The Behemoth 371ft “Le Grand Bleu” Docks in Museum Park
LE GRAND BLEU – one of the largest private yachts in the world has made a stop in Miami, docking at Museum Park. Originally built in 2000, LE GRAND BLEU was once owned by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich.
The details of the interior are scarce because the owners of LE GRAND BLEU are fiercely private, but we do know that the opulent floating palace is loaded with toys. Two cranes atop the vessel hold two additional yachts near the helipad. On the port side, there is a 73-foot sailboat and, on the starboard side, there is a 68-foot powerboat. On the stern is a 16-foot swimming deck and there is even a beach club on the port side. Below deck, visitors of LE GRAND BLEU will find an extensive garage carrying two 36-foot Buzzi sport boats and a landing craft to carry a 4×4 Land Rover for excursions offshore.
Le Grand Bleu is also environmentally conscious. She is equipped with sewage and wastewater treatment plants, a water purification system and nitrogen and sulfur exhaust emission controls.
Despite being unavailable for charter, LE GRAND BLEU has the capacity for up to 20 guests and a crew of 35.
Earlier this year, she caused a stir in New York City for anchoring in the New York Harbor, blocking views of the Statue of Liberty.
One Of These Downtown Miami Sites Could Be The New Amazon HQ
Now that Miami has officially thrown its hat in the ring to be the new home of Amazon’s second headquarters, the competition is also heating up between potential development sites. Amazon’s Request for Proposals was very specific regarding the criteria they are looking for with regards to square footage, zoning and proximity to transportation.
Using a software called Zonar that has recently been adopted by the City of Miami to streamline the development process, it takes only a few hours to pinpoint potential development sites and maximize the space with Amazon’s criteria in mind.
Here is the full feasibility report with details on all 6 potential sites in the Downtown Miami area. Which do you think is the best fit?
Market Stat Monday: Almost $50 Million In Contracts Signed Post-Irma
It has been a few weeks now since the skies have cleared in Greater Downtown Miami after Hurricane Irma’s brush, and despite a little bit of flooding and debris, we were very lucky. Now that cleanup is under way, how have the condo sales fared?
Not too bad, if I must say. Despite having only two functional weeks in September, nearly $50 million in resale contracts were signed on 79 total units.
The least expensive listing to find a buyer was at the Loft II Downtown, where a 770 square foot one bedroom was listed for $175,000. Of the 79 units that went to contract, 50 of them were listed for under $500,000. We will find out the final sales prices once they close.
In the luxury segment, there were a total of 6 properties listed over $1 million that found buyers. Among them was the crown jewel penthouse #1 at Asia on Brickell Key. With nearly 5,000 interior square feet through three levels including a dramatic rooftop terrace with a private pool, the sellers had asked $8.5 million, or $1,715/square foot.
Comparing September of 2017 to September of 2016, you will see that 2016 brought both a higher number of transactions as well as a higher volume of listings sold, but not enough to make it an overall better month considering that September 2017 was short due to people being distracted by the hurricane and Hurricane Matthew didn’t brush South Florida until October of last year. September of 2016 brought just over $60 million of listings sold, with 119 total transactions.
To celebrate the end of a successful yet stressful September, let’s check out some photos of that Asia Penthouse!
Aston Martin Residences Prepares For Groundbreaking
Aston Martin Residences is preparing for groundbreaking, according to The Next Miami. On August 10th, they filed a Notice of Commencement with the county, which is the first step toward actual dirt moving. The developer had previously said that they would begin construction of the site in the fall of 2017, although they just opened their $10 million sales center on the same site two months ago and they are still waiting for their application with the FAA to be approved at the proposed 816-foot building height.
Unit prices at Aston Martin Residences now range from $600,000 for a one bedroom condo to $50,000,000 for the penthouse.
Downtown Miami Set To Unveil Miami’s First “Complete Street”
In an effort to improve transportation, the City of Miami is beginning to adopt the “Complete Streets” program in downtown and the first one is set to open this week. By creating dedicated lanes for cars, public transit, bicycles and pedestrians, more people will be able to be moved in the same space and time, while being safer and more convenient.
The first “Complete Street” is set to open this week, with a ceremony on Thursday at 10am on the corner of SE 1st Street and SE 2nd Avenue (at CENTRO). If you are unable to make it to the ceremony, you can already see a preview of the setup. The high visibility lane changes are already in place. The lane painted red is reserved for busses and the lane painted green is reserved for bicycles. Cars will now only use the center lane and bicycles are no longer allowed on the sidewalk.
Do you think the revamp will help to alleviate congestion and safety?
Which Miami Condo Developments Are On Highest Ground?
The threat that climate change presents to Miami is as hot of a topic as it is a polarizing one. With increasingly frequent flooding due to storms and the moon/tide cycles, many of the locals have grown familiar with the low-lying hazards in the neighborhood. A summer storm wouldn’t be complete without the dramatic shot of a newscaster standing outside the Publix in Mary Brickell Village with water up to their knees, gawking at drivers who splash by, many of whom end up with water damage to their pricey rides. The intersection of Brickell and 13th Street is another spot that overflows quickly.
After the storm we went through last week that flooded the underground parking garages at Brickell City Centre plus all of Mary Brickell Village, forcing shops to close for a day and a half, I started to wonder which buildings in the area are on higher ground? Some may be surprised to learn that the Downtown area is not flat. There are small, but valuable hills that make certain buildings more secure from the floodwaters. I did a little bit of research and found this very interesting topographical map that is fully interactive and mapped the buildings in our area. The vast majority of the buildings sit between 0-3 feet above sea level, but here are the ones on higher ground…
Simpson Park Area
On the south end of the Brickell Financial District but on the north side of South Brickell is Simpson Park. It is situated on a small hill that crests at the intersection of SW 1st Avenue and I95 at 30 feet above sea level. Le Parc at Brickell is the highest condo development in our service area at 20 feet above sea level. Nearby, Infinity at Brickell also takes advantage of this hill at 10 feet above sea level, but it drops off quickly. SLS Brickell measured 3 feet above sea level.
Because of the contour of the elevation, Vue at Brickell and Axis at Brickell were all showing up as 7 feet above sea level, leaving Millecento and the rest of the surrounding buildings at 3 feet.
North Brickell
All of the other buildings in Brickell are between 0-3 feet except for one small incline at 5th Street that puts 500 Brickell’s East Tower on slightly higher ground (7 feet).
Downtown Miami
The wall of towering skyscrapers along Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown has been affectionately dubbed the “Biscayne Wall” in real estate and architecture groups for some time now, but there could be another reason for it. There is a small increase in altitude along Biscayne Boulevard, leaving Bayfront Park at 3 feet above sea level and all of the condo developments from 50 Biscayne to Marquis Residences at 7 feet above sea level. This includes Vizayne North and South, MarinaBlue, 900 Biscayne Bay, One Thousand Museum, and Ten Museum Park.
Edgewater / Arts & Entertainment District / Midtown
As can likely be expected, none of the buildings in Edgewater are higher than 3 feet above sea level… but the grade increases relatively quickly as you go farther west (by Miami standards anyway). The Arts & Entertainment District’s new project, Canvas, is 7 feet above sea level, and industrial loft or live/work space fans will be pleased to hear that Parc Lofts and Filling Station Lofts are both built 10 feet above sea level.
Midtown fans will also be pleased to know that the entire neighborhood, including Midtown 2, Midtown 4, Midblock and the new Hyde at Midtown are all 10 feet above sea level.
Final Thoughts
If you would like to play with the interactive map on your own, you can do so here. Do the findings make you feel better or worse about our situation?
Dramatic Four Story Marquis Penthouse With Rooftop Pool Seeks $13.9 Million
If you’re interested in trophy properties that are high in the sky, prepare yourself. The dramatic upper penthouse at Marquis Residences came back to the market yesterday with a $5 million price cut and every inch is awe-worthy.
Spanning over 8,000 square feet through the 64th-67th floors, the custom-designed property boasts 4 bedrooms, 4 full baths and 3 half baths. As you exit the private elevator, you are greeted by a waterfall in the foyer. Once inside, illuminated stairs flow through the four levels of splendor, up to the 67th floor private rooftop pool.
Only three other available Downtown Miami area condos dare to approach the level of grandeur seen in this Marquis penthouse. Just two buildings south of Marquis, Zaha Hadid’s One Thousand Museum has listed a 10,000 square foot residence for $20.7 million that is currently under construction and should be delivered in 2019. Down in Brickell, three combined penthouse units covering 8,800 square feet at the Four Seasons Residences are listed for $25 million and just next door is Carlos Ott’s Echo Brickell. It isn’t currently marketed on the MLS, but the nearly completed development will feature a duplex penthouse custom designed by Carlos Ott himself is seeking $42 million and is expected to be delivered by early next year.
Marquis PH6401 was purchased in 2010 by an American businessman for $4.2 million. The owner worked his way up from the ground level at his father’s defense logistics company that he had started with just 3 people over 30 years ago. After taking over the CEO seat in 2003, he continued to grow the company until it was ultimately sold to Honeywell for $230 million, according to a profile in the Alexandria Times. Judging from the listing photos below, it seems he has just as much design sense as he has business sense, because this place is truly amazing.
What do you think?
Year-Long Downtown Miami Roadway Project Begins This Week
It is time to prepare alternate routes in and out of Downtown Miami, because FDOT has started its year-long roadway project in the area. Over the next year, they will update the storm water drainage system, re-pave and re-stripe the roadways, updating signage and traffic signals, and extend the exclusive bicycle lane from SE 3rd Avenue to SE 3rd Street.
Residents can also look forward to a more pedestrian-friendly roadway with updated curb ramps, more pedestrian push buttons, high-emphasis crosswalks and a pedestrian refuge island at the I-95 entrance ramp.
In order to complete the work, they will need to establish permanent work zones that reduce the number of travel lanes, but have committed to leaving at least one lane open for traffic to pass.
The Downtown Miami DDA suggests the following alternative routes to avoid the construction zone:
Use Flagler Street to N Miami Ave to get on I-95 or to Brickell
NE 1 Street to N Miami Ave to get on I-95 or to Brickell
Flagler Street to SW 2nd Ave to get on I-95 or Brickell
Go North on Biscayne Blvd to get on the I-95
Go North on NE 1st Ave to get to I-95
Go west on NE 3rd Street to NW 3rd Ave to get on I-95
Epic Hotel & Residences Is Wrapping Up Its Repair Project; Prepares To Reopen Residents’ Pool
At long last! The building repainting and balcony repair work at Epic Residences is drawing to a close and the resident’s pool is preparing to reopen. In two emails to residents this week, the building’s management office announced that the work is coming to a close and gave an update on the reopening of the pool.
Email 1 on July 18:
C&S Paint has finished working on your balconies. Please inspect them, prior to placing your furniture back on the balcony. Please look for any discoloration, excess stucco, cement, or paint that is on or around your balcony. If you find anything, please take a photo and respond back to this email. Your report will be forwarded to C&S Paint. They will correct the issue.
Email 2 on July 18:
C&S Paint will soon be partially done with the Condo Pool deck. They will be cleaning and prepping two pools for use. At this time the Hotel has closed their pool deck except for the weekends. They will open the pool deck starting Saturday morning and close Sunday evening. Our pool deck will open in two weeks depending on weather. We apologize for the inconvenience this has caused and thank you for your patience.
Let’s hope the weather stays nice so that the residents can once again enjoy their pool by the end of summer!
