The Venetian Causeway Is Closed AGAIN
photo courtesy of Dora Puig
Just as life was about to return to normal after the snarled traffic from last month’s Venetian Causeway closure, it has closed again. As of December 12, the East Bascule Bridge of the Venetian Causeway has been re-closed to all vehicular, cycling and pedestrian traffic so that the County can complete rehabilitation work on the bridges. According to the County, they will have the causeway re-opened on December 29, just in time for the New Year’s Eve traffic to and from Miami Beach.
This certainly isn’t the first time the Venetian Causeway has caused delay and headache for residents. The west side of the causeway was closed between June of 2015 and February of 2016, so that decaying segments could be replaced. Once it was reopened, the east side was closed on November 14 of this year and reopened in order to accommodate the traffic surge from Art Basel. Having the traffic headaches certainly doesn’t help sales of luxury homes on the Venetian Islands. Hopefully for everyone’s sake, these repairs will be the last delay we see from the Venetian Causeway in the near future.
Just Listed – Spacious 1 Bedroom Condo at Two Tequesta Point on Brickell Key – Asking $435,000
I am pleased to announce our newest listing – a beautiful 1 bedroom, 1.5 bathroom condo at the luxurious Two Tequesta Point. The 22nd-floor residence has a spacious floor plan with 907 interior square feet; deep balcony to accommodate outdoor dining; large, open kitchen with tons of cabinet space; walk-in closet in the bedroom; porcelain tiled floors; and lovely view of the intracoastal, bay, and cruise ships. With an asking price of $435,000, unit 2207 is priced to sell! Just last month, unit 2007 (two floors lower) at Two Tequesta Point sold for $432,000.
Two Tequesta Point is an upscale condo development with 285 residential units. The 38-story tower is located on the east side of the exclusive, gated island known as Brickell Key. Amenities at Two Tequesta Point include: bayfront pool, tennis courts, racquetball courts, 2-story fitness center, BBQ area, children’s playrooms, 24-hour security and concierge, billiard room, valet parking, and more.
For showing requests or any questions that you may have, I can be reached on my cell phone at 786-247-6332 or via email at [email protected].
Two Tequesta Point #2207 – Asking $435,000
Filling Station Lofts Cancels Sales
After only 6 months of marketing, Filling Station Lofts has cancelled the sales of their loft units and will instead operate as a rental building.
With its true industrial-style lofts, Filling Station is a unique building to the area. There is only one true alternative for those who are interested in owning an industrial loft in the Art & Entertainment District, the Filling Station’s sister building, Parc Lofts. Other loft buildings offer what I call Miami-style lofts. Those have the open living area and duplex-style bedroom area, but are more finished. They do not have exposed ducts, or concrete walls and floors. Instead, they typically have white porcelain tile floors and contemporary finishes.
Parc Loft was built in 2005 and opened as a success, which spurred the beginning of Filling Station. Unfortunately, the market changed in the midst of Filling Station’s construction and the original developer went bankrupt, leaving the building in a shell from 2008-2014 when it was completed by a different developer and opened as a successful rental building with a waiting list for availability. This summer, the developer decided to try his hand at the sales market again, offering the units first to existing tenants of the building and then to the open market. They applied for Fannie Mae approval but it seems were just too late to the party. As for now, the building is more successful as a rental than as a condo.
For those who would like to live at Filling Station, have no fear. The building does have select inventory available now. Contact us in order to set up a tour and get the most updated pricing.
Midtown 5 Opening January 1
Magellan Development is preparing to open their newest rental building, Midtown 5, in early January. In order to guarantee a quick lease-up, they are offering a host of perks to the first tenants of the development.
The first tenants of the building will receive 1 month of free rent, and those with good applications (qualifying income and high credit scores) will be able to move in with a $500 security deposit. Pets up to 60 pounds are welcome with a $500 pet fee, payable to the building. This is an amazing deal compared to the condo rentals that are being offered nearby! In order to rent a condo, tenants are required to pay first month rent, last month and security deposit to the owner, on top of a security deposit and associated move-in fees to the building! That amount often adds up to well over 4 times the agreed-upon monthly rental rate.
Midtown 5 has 400 apartments that range from 538 square foot studios up to 1,501 square foot three bedroom options. The prices vary based upon availability and change daily, so we are happy to provide more information to you on a case by case basis if you are interested.
The building will offer a heated lap pool, fitness center with crossfit station, children’s play area, meditation garden, bike storage area with wash and repair station, an off-leash dog park, indoor pet gameroom with grooming station, a rewards program for discounts at nearby shops and restaurants and full concierge services. The apartments will be outfitted with modern finishes including keyless entry, usb ports for easier device charging and smart thermostats.
As of now, the first two weeks of January are booked for move-ins, but lease starting dates are available from January 15 for lower-floor options all the way to March 1 for penthouse units.
The Estates At Acqualina Unveil Lobby Design By Karl Lagerfeld
Karl Lagerfeld via Estates at Acqualina
Karl Lagerfeld, the head designer and creative director of the fashion houses of Chanel and Fendi as well as his own label, has also designed the lobbies for The Estates at Acqualina. This week he unveiled the design for the first of the two towers. The second tower has been placed on hold due to market conditions. A press release from the development read:
SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FL (December 7, 2016) – The Estates at Acqualina, the new highly anticipated $1.5 billion residential development, today reveals a rendering of Karl Lagerfeld’s lobby design for its ultra-luxury residential development in Miami’s Sunny Isles Beach, on the grounds of the Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond Acqualina Resort & Spa on the Beach. The rendering is for the lobby of the South Tower, also known as 777 Via Acqualina, scheduled to be completed in 2020. A second North Tower, with a different lobby also designed by Karl Lagerfeld, is planned to be completed as well. The Estates at Acqualina is the first condominium project in the United States to involve the iconic designer.
“The lobbies of The Estates at Acqualina will ‘set the stage’ for the most prestigious and fashionable address in America,” said Jules Trump, developer of The Estates at Acqualina. “You will find precious and rare materials, delicate craftsmanship, unerringly and sophisticated style. You’ll also find unexpected and whimsical details that bring a frisson of excitement and delight. This is one of Mr. Lagerfeld’s supreme talents, knowing how to create in a way that is both timeless and of-the-moment all at once.”
Karl Lagerfeld’s vision for both lobbies blend both classical architecture and contemporary art. For the South Tower, photographic images of Roman fountains and arches – taken by Karl Lagerfeld himself – will be etched into larger-than-life wall panels, ceiling screens and skylights. These images, along with a spectacular working fountain at the center of the lobby, reverberate the expansive oceanfront views that surround The Estates. They also evoke a traditional Roman piazza, which, like the lobby, also functioned as a communal gathering place for residents.
A color palette of cerulean blue, white, silver, and gray, with pale pink hues is a nod to the Miami locale of The Estates. The floors will be hammered metal inlaid with one-of-a-kind rugs, fashioned from mosaic tile as a unique twist.
“Lobbies serve two purposes – they are the first impression of a building and a common living room for socializing.” said Karl Lagerfeld.
Construction for The Estates at Acqualina will take place in two phases beginning in late 2017. Phase I will include the South Tower, featuring 152 units, and Villa Acqualina, a 45,000-square-foot residents-only amenity complex. Villa Acqualina will offer guests luxurious and unprecedented amenities including a Circus Maximus, bowling alley, a spa and fitness center, a speakeasy and a world-class restaurant with unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean. The North Tower, also known as 888 Via Acqualina, will be constructed in Phase II and offer 92 units. In total, The Estates at Acqualina will feature 244 units.
When complete, each estate in the sky will be delivered furniture ready, and equipped with the finest appliances, imported stone countertops, smart-home technology and soaring ceilings. Most master suites will boast his and her bathroom suites with imported onyx countertops and walls and marble floors, a steam mist shower, a free-standing tub, an ocean-view shower and elaborate his and her dressing rooms. The Estates’ 5.6 acres of grounds and gardens will boast lush landscaped gardens, multiple infinity pools, a FlowRider® for surfers, a basketball court, a bocce court, a dog park, soccer field, a beachfront restaurant and 502 feet of Atlantic oceanfront with Five Star beach and pool services. 24-hour valet, 24-hour security services, a full service resident concierge and a house Rolls-Royce will also be available.
Those who purchase at The Estates will have access to the neighboring Forbes Five Star and AAA Five Diamond Acqualina Resort & Spa, TripAdvisor’s Top-Rated Beachfront Hotel in The Continental United States and Andrew Harper’s #1 Beach, Spa and Family Resort in the World. Residents will be able to take advantage of luxurious, personalized services from the hotel including daily housekeeping, in-room dining, children’s programming, nanny and child care services, pet care, dry cleaning and laundry services, limousine service, ESPA Spa access and gourmet dining at two restaurants, Il Mulino NY and AQ by Acqualina.
Residences at The Estates at Acqualina are priced from $3.8 – 9.5 million to $29 million for penthouses.
What do you think of the design? Haute or not?
You Can Now Live At The East Hotel
For folks who would like to live at Brickell City Centre, but prefer something furnished and with more services than the condos offer, you’re in luck. It is now possible to lease hotel suites at the East Hotel by the month.
The units range in size from 750 square feet up to 1,745 square feet. Prices range from $7,500/month – $9,000/month for 1 bedroom options, $10,500/month – $12,000/month for 2 bedroom options and $15,000/month for the 1,745 square foot 3 bedroom. Tenants will enjoy fully furnished hotel suites with equipped kitchens, in-room laundry, daily housekeeping, concierge services, complimentary wifi and valet as well as access to all hotel amenities. Small pets are welcome with an additional deposit. Not a bad deal for people who are visiting for longer than a few days but are not able to commit to a full year lease!
Is Vladislav Doronin About To Buy Brickell Harbour? Someone Is…
It appears that Brickell Harbour has been pegged as the next condo to be bought out and redeveloped. A letter has gone out to all 185 residents of the waterfront building at the end of Brickell Bay Drive from two brokers at Colliers International, declaring intent to purchase all units of the 1973-built development.
The letter states that the firm has successfully facilitated sales of this magnitude and we know that Mr. Doronin has been on a buying streak for waterfront parcels. His development firm, OKO Group’s latest purchase was the bayfront church on N 27th Street in Edgewater, where he will construct a 57 story building, branded by Missoni. The apartments at Missoni Baia will start at $2.25 million and break ground early in 2017. He has also purchased a development site within Brickell just east of SLS Lux, as well as one on 25th Street in South Brickell.
We also know that Mr. Doronin is not shy with his money. He paid $54 million for his Missoni Baia development site, as well as $48 million for Brickell’s 25 Bay Tower at 175 SE 25th Road. 25 Bay Tower has only 60 apartments, so his price tag amounted to an average of $800,000 per unit for apartments built in 1971. I don’t know about you, but I’m eager to hear what will be offered to the owners of Brickell Harbour. In my professional opinion, Brickell Harbour is in a far superior location than either of the development sites that OKO Group previously purchased.
Another interesting tidbit is that just before these letters of intent were delivered, the condo association of Brickell Harbour announced a special assessment that will last five years. That is an astronomical amount of time for a special assessment! Could it be that they’re already leaning toward the sale? It leaves me to wonder, after seeing previous special assessments in other buildings for 40 year re-certifications (which Brickell Harbour has already undergone) and full-blown overhauls of amenity decks that are settled up within 2 years. See below for a breakdown of the special assessment as well as the detail of what will be renovated.
According to the solicitation letter, the brokers will be delivering offers to unit owners in proper Miami form. They will be foregoing their conference room and instead handing out offers this week at Sega. Salud!
Check Out Photos Of Kylie Jenner’s Art Basel Rental Mansion
Art Basel, a time for attention-grabbing excess… and for the family that is known for attention-grabbing excess, we would expect no less than this $8,000/night rental mansion for 19-year old Kylie Jenner.
During the week-long internationally acclaimed art fair, Ms Jenner took to social media, showing off its many features. According to TMZ, the home was actually an Airbnb rental. Tsk tsk. Airbnb has been a hot topic in Miami Beach lately, the city is issuing $20,000 fines to homeowners who get caught letting out their places on the website, since it skips the city’s hotel tax. At $8,000/night though, that fine can be made up relatively quickly and who knows, maybe the owners did pay their hotel tax.
Anyway, the home is a newly constructed waterfront estate on Miami Beach’s Hibiscus Island. The 1/4 acre lot was originally purchased in 2012 by a Swiss doctor for just under $5.5 million. The original house, which was built in 1994, was torn down and construction began on the current mansion. It has 6,700 square feet with 6 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, an elevator and rooftop terrace, private theater, bayfront swimming pool and summer kitchen with skyline views. The estate is asking $20 million for purchase. Here are the photos from the Airbnb listing:
The Bond On Brickell Is Getting A Fancy New Starbucks
While passing by The Bond On Brickell this morning, we noticed that the sign has gone up on the fancy new Starbucks that is being built into the retail space on the first level. According to their construction permit, the build-out is budgeted to cost just under $100k. It is unclear whether this Starbucks will be replacing the location at Mary Brickell Village just 2 blocks away, but since the space is only 1,112 square feet, I imagine it will be an additional location.
The Bond On Brickell opened during the summer and was a success for the developers, Rilea Group. Current prices range from $319,000 for a studio to over a million for a three bedroom plan. Rentals range from $1,750 for studio to $4,000 for a two bedroom.
