One Thousand Museum Tops Off; Stunning New Renderings Released
Sky Lounge
On February 3, 2018, One Thousand Museum officially topped off, marking a major milestone not only for construction of the elaborate and intricately designed tower, but also for the city’s ever-expanding skyline. “We’re now one step closer to revealing Zaha Hadid’s forward-thinking design,” says co-developer Louis Birdman. “Even in its current state, the building already stands out as the most iconic architectural work on Miami’s skyline. We’re excited to have developed something so unique and special for Miami.”
The developers of One Thousand Museum will celebrate their milestone accomplishment this week with a private evening event on the rooftop of the Frost Science Museum, located across the street from the project. Attendees will enjoy unobstructed views of the tower, flowing champagne, and passed hors d’oeuvres.
The process of constructing One Thousand Museum has been arguably one of the world’s most challenging builds. According to a recent press release, “the project’s curved exoskeleton is comprised of 5,000 pieces of lightweight glass-fiber reinforced concrete (GFRC) manufactured in and imported from Dubai. This is the first skyscraper in the world to utilize GFRC as a permanent formwork in the construction of the tower’s structure.”
While developer Louis Birdman had the foresight for One Thousand Museum and Pritzker Prize winning architect Zaha Hadid had the vision, general contracting firm Plaza Construction played an instrumental role in making both a reality. “This is a project that will not only enhance Miami’s skyline, but also redefine the standard of luxury for residential projects,” said Brad Meltzer, President of Plaza. “We do not shy away from challenging projects, as such we were immediately interested when we saw the overall complexity of the job. To date, the project team has faced some major tests, but the project has remained on schedule and we’re looking forward to the successful completion.” To learn more about the complexity of this groundbreaking process, make sure to watch “The Scorpion Tower” episode of Impossible Builds, a PBS documentary featuring 1000 Museum.
Now that the “heavy lifting” has been completed, it’s time for the building’s interior build-out to begin. For those who can’t wait to see the finished product, perhaps these newly released renderings will sate your appetite. Enjoy!
aquatic center
fitness center
spa
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pool deck
Water Taxi Stations In Place as City Prepares for 2018 Miami Boat Show
Every winter, the Miami Yacht Show and Miami International Boat Show return to sunny South Florida, bringing together enthusiasts of boating, sailing, and all things luxury from all over the world. This year’s events will be held February 15th to 19th, with the Boat Show located at the Miami Marina Stadium on Virginia Key, and the Yacht Show at 4601 Collins Avenue on Miami Beach.
Dubbed “the five biggest days in boating”, the shows are known to generate a massive impact on the local economy and marine industry. As reported in a recent study by Thomas J. Murray & Associates, Inc, in conjunction with the University of Florida, the Miami International Boat Show alone boasts an annual economic impact of $854.2 million and supports approximately 6,000 full time jobs for Floridians. The 2017 report also estimates that around $53 million is spent by out of town visitors and exhibitors on local hotels, dining, entertainment, and retail, and approximately $350 million worth of marine products are sold by Florida exhibitors. This influx of local money will pass through to other industries, undoubtedly giving a pop to Miami real estate which is in peak season for investment.
Exhibitors are expecting another great turnout this year thanks to many months of a growing economy and also the impact of Hurricane Irma last September. It’s no surprise that plenty of insurance checks were paid out following the devastation of the storm and that many boat owners will be looking to replace their damaged or destroyed vessels. One new incentive is that for the first time ever the two events joined forces in ticketing, offering one $50 ticket to attend both shows in a single day.
The Boat and Yacht shows will offer plenty of entertainment and activities for every level of sea-lover. Along with some of the world’s most impressive boats, accessories, and marine technology, the events will feature live music, food, floating cocktail lounges, and much more. Attendees will also enjoy a variety of transportation options easing traffic to and from the events, including water taxi and shuttle buses. To learn more, visit miamiboatshow.com and miamiyachtshow.com.
Miami Leads the Way as Foreign Investment in U.S. Real Estate Hits All-Time High
According to a recent report by Beauchamp Estates, the U.S. real estate market saw an influx of international investment with a new record high. Between March 2016 and March 2017, non-resident foreign sales for properties $1 million and up reached a total of $7.48 billion, a 72% increase from the prior year.
Nearly 40% of international buyer transactions came from three cities: Miami, Los Angeles, and Manhattan. Out of those three cities, Miami led the way, boasting 26% of the total international buyer transactions. 95% of those were purchased in cash. It’s no surprise that Miami luxury real estate is currently dominated by international buyers, with a whopping 80% of all properties over $1 million owned by foreigners.
According to Gary Hersham, managing director at Beauchamp Estates, “Miami is a leading hub for overseas buyers investing in U.S. luxury real estate. Alongside the beaches, restaurants/bars, leisure facilities and all year good weather, the City has become a leading financial and tech business hub.”
The report also offers figures of predicted growth in ultra-high net worth individuals from 2016 through the year 2026. For Miami, Beauchamp Estates estimates this figure will grow from 750 to 1,050 – a 40% increase! As the economy continues to improve, these predictions give us a clear picture of a very bright future for Miami luxury real estate.
Icon Brickell Pool Deck Slated to Reopen April 1st
The pool deck at Icon Brickell has been closed for renovation and repairs since December 5, 2016. Originally, the plan was for it to reopen by December 15, 2017. However, due to Hurricane Irma, along with other unforeseen circumstances, construction was delayed. According to a recent email sent by the Icon Brickell Master Association Board of Directors, the new anticipated opening date is April 1, 2018, barring any additional delays due to the weather.
Below is the update that was emailed last week to Icon Brickell owners and residents:
As we are entering into the final stage of our pool deck project, we wanted to provide you with an updated schedule for completion. Due to a couple significant events that were beyond the control of the Association and the Contractor, including the hurricane and unforeseen construction items, we were not able to meet our original target date to reopen the pool at the end of 2017. That said, we have been working diligently with the construction team and consultants to get this project across the finish line. At this point, based on all available information, we are anticipating an opening date of April 1, 2018, assuming we don’t have a significant number of rain days between now and then.
As you may have noticed, there is now water in the pools. We are in the process of flood testing the pools to ensure the construction has been successfully completed in a way that meets code and will provide a long-lasting end result. The Contractor is also completing the electrical wiring and will start installation of lights shortly thereafter. Lights will be installed on the observation deck first, followed by placement of the wall sconces and the bollards. In addition, we are making strong progress with respect to the landscaping. Three more trees remain to be planted, and immediately following that completion, we will move on to reinstalling the large decorative pots.
Lastly, some of you have asked what will become of the space previously occupied by Café icon. The Board, and residents present at the last Master Board meeting, recently saw three presentations from potential operators for the space. The Board has asked each of them to provide additional information before a decision is reached at an upcoming Board meeting.
We are very cognizant of the need to return the pool deck to operation, but also the necessity to deliver a space that provides for the optimal enjoyment of residents at a reasonable expense. Accordingly, now is not the time to cut corners, as we want to do everything possible to avoid having to deal with this inconvenience again for a long time to come.
MCI Has Recording-Breaking Month: 60K Unique Visitors!!!
Hard work and consistency have always been keys to success…and now we have the stats to prove it! Since launching the site on May 12, 2007, MiamiCondoInvestments.com has grown by leaps and bounds – both in website content and traffic. Over the years, the site has seen a number of iterations, the largest being in January 2015 when the website was redeveloped from scratch incorporating a much more user-friendly design and experience. That decision to re-launch the website seems to have paid off tremendously. Since re-launching the site, website traffic has more than doubled, with January 2018 achieving its most traffic ever for a one month period – 60,124 unique visitors!!!
According to SEMrush.com – an online service that estimates traffic for all websites – MiamiCondoInvestments.com has more traffic than ANY Miami-centric real estate website. In fact, it has more traffic than its two closest competitors COMBINED. Additionally, it has more traffic than the five largest Miami-based brokerages COMBINED.
I’m happy to share with you that another large website update is in the works and should be ready to roll out by late next week. The upcoming update will improve upon the already friendly user experience, introduce new features, and fix a number of bugs – all in an effort to ensure that MiamiCondoInvestments.com remains the #1 Miami real estate website for many years to come!!!
David Beckham Brings Major League Soccer Back to Miami
David Beckham has made good on his promise to bring Major League Soccer back to Miami. Earlier this week at an event held at the Adrienne Arsht Center, Beckham and his partners were awarded with an MLS franchise, making it official that MLS soccer would return to Miami. The team will begin play in 2020. Home games will be played at a temporary site until the permanent stadium is ready in 2021. The $200 million privately-funded stadium will seat 25,000 fans in an airy and open concept, with Overtown being the current site of construction. Jorge Mas – one of the team’s co-owners – said that there are plans to include a fan plaza outside the stadium, as well as a “March to the Match” along the Miami River – giving fans a unique fútbol experience in the heart of Miami.
The team’s name and colors will be unveiled in the coming months with input from fans. An upcoming social media campaign will invite fans to suggest the team name, colors, logo, and jersey design – giving Miamians control over the look of their new franchise.
