Developer Announces Sales for New Brickell Tower – Lofty Brickell
A new residential tower, Lofty Brickell, will be launching sales soon! The tower will rise 34 stories high, overlooking the river, and will feature 320 fully furnished and finished units.
These units will be ‘turnkey’ and are fully licensed for daily, weekly, and monthly short-term rentals. Owners can utilize platforms like AirBnb, VRBO, as well as manage on their own.
The units will feature 800 to 1,200 square-foot floor plans with studio to 2 bedrooms options. Prices will start in the low $500,000 with increases based on floor plans and upgrades.
Developer, Harvey Hernandez recently closed on the lot for $50+ million. Hernandez is responsible for Centro and Brickell House.
With the announcement of this new tower comes some controversy. The current development site holds KLA Schools of Brickell and sources have reported an ‘early eviction’ although their lease expires December 2021.
Building Features
35-story landmark building designed by internationally acclaimed architecture firm, Arquitectonica
Prime Brickell location in steps from Brickell City Center
Short-term rentals permitted as-of-right
Spectacular panoramic Miami River, Brickell and Miami skyline views
2 Story lobby with floor to ceiling windows 24-hour welcome desk with concierge 24-hour valet parking 24-hour secure access Advanced technology smart-building with high-speed fiber-optic wireless internet access through out common areas
Exclusive LOFTY app
Cutting-edge green building technology
6 high-speed passenger elevators with access control
On-site hospitality management Curated River-front restaurant with outdoor dining terrace
Building Amenities
Exotic resort pool with pool-side cabanas
Bar and grill on pool deck 24/7
Co-working lounge Private meeting rooms
Event room with exclusive terrace
Fully-equipped, state-of-the-art fitness center with HD TVs and wireless audio Private Peloton studios Yoga lounge and terrace
LOFTY Rooftop Experience
Residence Features
Urban luxury residences with modern open layouts from 485SF—930SF Studio, one and two bedroom units
All residences are delivered fully finished and furnished specially curated by INC
Panoramic Miami River, and Miami skyline views
Private balconies for every residence
Corner units offer wrap-around balconies
High ceilings ranging from 9’ to 11’
Owner closets in every residence
Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and sound attenuating impact-resistant laminated glass throughout
Advanced technology Smart Building wiring for HD TV,
Multiple telephone /data lines and ultra-high-speed internet access
Individually controlled energy-efficient central air conditioning and heating system
Kitchen
Imported European cabinets with premium hardware and drawer pulls
Top of the line appliance package including stainless steel refrigerator, oven, cook-top,microwave, dishwasher and sink disposal
Elegant imported stone countertops and backsplashes
Contemporary stainless steel under-mounted sink•High-arc gourmet faucet with integral sprayer
Master Bathroom
Imported European cabinets with premium hardware and drawer pulls
Elegant imported stone countertops and backsplashes
The project located in the heart of Brickell will include a private marina on the river with an expansive dock for boating.
Sales for a select few have started with anticipation public sales date soon. Construction completion date is expected in 2024.
Reach Brickell City Centre Photo Tour
Yesterday, I shared a photo tour of Rise Brickell City Centre. The photos included shots of its amenities and common areas. Today, I’m sharing a photo tour of Reach Brickell City Centre. As I mentioned yesterday, both towers have a lot of commonalities but there are subtle differences. Because of those differences, there are some people who prefer Reach over Rise while others prefer Rise over Reach.
As with Rise, Reach has a total of 390 condo residences and rises 43 stories. Only five percent of the developer inventory at Reach remains unsold. The developer, Swire Properties, is offering buyers a ten percent cash rebate plus two years of free condo fees when purchasing a developer unit. And for those who are looking for something more turnkey, the developer has a variety of furniture packages from Steven G available for sale.
Included below are photos of the lower and upper lobbies at Reach along with photos of its full-service spa with hammam, beauty salon, and treatment rooms; its lobby-level cafe; pool deck with swimming pool and hot tubs; fitness center; and children’s playroom. Reach also includes (but not photographed) a business center and club room. And perhaps the best thing about living at Reach and Rise is that you’re in the heart of Brickell Miami, surrounded by amazing restaurants, cafes, and entertainment.
A Review Of The Penthouse At Brickell City Centre’s Reach Tower
If you’ve ever dreamed of living in a palace in the sky, but also dreamed of living on top of an elegant shopping district, but also dreamed of living in a condo that was perfect for entertaining AND perfect for family, then we’ve got just the thing for you. Swire has released the newly finished upper penthouse at Reach Tower above Brickell City Centre and it does not disappoint.
Before we go to the review and photos, here are the specs: Penthouse 4203
4 bedrooms, 3 baths, 2 powder rooms, 2 family rooms, 4 terraces, service quarters, rooftop pool & summer kitchen
Interior Size: 4,346 square feet
Exterior Size: 1,823 square feet
Price: $6,650,000
The Views
Starting with the views since many people in the $5 million-plus price range automatically ask for waterfront options, let me show you why I consider high floors in the city to be a better option…
If you’re in a waterfront condo, the blue water is pretty, but what will you look at after the sun goes down? Nothing. With the high floor city view, you still see the beautiful blue water of the Biscayne Bay AND the Atlantic Ocean, plus the glittering city lights at night. Gorgeous.
Speaking of water views and glittering city lights, how about you enjoy them from your private rooftop pool? Or maybe throw together a little al fresco dinner party in your summer kitchen?
To the West, you can see the city lights at night all the way to the Everglades.
The South view also offers more distant water views as the coastline tapers in through South Brickell, Coconut Grove and Coral Gables.
Now, let’s go inside for some renderings vs real life fun!
The Kitchen/Living Room Layout and Finishes
Ok, so we can see that the renderings were based on a different penthouse, but the finishes look 100% on-point, and LOOK AT THAT SPACE! I can’t even begin to think of the number of different events you could host here. Of course, if you’re a homebody like me, you could also just chill on a different sofa every night of the week and cook some crazy recipes in that kitchen.
I’m not sure what to say about that kitchen. If it were mine, I’d have platters of hors d’oeuvres filling that marble countertop for my friends and every kitchen gadget offered so that I could cook more. Heaven.
The Bathrooms
Here we are again with a rendering that was based off of another penthouse, but with on-point finishes. I love the teak shower floor. It gives a no-slip yet luxurious spa feel. Also, the backlit mirrors are typically demonstrated in sales centers and renderings, but are actually an upgrade that you don’t find out about until later. Not here. Swire delivered what they demonstrated.
The Floor Plan
Swire and Arquitectonica clearly did their homework on versatility with this layout. The way the floor plan is laid out; with the master bedroom in the front and the other bedrooms in the back, separated by the family room, it’s almost like there is a guest house.
I can see it already… a family gathering and the adults want to have adult conversations but the kids want to run crazy and do kid things. The kids can go to the family room and party with the nanny while the adults have wine and peace.
Or, it could be that the owner wants to give their guests an additional sense of privacy…. they have their own living room with a balcony.
Another thing I would like to point out is the amount of storage space! There are closets everywhere you turn AND a walk-in pantry! This is not something that is common in our marketplace.
Finally, I really appreciate the fact that they thought to separate the laundry room from the staff quarters. I always find it a bit oppressive to see the housekeeper’s bed pushed up next to the washing machine. This is 2017, not Downton Abbey. At the same time, the service quarters is not included in the bedroom and bathroom count, as they sometimes are. In this apartment, you get 4 full bedrooms, 3 full baths PLUS a bedroom and bathroom for the nanny/housekeeper who keeps your life straight.
All-in-all, I’m giving this penthouse a rave review. See below for additional photos and let us know if you would like a tour for yourself!
La Centrale At Brickell City Centre Set To Open In December
Miami’s first Italian food hall is slated to open in December with over 40,000 square feet of culinary experiences. There will be a series of stops available, each inspired by a different region of Italy.
MERCATO
This is the grab and go section, where you can choose specialty Italian retail items.
STAGIONALE
The second stop is inspired by the Veneto region and offers seasonal fresh produce, risottos and mozzarella.
CHIANTI
Next, you can visit the carne section, a true Italian Macelleria. There you will find the best cuts of meat cooked in a traditional wood-fired grill.
LIGURIIA
This section is a light and airy space that will serve the freshest fish that South Florida and the Mediterranean have to offer.
NAPLES
In the Naples section, you will find a rustic pizza and pasta eatery with authentic Neopolitan pizza cooked in traditional wood-fired ovens found in Naples.
ENOTECA
Lastly is the Enoteca wine cellar. You can sip and savor there amongst friends, or grab a bottle to take home.
Nearly 80% Of Buyers At Reach Purchased As Investment
One year ago, we noticed a shocking yet not unexpected trend at Brickell City Centre’s Reach Tower. At that point, 277 of the building’s 390 residences had closed, and 30% of those had already come back to the market as rentals. We knew that a significant number of buyers had purchased as rental investments, but had not seen the exact figures. It was intriguing, and we have followed the numbers as the building continues to fill up.
And here we are. A year has passed and according to the tax rolls, 351 units have closed. Of those, 34 have come back to the market as resales, 191 as rentals, and 55 owners put their units up for sale and for lease. That leaves only 71 units to be used by the owners. According to the tax rolls, none of the owners had filed for the Homestead Exemption, so it appears that those 71 owners are part-time residents.
Over the coming days, we are going to be calculating the same figures for other buildings that recently opened. Do you think we will see the same trend throughout the marketplace, or is Brickell City Centre an exception?
The 8th Street Metromover Station Is Officially Renamed “Brickell City Centre Station”
Photo via Jami Reyes Facebook
The Miami Metromover’s 8th Street Station was formally renamed the “Brickell City Centre Station” this morning in a ribbon cutting celebration with Mayor Gimenez.
During the construction phase of the $1.05 billion mega project, Swire also upgraded the city-owned transit stop and integrated it directly into the third level of the shopping mall, allowing shoppers and residents the ability to come and go from the development without being exposed to the summer showers that Miami is famous for.
For those who are new to the area, the Miami Metromover is a 4.4 mile electrically powered train system that shuttles people around the Greater Downtown area for free. It is automated and air-conditioned, and can drop people in the Brickell Financial District, Miami-Dade College, Bayfront Park, The Frost Museum and PAMM, Omni Mall and now Brickell City Centre.
There are also transfer stations in Downtown and Brickell that allows people to transfer to the Metrorail, accessing the University of Miami, the Jackson Medical Center hospital district, the Miami International Airport and more. “The Mover,” as it is commonly called, is extremely convenient to people in the Downtown area, and even more now that we can access Brickell City Centre directly.
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Miami Condo Investments’ Most Popular Buildings in Greater Downtown Miami
I thought about doing a TBT post today, but then changed my mind. There is so much going on in today’s real estate market, why talk about the past? New buildings are opening every month, people are curious about how these new buildings compare to the ones that were new in years past. So which buildings are currently the most popular by condo shoppers?
I took a look through our Google Analytics report to see what our readers are looking at the most. In the time period from May 14, 2017-June 14, 2017, MiamiCondoInvestments.com received a total of nearly 73,000 page views. Of those, here are the ten most viewed building pages. This list does not include views of individual listings, just of the building pages themselves, where you can find inventory lists, market statistics and closed sale/rental data.
1 – SLS Brickell – 1,219 views
It makes sense that SLS Brickell would take the number one spot with an overwhelming lead. The project was very much anticipated by future tenants, owners and pool-party-goers alike. Move-ins began in late December/early January and have moved on at a rapid pace, leaving the building almost at full occupancy now, with demand still strong. Our agents alone have handed out 16 sets of keys in the building, with a healthy book of buyers and prospective tenants still shopping.
2 – Reach at Brickell City Centre – 731 views
I would have been surprised if Brickell City Centre didn’t make this list! This project was the catalyst that fueled the buying craze in Brickell over recent years and reinvigorates the neighborhood that was once a dense yet sleepy enclave of beautiful high rises that became quiet at night. Reach was the first residential tower to open in Brickell City Centre, and is also approaching occupancy. When the project initially opened, one bedrooms started at $2,400-$2,450/month, but now have risen to $2,650/month.
3 – Brickell Heights East – 715 views
The newest new building on the block also made the list, and no surprise there. Our photo tour of Brickell Heights just days before they opened was one of the most popular blog posts so far this year, and the amount of calls we get for it is a very good sign that the initial occupancy of the building will go smoothly.
4 – 1100 Millecento – 700 views
Millecento’s place as number 4 on the list was a bit more surprising, but not in a bad way. It’s not the newest building in the area, so people aren’t hungry for a preview. There’s really no drama going on with the building (that I have heard of at this time), so people aren’t looking for gossip and info. We still receive a healthy amount of calls and contact requests on Millecento, so I feel it’s safe to say that the traffic is good ol’ prospective residents. That’s great!
5 – Biscayne Beach – 638 views
Edgewater’s newest new building is also on the charts. We covered the progress & opening extensively, so it makes sense that blog readers are interested in the progress. We also have a beautiful 3 bedroom unit listed on the 30th floor with direct bay and Downtown Miami views. It is well-priced and a blank canvas inside. With the amount of attention the building receives, I feel that it will sell quickly.
6 – The Bond on Brickell – 615 views
The Bond is very popular for people who want to live in a brand-new condo in Brickell, but prefer understated elegance and high quality finishes over the kitschy excess that is SLS Brickell. We receive many calls about this building, and there have also been many of our clients who have called about SLS Brickell but then chosen The Bond. It is like SLS Brickell’s quieter sister.
7 – The Plaza at Brickell East Tower – 531 views
The Plaza is basically a Brickell staple. I was surprised that it received more views than any of the IconBrickell towers, but that just shows what the market is interested in. We did a market report on Monday about The Plaza and found that sellers and landlords fare better in today’s market by removing that horrible outdated berber carpet from 2008. There is too much competition in the neighborhood to expect buyers and tenants to sign up for old berber carpet (in case I didn’t make my point on Monday).
8 – BrickellHouse – 530 views
Despite their garage saga, BrickellHouse remains a popular building in the neighborhood. Yes, the garage is broken. No, we don’t know when it will be fixed. Despite that, the finishes are quite lovely, the views and location are great and it remains very popular among our clients.
9 – IconBrickell Tower 1 – 477 views
Of course IconBrickell would be on the list. It has remained one of our most requested buildings since it opened… even since the pool closed. The pool should reopen by the end of the year.
10 – Jade Residences at Brickell Bay – 468 views
Jade is one of the most luxurious buildings in the neighborhood, even after 13 years. Although most buildings in Brickell have beautiful bay views, Jade is where you go if you want an extremely luxurious setting with private elevators and direct bayfront. The only building it competes with is the Santa Maria, except that Jade is more modern and in a more walkable section of the neighborhood.
Do you think that the top viewed buildings on our website are surprising, or expected?
Brickell City Centre Receives Final Certificate Of Occupancy
Today is May 12, 2017. This is the day that Swire’s Brickell City Centre mega-project, the one that changes the Brickell neighborhood forever, is effectively complete.
The final certificate of occupancy for the whole project was received today. This means that all floors of both office towers, all floors of Reach, Rise, the East Hotel AND the full retail portion are ready to go. Now, before everyone gets all up in arms about the stores in the retail portion not being 100% open yet, be patient. The stores are not able to even begin their build-out until the certificate of occupancy is delivered, but everything is now complete on Swire’s part.
This project has been a tremendous success not just for Swire, but for the Brickell neighborhood and the people behind the 6,000+ jobs that the project created as well. Swire took a 9 acre assemblage of land that was once vacant lots and a tennis center and turned it into a catalyst that not only changed the neighborhood, it changed the market as well.
Brickell City Centre features over 5.4 million square feet overall, with 500,000+ square feet of retail, 130,000 square feet of class A office space, a 5 star hotel and 780 luxury condominium units in two towers. Reach tower opened in April of 2016, and Rise tower in the fall. The condos have been consistently selling at a rate of $650/square foot. There have been 4 resales so far at an average rate of $667/square foot.
One of the things that I find especially endearing from Brickell City Centre is their eagerness to contribute to the community. Not only did they donate $600,000 to the Underline, the 10 mile linear park underneath the MetroRail line, but they are also eager to host events for the area. Each week, there is a Saturday afternoon farmer’s market under the MetroMover line, regular events are held for their retailers and they have also been open & excited to host events for the public to get better acquainted with the new space.
We offer Swire 5.4 million congratulations for 5.4 million square feet of success! Thank you very much for this contribution to our community!
Fun Fact Friday: Every Building Swire Builds Is Blessed By Monks… Twice
We find ourselves praising Swire Properties regularly. They move trees from their development sites to local parks rather than cutting them down, they donate money to The Underline (Miami’s answer to New York’s High Line), they spend $31 million on a climate ribbon that cools their shopping center, protects shoppers from the elements and looks really nice from every angle. Now, we also learn that each and every building that Swire Properties builds is blessed by monks at least twice.
The Hong Kong based developer has a tradition of flying monks to their build site at groundbreaking for a blessing ceremony. The ceremony is repeated once the project is complete. In 2005, Carbonell was even able to be blessed by the Dalai Lama himself! Brickell City Centre was blessed multiple times. First, there was a blessing ceremony at groundbreaking, then the East Hotel was blessed upon completion. Reach and Rise received their own completion ceremonies with the East Hotel receiving an additional blessing at this time. When the mall opened, the entire project was blessed again. Talk about counting our blessings! Here are the other buildings in the area that were built by Swire Properties:
Miami Condo Investments Is Going To The Movies! Cinemex At Brickell City Centre Update
Last month, we received information that the Cinemex movie theater in Brickell City Centre was set to open on February 17. This news was welcomed with much excitement by the people who have been waiting patiently to see a movie in Brickell. The people with Swire were less impressed. It seemed there were some delays behind the scenes that we were unaware of, and the opening day was pushed back to March 17.
As that date draws nearer, the permits still haven’t been closed out and opening day is rescheduled for March 24. This process of final permits always leaves us with very fluid dates. The date that they are closed out depends upon the schedules of the inspectors, contractors, the amount of paperwork on the desk of the inspectors and a host of other moving parts that could create a delay. Even so, we took a peek inside this week and saw that things are indeed very close to completion.
We are just as anxious as everyone else to see the theater open! This is something we have wanted to have in the neighborhood for 10 years now, and at last it is SO CLOSE! We have even signed on to have a 30 second commercial that will air before each movie on each of the 10 screens at the theater, starting on opening night. We are so eager to see the theater open, we can’t wait to show it to you! What do you think?
