elysee exudes exclusivity and elegance in every way imagined. The 57-story condo development will be located directly on the water in Edgewater at 700 Northeast 23rd Street and include 3, 4, and 5 bedroom floor plans ranging from 2,844 to 3,979 interior square feet. With the exception of the penthouse – which will cover an entire floor and offer full 360-degree views – each of the units below it will span a half floor and offer full 180-degree views (east-south-west or east-north-west). As you can see in the mini scale model above, the floor plans get wider as you go up the building. Every residence at Elysee will have private elevators, 8- or 10-foot deep balconies, and 10- or 11-foot high ceilings with walls of glass all around to showcase the spectacular water and city views.

Most importantly – at least to me – Elysee will be a white-glove service building (think St. Regis). Not enough can be said about how exclusive and differentiating it is for a building to offer such pampering services to its residents. Along with the full-service concierge, Elysee will feature lavish full-floor amenities on both the 7th and 30th floors. The 7th floor will include a 75-foot resort pool; outdoor summer kitchen & BBQ; men’s and women’s spa with sauna, steam shower, and private massage rooms; fitness center; yoga studio; children’s playroom; and blow dry bar.

As if that weren’t enough, the 30th floor – which residents will be able to rent out for formal events – will feature a great room with grand piano and sweeping, unobstructed views of the city and water; chef’s kitchen; chef’s table with indoor and outdoor seating; grand dining room with seating for 30 people; theater room with 4K projector; full lounge bar; business center; resident wine storage; and game room.

Prices for the half floor units at Elysee start from $1.67M.  That amounts to just $587 per square foot! Given the caliber of building that Elysee will be, that has bargain written all over it. There are few condo developments in Miami to get excited about these days, but Elysee is the exception. It will set the bar not only for condo developments throughout Edgewater but throughout all of Miami.

Elysee was soft-launched late last week. However, it won’t officially be released to the public until October once the sales center is built. This is the time to get in at Friends & Family pricing. Contact me for details.