ME by Melia Hotel Aiming for a June 30th Opening
The Marquis. Photo by Sean McCaughan.
The ME by Melia Hotel at the Marquis Residences at 1100 Biscayne Boulevard, along with the building’s renovated amenities, STK Rebel restaurant and pool bar, are scheduled to open by June 30th, according to a letter sent to building residences. The hotel’s website has begun accepting reservations on June 14th. The letter, dated May 2nd, said construction was in its final stages and city inspectors were already hovering around and checking out the building for the Temporary Certificate of Occupancy, which they expected to get around June 15th. According to the letter, the pools are supposed to be open now and the gym, and spa on June 15th. Meanwhile, the facade looks pretty much nothing like the rendering originally released to the public. There is some funky metalwork going on which looks like it might be better looking at night. So, like what happened with that? Let’s hope the interiors are gorgeous.
Nicely Updated Deco Delight on Sunset Island III Wants $3.9 Million
This Art Deco hacienda on Sunset Island III is listed for $3.9 million, and pretty darn gorgeous. Originally designed by the noted deco architect Martin Hampton in 1939, the house maintains most of its deco integrity, including a fireplace, terrazzo floors, and seductive curves (although it has admittedly lost a few things over the years, like the bathrooms). Overall a good show.
Tri-Rail is Coming to Downtown Miami Station but a ‘Super Tower’ Might Not Be
Helix Ramps being formed and cast.
Miami’s future railroad, All Aboard Florida/The Brightline has submitted street re-routings for the south end of the Downtown Miami station site, causing The Next Miami to speculate that the project’s planned ‘supertower’ may have been canceled and replaced with two smaller towers (update: according to a Brightline spokesperson, they are not downsizing the super tower). Meanwhile, yes, it’s official says Miami Today: after some close calls, Tri-Rail will be joining the party. “The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority’s governing board has voted to accept an agreement among local agencies that will allow Tri-Rail trains to roll into the new MiamiCentral station by the end of next year.” From recent construction shots, dated May 24th, over at The Brightline’s snazzy AF website, it looks like station construction, to accommodate both Brightline and Tri-Rail trains, is going just swimmingly. Captions are via The Brightline.
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Station columns formed and ready to be cast.
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Aerial view of 3MiamiCentral office tower.
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View of Downtown Miami is starting to change.
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Rebar and formwork for 3MiamiCentral’s sixth level.
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A “straddle bend” bridges two train capitals.
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Columns and walls cast up to lift.
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3MiamiCentral column and wall cast.
Aria on the Bay Construction Reaches 11th Floor Pedestal, is Apparently 70% Sold
Photo courtesy Aria on the Bay.
Construction at Melo Group’s Aria on the Bay has reached the top of the building’s 11-floor pedestal, and will increase in speed to approximately one new floor a week, according to the developer. The gargantuan 648–unit building will continue at that pace for the next 48 weeks to reach its full 53 floors in height. That means in about a year the hole which Aria is filling in the row of condo towers known as the ‘Margaret Pace Park wall’ will be gone. Niente. Nein. Meanwhile the building itself is over 70% sold “with units under hard contract,” at prices averaging $550 a square foot, according to the developer. Designed by Arquitectonica, the tower is basically the nicest thing Melo has ever built. (I once called it “Melo’s least hideous tower yet.”) Top off is expected in April 2017, with completion before the end of next year.
The Underline is Beginning Construction in Brickell Next Year
The ‘Brickell Backyard’ section of the Underline.
The Underline, Miami’s planned ten mile linear park running underneath the Metrorail, has enough money to build the Brickell section, and expects to begin construction next year. The park has about $8 million in secured funding so far from a variety of public and private sources, with the latest chunk, a $600,000 grant, coming from Swire Properties and Brickell City Centre. Construction documents are underway with design firm James Corner Field Operations reports Miami Today. Meanwhile Meg Daly, CEO of Friends of the Underline, told us “Our target is to start building in the fall of 2017 in Brickell.” Exciting news people, exciting news.
Bomb Threat for Lunch Outside the Downtown Metrorail Station
Photo by Sean McCaughan.
Today there was a bomb scare underneath the Metrorail and Metromover tracks in Downtown Miami, just outside of the Government Center Metrorail and Metromover Station. At noon Metromover service was stoppped for, as the P.A. message put it, “temporary police activity.” (we were on our way to lunch and had to take an Uber instead) Around 2 pm police were seen directing people some distance away from a bomb-detonating robot between Government Center and the HistoryMiami Museum. The bomb itself could not be seen. Metromover service was still shut down (and we had to take Uber back to work). That’s all we know so far. Lunch was otherwise delicious.
Brickell’s Southside Park Has Finally Reopened
Southside Park, via Google Maps.
After being closed for two and a half years, Brickell’s Southside Park, one of the few green spaces in the neighborhood, finally reopened about a month ago. The park was one of those shuttered for remediation a few years ago when contaminated soil was discovered throughout many of Miami’s public parks and spaces, causing a major local controversy. Southside Park is just west of the Metrorail tracks between SW 11th and SW 12th Streets.
The Bond on Brickell is Opening at the End of the Month
The Bond on Brickell construction photo from February. Photo by Phillip Pessar.
The Bond on Brickell, the vaguely British-themed residential building under construction on Brickell Avenue, is extremely close to completion. with closings expected around the end of the month. Developed by Rilea, the central mass of the building is one block off Brickell Avenue, along SE 1st Avenue, but has an entrance directly on Brickell, as well as air rights to the building in front, preserving views. Sales are wrapping up, although perhaps slower than before in this not-so-hot market. In February there were eleven units left for sale, and now four months later there are ten. The remainders are all 1 or 2 bedroom units, listed for $495,000 to $780,000, with square footages from 796-1236.
