In December 2021, it was announced that a Miami Developer along with Driftwood Capital announced plans the rebuild The Wharf alongside the Miami River. Now, those plans have officially been submitted to Miami’s Urban Development Review Board.
The plans for this project include a hotel and an entertainment complex with retail, food, and beverage. The cost for the project is estimated at $185 million. The plans submitted include 174 hotel units operated by Dream Hotels and 91,733 square feet of commercial space.
A 16,000-square-foot restaurant, a 12,000-square-foot event hall, a 30,000-square-foot nightclub/rooftop day club, and 600 feet of river frontage are all planned for the 200,000-square-foot project. Garcia’s Fish Market may also set up shop on the property as a pop-up market. Its commercial fishing activity used to be located on the property.
The zoning requirements for this type of proposal would include 417 parking spaces but the developers are requesting a 50% reduction in parking by the entertainment and hotel spaces sharing parking. Once approved, the parking spaces will be offsite.
A part of the proposed development includes public used land, which will require a special election. That election is currently scheduled for August 23 and it will involve a potential lease of the public property to the developer.
The 1.5-acre Miami River property at 114 Southwest North River Drive will be developed by MV Real Estate Holdings and its partner, Coral Gables-based Driftwood Capital. Nitin Motwani, the managing partner of Merrimac Ventures and the developer of the Miami Worldcenter, is also a general partner in the project, according to Mantecon.
The Miami Urban Development Review Board is scheduled to review the development proposal on March 16, 2022.
MSC Cruises USA Breaks Ground on PortMiami Terminal
MSC Cruises USA has recently broken work on an extensive cruise terminal at PortMiami as it expands operations at the congested port. The cruise line is based in Switzerland but the US locations are currently in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, and now Miami.
The terminal building itself rises 4 stories and will spread over 490,000 square feet. The building itself will cost $350 million. Once the project is complete in 2023, the capacity of the terminal can hold 36,000 passengers daily. The terminal can hold 3 cruise chips at once and it will include the MSC Seascape (a 2,270 cabin).
The project will also have a 2,400 space parking garage and lot. MSC Cruises utilizes LNG (liquified natural gas) powered ships. The ships can also connect to shore power while docking which creates a more fuel-efficient ship.
According to the President of MSC Cruises USA, Rubén Rodriguez, “Our new terminal at PortMiami represents MSC Cruises’ commitment to growing in North America and will help drive our expansion in South Florida and beyond.”
Arquitectonica is the designer of the building while Italy-based Fincantieri Infrastructure is listed as the developer for the project. The old renderings for the terminal included a separate building for the USA headquarters for the cruise line but the plans transitioned into more space for customers. There are talks of leasing office space in other areas of Miami.
PortMiami has seen a lot of construction over the past year. Larger cruise lines are expanding their fleets like Royal Caribbean Group, Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd, and Virgin Voyages.
ROVR Development and Related Plan to Build 48 Story Tower in Downtown Miami- College Station
The Related Group is at it again with another tower proposed in downtown Miami. Along with the Miami Parking Authority, The Related Group, and ROVR Development are proposing to replace a downtown Miami parking garage with a 48-story development.
On Feb. 2, the Miami Off-Street Parking Board, or MPA, will vote on a 99-year lease and development agreement for the College Station Garage at 190 N.E. Third Street which is very close to Miami Dade College.
When the MPA received an unsolicited proposal for the property in July 2021, the process began. It solicited public bids for the property and received bids from College Station Partners LLC, a joint venture with The Related Group and ROVR Development, as well as Terra of Miami. On January 19, an MPA review committee gave College Station Partners’ bid a higher grade for the development.
The College Station project would include 1.88 million square feet of space and include 1,200 residences, 8,214 square feet of retail space, 33,865 square feet of public service space, 30,000 square feet of amenities, and 1,357 parking spots.
The completed facility would contain the same number of public parking spots as the present garage, which will be demolished. The MPA would own these spaces.
The developer stated that 20% of the units would be affordable housing for seniors earning up to 50% of the local median income, while the other 15% would be worker housing for those earning up to 140% of the area median income. Miami’s current median family income is $39,000.
According to the proposal, the public service space might be used for a fire station or an urgent care clinic to support the downtown’s fast-rising population, including a not-for-profit art’s center.
The units would range from 360 to 1,310 square feet in size. There would be 138 studio apartments, 636 one-bedroom apartments, 354 two-bedroom apartments, and 72 three-bedroom apartments.
The lease is expected to be signed in the first quarter of 2023, taking up to 60 months to construct. The application said that the developers would have to establish alternate parking arrangements for tenants of the adjoining Downtown Lofts I and II condos, which would use this garage for parking, during the construction time.
According to the lease’s proposed financial terms, College Station Partners would pay the MPA $500,000 upfront, about $2 million per year during construction to compensate for missed parking revenue and 10% of the project’s net cash flows for rent following completion. According to the developers, this would equate to a $1.27 billion economic gain to the MPA over the life of the 99-year lease, not including the value of the new public parking garage.
Moishe Mana Expands Portfolio to 3 Buildings for $25.4 Million in Miami
Miami’s biggest landlord, Moishe Mana, has bought three additional buildings to add to his forever expanding portfolio. As part of his aim to convert the Downtown Miami into an innovation and cultural centre, he plans to create, Mana Common. Moishe Mana has spent much of this year investing in commercial properties as well as residential properties in Miami that he has been making a big time profit on!
Mana paid a total of $25.4 million for the three properties at 100 North Miami Avenue, 173 Northeast First Street, and 124 Northeast Second Avenue. The buildings total 50,197 square feet, and are part of Mana’s portfolio of more than 60 properties in and surrounding Downtown Miami.
According to property records, the two-story, 18,535-square-foot structure at 100 North Miami Avenue was built on 0.2 acres in 1941. According to state corporate filings, the seller Flexini Investments is led by Mario Sapoznik. The two-story, 7,200-square-foot building at 124 Northeast Second Avenue, erected in 1922 on less than 0.1 acre, is two blocks west, according to property records. On 0.3 acres, it lies next to the two-story, 24,462-square-foot structure at 173 Northeast First Street. The two buildings were sold by SG & S, which was led by Ana White.
The majority of his properties are older low- to mid-rise buildings with small businesses including clothes boutiques, pawn shops, and cafes.
Mana intends to repair or redevelop his properties to establish Mana Common, a campus-like space aimed at integrating Latin American and American digital companies. Despite the fact that Mana has started work on several of his properties after years of land acquisition, he has run across some roadblocks recently.
Mana had commissioned engineering inspections prior to beginning repairs, which revealed the buildings had “significant structural issues.” Mana Common’s representative declined to provide an update on the buildings. Some of the buildings that he has started repairs include the Nikola Tesla Innovation Hub, a fashion mall, the Flagler Studios, and another building on East Flagler Street.
Developers for Legacy Hotel & Residences Receives Third Largest Construction Loan Ever in Florida
Developer Dan Kodsi’s Royal Palm Companies recently received a $340 million construction loan for Legacy Hotel & Residences. New York-based real estate lending joint venture Silverstein Capital Partners, provided the loan for a condo-hotel construction tower that will be located in Downtown Miami at Miami Worldcenter.
According to a press release, the financing is the third-largest construction loan ever made in Florida, behind two others for projects in Miami-Dade. The other two loans were for the building of The Estates at Acqualina in Sunny Isles Beach ($558 million) and Five Park in Miami Beach ($345 million).
Legacy Hotel & Residences began selling in late 2019 and despite the pandemic, it is already entirely pre-sold, with $160 million in sales.
The luxury tower located at 942 Northeast First Avenue, will rise 50 stories at 668 feet tall making it the second tallest tower at Miami Worldcener. This mixed-use development will feature 312 residential units, 262 luxury hotel rooms, a business center, medical office, retail space, and rooftop atrium.
The residences will include studio to 2 bedroom floor plans with 368 to 964 square feet options. The units will be fully finished and furnished. One of the unique things about Legacy is that residents will be able to rent their units without any restrictions. This includes utilizing a short-term rental company, whether its the Legacy’s rental program, Airbnb, or VRBO.
Not only is this loan one of the largest construction loans in Florida but this is also Silverstein Capital Partner’s first South Florida loan. Larry Silverstein of Silverstein Properties is an affiliate of the financial group and also led the development of the World Trade Center after 9/11.
Kobi Karp Architects, Design Agency, and ID & Design International designed the structure.
The ground-breaking for Legacy Hotel & Residences occurred in August 2021 and is expected to reach top-off in 2024.
Smart Brickell Tower 3 Coming Soon
Smart Brickell is one of the newest condo-hotel projects located in the heart of West Brickell. This mixed-use development will comprise three towers total that features 170 condos and 150 hotel rooms spanning over the three towers.
The most unique thing about the Smart Brickell Tower, besides its futuristic design, the smart technology is so advanced that it will set the stage for all pre-construction towers going forward. Some of the smart features include Lifx Wi-Fi enabled LED smart bulbs, Samsung’s digital home appliances, concierge app, and Nest thermostats.
Tower 1 rises 26 stories featuring 50 condos with 1 to 2 bedroom floor plan options. Floor plans will range from 558 to 1117 square feet starting at $318,000. The first 7 floors will feature a boutique-style hotel managed by Habitat Hotels with floors 11-23 will be condos.
Units will be fully furnished and finished. Top-off was completed in May 2021. The exterior is still will be completed with stucco and prime paint has started on the south facade. Interior drywall and framing is 90% complete.
Tower 2 will feature 50 condos as well as 50 hotel rooms with one to two-bedroom floor plans. Units will also be fully furnished and finished and can be rented up to 50 times a year on a short-term basis like Airbnb. Completion for tower 2 is anticipated for 2022.
Construction on Tower 3 will begin soon and will feature 20 condos and 100+ hotel rooms. These units will also be fully finished and furnished.
On the ground level, the development will feature 12,000 square feet of commercial space with retail, a cafe, and a restaurant.
Building Features
25 Story tower designed by the well-known architect, Hernando Carrillo
The building is Leed certified
One assigned parking space per unit in secured parking garage plus valet parking services
Electric car charging stations
24 Hour concierge and security services
The café is on the ground level
Stunning amenity deck located on the 8th floor with landscaped recreational area and expansive terrace
Resort-style pools with lap area and sun deck
In-water lounge chairs near a waterfall
Spa and wellness center
Fully-equipped business center on the 9th floor
Chic and spacious event room on the 10th floor
Sky fitness center located on the 24th floor
Lounge bar located on the 25th floor
Wi-Fi throughout the lobby and amenity deck
Residence Features
Renowned design firm, Arquitectonica Interiors, designed the units that take full advantage of every square foot
Each unit is equipped with smart, Wi-Fi enabled features to compliment the look and feel of the future of living including Nest thermostat, Lifx Wi-Fi enabled LED smart bulbs and Amazon echo/Alexa home and personal assistant
City-view terraces with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors
Every residence has the ease to always be in control from the comfort of their smartphone with the Concierge App
The kitchen will be fully equipped with Bosch and Samsung appliances and contemporary cabinetry
The penthouse is located on the 23rd floor and has 12-foot ceilings
Developer Sells Palm Island Mansion for $17 Million
Miami-based developer Pedro Adrian of Adrian Homes has recently sold his Palm Island waterfront mansion for a cool $17 Million. The buyer, listed under a LLC by the name of JLG Family Holdings LLC, purchased the property at $1,459 per square foot. The LLC is managed by Jorge and Aida Garcia of Miami Beach.
Located at 198 Palm Avenue, Miami Beach, this gorgeous estate was originally built in 2016 by Adrian and his wife Adria. Featuring 30,000 square feet of property and 100 feet of water frontage, this land is the perfect backdrop for the modern Mediterranean home.
The lot itself is considered one of the largest lots on Palm Island with one of the best views overlooking the downtown Miami Skyline.
The property features 14,000 square feet of unrivaled living space. A total of 6 bedrooms, 8.5 bathrooms, and a 4 car garage make this home truly spectacular. This mansion is not limited in amenities and the lucky buyers will enjoy a sauna, fitness room, and a temperature-controlled wine cellar.
This estate boasts top-of-the-line appliances and mechanicals. The backyard is complete with a 20×40 heated pool, expansive terrace with a summer kitchen and BBQ installation. The 2 large gazebos overlook the ocean and the spacious dock.
The Adrians own a primary home located at 145 Palm Avenue as well as an adjacent lot that features a tennis court.
Adrian Homes is a residential development company based in Miami. They have a long history with Miami and have been established in the area for the past 42 years. Adrian’s has built over 5,000 single-family homes as well as many retail and commercial centers in the Miami Area.
ARod Backed-Grand Station Apartment Tower is Complete and 80% Leased
Construction on Miami’s Grand Station Apartment tower has been completed. Alex Rodriguez and his partner Ricardo Vadio, owners of Rovr Development are the investors behind the $70 million construction project that was built on top of the existing Courthouse Center Garage.
Not only has ARod backed the construction of the project but his company Monument Real Estate Services is also the property Manager of Grand Station Apartments.
In early March 2020, partners for Grand Station obtained a $53 million loan from Saperian Capital to assist with the construction. Since Grand Station received their temporary certificate of occupancy in August, they have reached over 80% leased for the tower.
The tower located at 240 North Miami Avenue rises 30 stories and feature 300 units right in the heart of downtown. The development is a part of a public/private partnership with the Miami Parking Authority, which has assisted in adding an additional 350 spaces for the building totaling 1,200.
The tower features studio to 2 bedroom apartments with a monthly rent that ranges from $1,800 to $2,500. All units boast Italian kitchen cabinets, quartz counters, stainless steel appliances, and an in-unit washer and dryer.
The luxury tower amenities include an indoor pool, rooftop terrace with pool, outdoor kitchen, hot tubs, fitness center, and club room.
Zyscovich Architects and Anillo, Toledo, Lopez LLC are responsible for the design of Grand Station.
Rovr along with the Related Group and Airbnb are the masterminds behind the new development, The District located at 225 North Miami Avenue.
$12.3 Million Setai Sale Leads Miami Condo Weekly Sales
Sales for Miami-Dade once again surged this past week with the most expensive condo sale closing at Setai Miami Beach. According to the MLS, residential sales totaled $2.7 billion for all of July 2021, reaching 67 percent higher than the previous year.
Condo sales totaled a staggering $148 million compared to last week’s $131 million. The previous week’s volume rose from 208 to a total of 226. The average condo sales price also rose from $632,000 to $640,500.
The most expensive condo sale that occurred was a luxury condo at Setai, which sold for $12.3 million. After 39 days on the market, the unit sold for close to $3,391 per square foot. Our very own, Lucas Lechuga brought in the buyer for this property.
The second-highest and fewest days on the market condo sale occurred at One Thousand Museum for $5.6 million at $1,212 per square foot. This property was on the market for 1 day.
July Sales
Residential sales rose 58% in July with 3,632 closings, which consist of mostly condominium transactions. Single-family sales increased by 15% to 1,373 and condo sales increased by 104% to 2,259 sales.
The luxury market also experienced a leap in sales rising 110% for single-family homes compared to July 2020. For luxury condo sales, an increase of 323% compared to last July.
