The Landmark Macy’s in Downtown Miami Will Be Closing its Doors for Good
Credit: Phillip Pessar / Flickr
It’s the end of an era. The Macy’s in Downtown Miami, originally the Burdines flagship store which opened in 1912, will be closing for good. With development along Flagler Street moving ahead, and almost 90,000 people in downtown – most between the ages of 25 and 44 – the landmark Macy’s store just doesn’t fit with the times.
The Miami DDA is working to redevelop Downtown Miami into a more pedestrian-friendly area, filled with more cafes and wider sidewalks. The influx of millennials into the downtown scene, has progressively changed the downtown culture into one that’s becoming more hip and lively. With the Miami DDA looking to the dynamics of the neighborhood, and most shoppers preferring to shop online, it was only a matter of time before the original Burdines would close its doors for good. Macy’s Inc. announced last Thursday that its Downtown Miami location will close in early 2018.
Rosetta Bakery From Miami Beach Plans Two Brickell Locations, One Downtown
Miami Beach’s Rosetta Bakery is gearing up for a HUGE 2018 with seven new locations opening up around the Miami area, according to the Miami New Times. Three of those locations are slated for the Greater Downtown Miami area.
The first Brickell location will be in the base of Brickell Heights’ East Tower, just around the corner from Equinox. The apartments at this location range from the high $300,000’s to $2.8 million for purchase, or $2,000 per month to $11,000 per month for rent and just came available this past summer.
Next, a location will open in the retail space at ECHO Brickell, which opened just last month. The apartments here range from the high $800,000’s for a one bedroom to $4.2 million for a duplex (two-story) three bedroom. They also have a custom-designed penthouse that asks $42 million!
After the two Brickell locations are open, a grab & go kiosk will open in the Miami Central Station in Downtown Miami. We don’t have a date for this just yet, but are very much looking forward to the Brightline link between Miami, Broward, Palm Beach, Orlando and beyond!
The idea behind Rosetta is to offer high-quality, fresh bakery items and coffees quickly and affordably. There aren’t any frozen bakery items, everything is made in small batches by Italian chefs that have been brought here from Italy to share their craft with Miamians. In addition to the sweet pastries and fruit tarts, there will also be savory sandwiches. If you would like a preview of the fare, visit their flagship store at 16th and Collins on Miami Beach.
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Downtown Miami DDA Ambassadors Expand To Brickell
Photo courtesy of blockbyblock.com
If you’ve been in Downtown Miami during the day or evening over the last few years, you’ve likely seen these folks. The walk around in official orange shirts and make sure everything is ok. They are the Downtown Miami Development Authority’s Ambassadors.
I’ve heard people say before that they thought the Ambassadors are Downtown Miami mall cops, but that’s wrong. They’re here to help. They make sure tourists know where they’re going, help the elderly cross the street, and report infrastructure problems. And now, they roam Brickell as well!
Just yesterday, I was teetering on a curb, pushing a baby stroller with one hand, trying to avoid an annoying puddle that is always on the corner of SW 1st Avenue and SW 13th Street. Even if there has been no rain, the puddle remains. It is the most resilient puddle I’ve ever seen. Anyway, I was in the middle of my puddle-dodging dance when I spotted these guys. It couldn’t have been a better time to stumble upon them. Within minutes, they had reported the puddle to the city for repair, handed me a brochure with handy numbers for everything from illegal parking and broken street lights to trolley information. They also have a Safe Walks program to make sure residents arrive home without issue!
If you see these guys roaming around in Brickell or Downtown, be sure to stop and thank them for keeping us safe and informed!
One Thousand Museum Construction Update: Cladding Panels Have Arrived!
For those who are curious about how and when the exoskeleton on Zaha Hadid’s One Thousand Museum will be finished, your wait is over. The massive GRFC (glass fiber reinforced concrete) panels that will cover the exoskeleton have begun to arrive, according to developer Louis Birdman.
The panels are what will give a smooth curvaceous finish to the rough concrete structure, Birdman said in a Facebook post earlier today as he shared photos of the progress. “The process has started on level 8 and they will be working their way around the base of tower and up to level 15, then down the columns to the ground and after that they will start cladding the garage podium on the west, south and east elevations. Then they will finished with the installation of the massive 7 story architectural fins on the east and south elevations.”
It will take nearly 5,000 custom pieces of GFRC to create the signature curves, and they also serve as an additional protection to the building, in the even that Miami is visited by another hurricane. Adding to the challenge, all of the formwork has to be shipped to Miami from the supplier in Dubai.
Here is a quick video that details how GFRC is made. It was also used on the facade of a building in Miami’s Design District.
Call For Offers Issued On Miami Metromall
The owners of Downtown’s Miami Metromall seem eager to unload the 33,000 square foot development site. They have issued a call for offers that expires this Monday. Once the existing structure is demolished, a new tower up to 80 stories could be built.
Located at 1 NE 1st Street, the property offers an attractive address as well as a super attractive location. Looking at the map, you can see that the site is extremely convenient to the Miami Metromover to travel throughout the Downtown area, Government Center to travel throughout the county, All Aboard Florida to travel to Orlando, countless local government offices and the world-renowned Downtown Miami Diamond District. WeWork is also opening a flagship co-working space just steps away in the historic Security Building. The only thing it doesn’t have is water frontage.
How much do you think they will garner from the sale?
New Renderings Emerge Of PMG’s New Supertall Condo Tower At 300 Biscayne
Property Markets Group has revealed renderings for their new super-tall tower that will be constructed at 300 Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami. The project will be named 300 BiscayneWaldorf Astoria Hotel and Residences, according to their new website and the renderings were produced by ArX Solutions.
A sales center is currently under construction on the site that is expected to open in early 2018. Once completed, the tower will offer a five-star hotel and residences in the tallest residential tower south of New York City.
Although approval has not yet be granted, the developers have submitted a request for approval of a 1,041-foot tall tower with 88 stories.
What do you think of the design?
Miami Metromall in Downtown Miami Offered For Sale As Potential 80 Story Tower
The Miami Metromall, or First on First (as the owners are now calling it), is offered for sale in Downtown Miami. The site boasts over 33,000 square feet of developable land after the current structure is demolished and is zoned for a tower up to 80 stories.
Located at 1 NE 1st Street, the property offers an attractive address as well as a super attractive location. Looking at the map, you can see that the site is extremely convenient to the Miami Metromover to travel throughout the Downtown area, Government Center to travel throughout the county, All Aboard Florida to travel to Orlando, countless local government offices and the world-renowned Downtown Miami Diamond District. WeWork is also opening a flagship co-working space just steps away in the historic Security Building. The only thing it doesn’t have is water frontage.
Given the fact that the area has 235,000 daily visitors, paired with recent land sale comparables of $600+ per square foot, this offering is very attractive. While there is no disclosed asking price, I could realistically see a win-win feasible deal for anything up to $23 million. If a developer were to pay $23 million, then build the maximum 774 units on the site, they would essentially incur a cost of $30,000 per unit on their land buy. That holds par with typical development costs for semi-luxury to luxury condos, but there is still the fun negotiation zone, so it looks like Downtown Miami has a viable opportunity!
What do you think? What would be best suited for this parcel?
If you would like more specifics, just let us know.
Inside One Thousand Museum by Zaha Hadid: A Construction Tour
Now that the vertical construction is nearly completed and the fully finished (albeit not furnished) model is open, we were invited for a hard hat tour of Zaha Hadid’s One Thousand Museum in Downtown Miami. After touring the finished model on level 17, which is a 4 bedroom plan that occupies half of the floor, we were also able to preview the views from the 50th floor. On this level, the apartments are 10,000+ square foot full-floor layouts but are still too much of a construction site to be able to preview the finishes.
The project is currently 60% sold, with remaining opportunities in the duplex town homes from $12 million, half floor residences with 4 bedrooms plus staff quarters for $5.5 million to $7.5 million, full-floor residences from $18 million and the penthouse, which has its own helipad for $49 million.
Check out our video to see the views and finishes for yourself!
Aston Martin Residences Announces Construction Start Date; Releases Video Preview
Staying true to their word that construction will begin this fall, Aston Martin Residences has announced that the actual date will be October 18. A notice of commencement was filed August 10 to begin construction, despite the fact that their $10 million sales gallery just opened on the build site in June.
In conjunction with the announcement that construction is set to begin, the developer has also released a teaser video, highlighting the level of service and quality of finishes that owners will experience once the building is complete in 2022.
Residences will range from 1-5 bedrooms, including duplexes, penthouses and a triplex penthouse. The edifice will have unparalleled amenities and services include Sky Amenities, which is 42,275 sf of amenities divided into four floors (52-55), connected by an elegant glass staircase. The team has masterfully designed Aston Martin Residences Miami for those who want to a live a world-class lifestyle.
Residences range from $600,000 to $7,000,000 and penthouses are available from $16 million to $50 million. Have a look at the video preview below.
