Ahead of its U.S. launch date, Turkish developer Okan Group has released a promo video for its upcoming mixed-purpose development called Okan Tower. The video is in Turkish but it includes a number of never-before-seen renderings of the 70-story tower. For additional information about this exciting project, read our previous blog post about the sales launch for Okan Tower.
Turkish developer and leading enterprise Okan Group announced yesterday the official sales launch of its first U.S. development – Okan Tower. The distinctive architecture planned for the 70-story mixed-purpose property is meant to emulate the silhouette of a blossoming tulip (Turkey’s national flower). Located in Downtown Miami at 555 North Miami Avenue, this innovative addition to the Miami skyline will feature a 294-key hotel by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, 64,000 square feet of ‘Class A’ office space, 236 condo-hotel units starting on the 36th floor, 149 condominium residences starting on the 51st floor, plus four duplex penthouses.
Okan Group Chairman and billionaire, Bekir Okan, credits the city of Miami’s vibrant energy and international fusion for his choice in the project’s location. “It is with great pleasure that we unveil Okan Tower as we embark on a journey to present a bold real estate product in one of the world’s leading destinations,” he added. “In selecting our projects throughout the world, we always seek to establish an impact that will make history. Not only in its design but through its level of experiential elements, Okan Tower will have a transformative effect on the metropolis that will forever change Miami’s skyline”.
The architecture firm behind the tower’s bold design in tribute to Turkish culture is Behar Font & Partners. Okan Tower’s studio, one-, and two-bedroom condo-hotel units will be delivered turnkey furnished, ranging in size from 447 to 1,245 square feet, while its condo-residence offerings will include one- to three-bedroom units plus a den, ranging from 698 to over 2,071 square feet; and 4 duplex-style penthouses ranging from 1,873 to more than 2,142 square feet. Okan Tower will also offer world-class amenities, including high-speed elevators with separate access for various mixed-use components, a sky pool with panoramic views from the 70th floor, outdoor lounge, Hammam spa, state-of-the-art health and fitness center, kids’ playroom, chef and gastro kitchen, movie theater, wine cellar and cigar room, as well as a rooftop restaurant located on the 67th floor.
There’s no doubt that this project will cater to the taste of the foreign buyers so highly accounted for in the past several years of Miami’s residential real estate sales. A 3,000 square-foot sales gallery for the tower already opened in Istanbul, Turkey on May 2nd, complete with a full model residence. The U.S. sales gallery will open on May 10th. Promising sophistication and convenience, Okan Tower’s location is close in proximity to business, entertainment, culture, and the arts – with Perez Art Museum, Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, American Airlines, the upcoming Miami Worldcenter, and the Brightline Train all within blocks.
Privately funded, the project is already slated to break ground this fall. Pricing for units at Okan Tower starts from $318,500.
After three years of construction, closings are set to begin next week for units at Aria on the Bay. The 53-story development received its Temporary Certificate of Occupancy last week. According to in-house sales reps, ten percent of the units at Aria on the Bay remain unsold, with prices for one- to three-bedroom residences ranging from $422,900 to $1,682,900. All units feature porcelain tiled flooring throughout, Italkraft kitchen cabinets, Bosch stainless steel appliances, and 9-foot high ceilings with floor-to-ceiling glass windows.
Aria on the Bay is located in Edgewater Miami at 1770 North Bayshore Drive. It was developed by Melo Group, designed by Arquitectonica, and will include 648 residential units.
One cannot help but be awestruck by the rapid transformation taking place throughout Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood. Compared to just five years ago, it has grown tremendously in terms of development and density. With the pending completion of Related Group’s Paraiso District, Edgewater is about to get a whole lot bigger.
Paraiso District is Related Group’s largest residential development outside of New York City. The private, gated complex is situated on a close to five acre site with 500 feet of water frontage. It also includes a beach club (appropriately named Paraiso Beach Club), which is exclusive to Paraiso residents, as well as a waterfront restaurant by James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Schwartz called Amara at Paraiso. In terms of density, however, Paraiso District, with less than 1,400 total units, will be smaller than Related’s second largest residential development – Icon Brickell.
Earlier this month, closings began for units at Paraiso Bay – the first of four towers comprising Edgewater’s Paraiso District. The other three towers – Paraiso Bayviews, GranParaiso, and One Paraiso – will all be completed and delivered by year-end.
A few weeks ago, I met up once again with Related’s President of Condominium Division Carlos Rosso – this time for a grand tour of the Paraiso District grounds and recently completed Paraiso Bay. Paraiso Bay is a 55-story tower designed by Arquitectonica. It has 346 total units, each offering direct, unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay. Paraiso Bay has a laundry list of amenities which include: clubroom with billiards, catering kitchen, and multimedia facilities; state-of-the-art fitness center; full-service spa with men’s and women’s steam and sauna facilities; private screening room with state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment and theater-style seating; wine cellar and tasting salon; children’s playroom; teen’s game room; resort deck with circular, zero-entry heated pool, outdoor spa, poolside cabanas, and summer kitchen area; tennis center with 2 lighted tennis courts and multipurpose court; beach club; 24-hour concierge; and 24-hour valet parking. Additionally, residents of Paraiso Bay and GranParaiso will share a 2-lane bowling alley and full-service bar below their shared resort deck. At the time of my tour, I was told that just 25 percent of the amenities had been delivered. Keep that in mind when viewing the photos below…75 percent of the amenities are still in the works!
“Better act fast” is a cliché sales pitch that has been used for generations…but for my newest listing, you better! On Friday, I listed for sale unit 2009 at SLS Lux – a luxurious 3 Bedroom, 3 Bathroom condo with 2,147 total square feet (1,657 interior square feet + 490 square feet of balcony) and 3 parking spaces (1 assigned + 1 parking lift + 1 valet space). Within 24 hours of being listed, I received an offer…and for good reason! At $935,000, the unit is priced very aggressively; it’s priced better than four of the five 2 bedroom residences currently on the market (keep in mind, unit 2009 is a 3 Bed, 3 Bath residence), and priced considerably better than any of the other 3 bedroom residences that are listed for sale. Besides unit 2009, there are currently two other 3 Bedroom residences listed for sale. The first is located one floor lower than unit 2009 and asking $1.19M, and the second is located four floors lower than unit 2009 and asking $1.375M. If you’re looking for a deal, this is it! Contact me if you have any questions or would like to schedule a time to view the unit before Tuesday. I may be reached via email at [email protected] or by phone at 786-247-6332.
SLS Lux is a full amenities building located in the heart of Brickell at 801 South Miami Avenue. The amenities at SLS Lux include: expansive pool deck on the 9th floor with cabanas and poolside bar, rooftop pool and sundeck located on the 57th floor, BBQ area with summer kitchen, lighted tennis court, club room, full-service spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, full-service concierge, children’s playroom, outdoor theater, rock climbing wall, executive business center, and much, much more.
The condo dues for unit 2009 are $1,101 per month. That amount includes high-speed internet, cable TV, water, and use of all building amenities. The assigned parking space and parking lift are located on the 2nd floor.
View Listing for SLS Lux Unit 2009 (including all 51 listing photos)
For those who missed it on our Social Media Feed a few weeks ago, the Miami Condo Investments team was given a VIP tour of the recently finished helipad at One Thousand Museum. Once completed, One Thousand Museum will be the first residential tower in Miami to ever include a helipad. As you could imagine, at a height of 709 feet, the views from atop One Thousand Museum are phenomenal; too good not to share, so here you go:
New construction is coming to “Old Brickell”! We are pleased to introduce Una Residences, Brickell’s only bayfront preconstruction condo development. Once completed, Una will be the first waterfront development built in South Brickell (south of SE 15th Road) in over 20 years.
Una Residences is being developed by OKO Group, which is also developing Missoni Baia in Edgewater, and Cain International. The design architect for Una Residences is Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture (AS+GG). They will also be designing the interiors and common area spaces at Una Residences. The landscape architect for Una is Enzo Enea with Revuelta Architecture International acting as executive architect.
Una will rise 45 floors and have only 135 luxury condo residences, each with private elevator, chef’s kitchen, 10′-8″ high ceilings with floor-to-ceiling windows, and fabulous water views. Una will be comprised of two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom residences ranging in size from 1,100 to 4,786 interior square feet. The development will be topped off with two spectacular penthouses, each with a private pool and 11′-7″ to 12′-4″ high ceilings.
During this Friends & Family pricing period, prices for units at Una range from $900,000 to over $5,000,000.
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
sauna
lobby
pool deck
pool deck
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.
