Miami Marlins, Avisail Garcia Purchases a $9 Million Mansion in Miami
Avisail Garcia, an outfielder with the Miami Marlins, just paid $9.06 million for a mansion in a prestigious Snapper Creek Lakes neighborhood in Coral Gables, Florida.
The 1.1-acre property was purchased by the baseball player from Venezuela, known as Uncle Avi, 31, and his wife, Anakarina Garcia, at the end of March. The deal was made two years after Mr. Garcia committed to the Miami Marlins for a four-year, $53 million contract.
The two-story house is sited on a corner lot and was originally listed in July 2022 for $10.495 million. Public records show that it was last sold in 2021 for $7.35 million.
The home’s total square footage, including terraces, outdoor spaces, and basement levels, is 11,476. Additionally, the listing describes it as “a strong bunker” with a poured-concrete roof and hurricane-resistant windows.
The 3-car garage is located at the home’s entry, which is surrounded by a large iron security gate. French doors across the rear of the house lead into a columned terrace with a pool and spa, which is also visible from the row of balconies on the second story. The house is built for indoor-outdoor living. The grill and a fire sprinkler system are additional outside elements.
The residence’s top rooms, including the private principal suite in a separate wing, are accessed through a grand staircase. The mezzanine gives the architectural drama and depth.
The home contains a formal dining room, a cinema room, a breakfast area, and a chef’s kitchen with a big island in addition to seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms.
Mr. Garcia played for the Detroit Tigers, Chicago White Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and Milwaukee Brewers before making his main league debut in 2012. The Garcias, who are parents of two small kids, were married in 2013.
The Miami Marine Stadium Just Got a Gigantic New Mural by Miami Artist HoxxoH
Photos by Diana Larrea
The Miami Marine Stadium, a sculpture in itself, has been a canvas for extraordinary murals and wall art since its abandonment after Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The spectacle of perpetually changing paintings, as muralists and graffiti artists paint over their predecessors over and over again, is a lot like a vertical Wynwood, with water views. Miami artist Douglas Hoekzema, also known as HoxxoH, has created a huge circular eye, sun, or bulls-eye, with a flower-like iris inside a larger iris the deep blue color of the deep sea.
HoxxoH announced the piece, with great photography by Parcialmente Nublada (a.k.a. Diana Larrea) yesterday on his Facebook page, describing the process snappily: “Miami Marine Stadium 2016, 2Dudes, 2Days, 1Generator, 1AirlessSprayGun, 70Gallons.of.Paint, 1AwesomeStadium.” As it gained a little bit of attention, he told the New Times today that he was inspired by the work of another local artist, Emmett Moore, who also did a large scale piece at the stadium, and by the constantly changing nature of the site:
“The temporary nature is the best part of this project,” he says. “The stadium provided an amazing environment that was constantly being changed by artists, and I’m assuming it will be changing until the last minute.”
It could even, speculated the NT, but the last massive mural created at the stadium, because of the Heineken-sponsored funding campaign to begin renovations and reopen it as an event venue. Or maybe not, considering the Heineken money, although a great start, is nowhere near enough to do the entire job. As Hoxxoh said “It will be changing until the last minute.”
Heineken is Crowdfunding Some of the Miami Marine Stadium’s Restoration
Photo via Flickr Creative Commons/ El Gringo
Heineken is donating $20,000 and crowdfunding another $80,000 to remove the seats in the architecturally iconic Miami Marine Stadium, initiating what will hopefully be the first step in its restoration, reports the Miami New Times. The City of Miami Commission is expected to approve a measure accepting the funds tomorrow, and the campaign, which is kicking off Heineken’s “Cities” Campaign, will be launched on Indiegogo next month. If this works, it could finally mean the beginning of a restoration that has seen years of false starts despite the tireless work of locals like activist Don Worth and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. “Whoever loves the stadium will be able to give $5 to bring it back to life. For so long, people have been like, ‘We need to find huge gifts from major donors,’ so this is different in that it’s allowing residents directly to bring it back to life, and that’s something that doesn’t happen with a lot of restoration projects.” said Jason Lloyd Clement, director of community outreach at the National Trust. The cost of the hoped for full restoration, between $37 million and $40 million, is still to be addressed.
