Turkish Airlines and Air France Increase Flight Schedules to Miami

Air France and Turkish Airlines Increase Flights to Miami
Air France and Turkish Airlines Increase Flights to Miami

Miami has always been a go-to city for many reasons but more recently people from all over the world are flocking to The Magic City. Whether it’s for the food, nightlife, or the beaches, there is something for all on this east coast town.

With the increase of people moving and visiting Miami, airports are busting at the seams trying to keep up with the demand. To help with the overflow, 2 major international airlines have announced they will be increasing flights to Miami starting soon.

Turkish Airlines and Air France are increasing their flight schedules to Miami. Turkish Airlines have announced that they will have 2 flights every day from Istanbul to Miami. This flight pattern is set to begin on March 27, 2022.

With Air France, their daily flights between Paris and Miami are set to increase by 20% daily beginning July 2022, up to 7 daily flights.

Air France currently services 11 cities in the United States and that includes Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Seatle, San Francisco, and Washington D.C.

According to the Miami International Airport, flights to Miami are already up 17% and that number is steadily growing and the US is at 90% of its 2019 flight levels.

If Miami continues to break International travel records, we can only look forward to new flights, hubs, and destinations linking to Miami in the future.

Ultra Music Festival is Back After Two Years Off and We Have All the Details

Ultra Music Festival in Miami 2022
Ultra Music Festival in Miami 2022

The Ultra Music Festival is returning to Miami after a two-year hiatus and it is anticipated to be bigger than ever. Ultra will run from March 25 through the 27th at Bayfront Park in Downtown Miami.

Ultra in Miami is a must-stop on the international circuit for EDM aficionados all around the world. While the rest of the country is bundled up in parkas in anticipation of the summer festival season, Ultra fans are partying it up in sunny Miami. The performance is always full of surprises, both in terms of the musical performers and the people that attend.

As of 2018, the festival brought 165,000 guests to Ultra, and in 2019, 170,000. In the same year, Ultra moved from downtown to Virginia Key with the intent to shuttle more than 50,000 people on and off the island to downtown. The organizers for the showed banned taxis and ride-shares, leaving thousands stranded for hours on end. With this year in downtown Miami, there is more organization and no limits on the transportation situation.

The Ultra Music Festival will span over 3 days and nights and will include performances by Tiesto and Martin Garrix, Armin Van Burren, DJ Snake, and David Guetta. The festival will begin on March 25th at 4 pm. Ultra is currently sold out but you can get a ticket through 3rd party vendors but the price will likely be high.

 

Traffic will also be an issue this weekend because of the number of other events occurring downtown. Miami Heat will be playing the Brooklyn Nets at FTX Arena as well as performances by Anastasia at the Ziff Opera House.

 
 

Traffic will also be an issue this weekend because of the number of other events occurring downtown. Miami Heat will be playing the Brooklyn Nets at FTX Arena as well as performances by Anastasia at the Ziff Opera House.

 

Traffic will also be an issue this weekend because of the number of other events occurring downtown. Miami Heat will be playing the Brooklyn Nets at FTX Arena as well as performances by Anastasia at the Ziff Opera House.

 
 

Traffic will also be an issue this weekend because of the number of other events occurring downtown. Miami Heat will be playing the Brooklyn Nets at FTX Arena as well as performances by Anastasia at the Ziff Opera House.

 

New Miami-Dade County Legislation will Require Landlords to Provide a 60 Day Notice of Rent Hikes

Miami-Dade County Legislation
Miami-Dade County Legislation

Residential landlords in Miami-Dade County are now required to provide renters at least 60 days’ notice of rent increases of 5% or more, as renting in South Florida grow increasingly expensive.

The legislation was proposed by Commissioner Eileen Higgins and unanimously approved during the commission meeting on March 15th.

Throughout the country, renters are facing a massive rent spike by at least 50% and according to Miami-Dade County, they hope this legislation will help curb those numbers and make Miami more attractive to tenants.

This new legislation would apply to renters nearing the end of their contracts as well as those on month-to-month leases who are facing the 5% rent increase. Also in the new legislation is the notice on eviction time going from 30 to 60 days, including month-to-month leases that came from a 12-month lease.

According to a commissioner, landlords could bypass the new legislation by offering weekly leases. This new legislation can only be enforced in court.

Higgins stated during the meeting, “Thank you all for your understanding about how fair notice is the right thing to do, but not all landlords are doing the right thing. So, this requires them, if their mothers didn’t teach them to do the right thing.”

There are also 2 additional bills for rent control expected to be voted on by this summer, Tenant Bill of Rights and Rent Control. The tenant bill of rights would allow tenants to withhold rent for certain maintenance issues that the landlords haven’t repaired. Landlords would also be required to provide renters with information about their rental rights for state and county laws.

If approved the Rent Control legislation would put a cap on rent increases for 12 months. There would be many hurdles with this legislation that involved multiple votes by commissioners, the mayor, and Miami-Dade citizens.

Official Plans Submitted for Riverside Wharf

Renderings for The Wharf Miami
The Wharf in Downtown Miami

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.

Renderings for The Wharf Miami

Revealed: St. Regis Residences Sunny Isles Beach

St. Regis Residences Sunny Isles
St. Regis Residences Sunny Isles

Developers, the Château Group and Fortune International Group have officially revealed the highly awaited St. Regis Residences Sunny Isles Beach. Located at 18801 Collins Avenue in Sunny Isles Beach, this beachfront ultra-luxury residential complex will consist of two 62-story towers that will add to the already growing Miami skyline.

St Regis Residences Sunny Isles Beach will be designed by Arquitectonica with interiors by So Paulo-based Anastassiadis and landscaping by EDSA. The site itself will feature 435 feet of beachfront property with panoramic views of both the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean.

The two towers will be referred to as the north and south towers. Sales will be launched on the South tower first with options of 194 residences that range from 2 to 4 bedroom floor plans including a selection of penthouses. The North tower is planned to feature 180 residences but sales will launch at a later date.

The residences themselves are exactly what you would think of when you hear the name St. Regis, and that’s luxury.

Residence Features:

  • Spacious floor plans boasting unobstructed ocean, city, and Intracoastal views
  • Ceiling heights clearing 10ft in regular units and 12ft in penthouses
  • Fully finished with flooring and closets
  • Private elevator and entry foyer in all residences
  • Service elevators
  • Italian designed kitchens with Quartz countertops
  • Miele appliances including wine cooler
  • Walk-in closets in all primary bedrooms
  • Laundry rooms with full-size washer and dryer
  • Smart home technology ready
  • Service quarters in select residences
  • Full floor residences with spacious floor plans
  • East and West terraces with pool on the east
  • Spacious terraces with luxurious private pool and jacuzzi
  • Summer Kitchen
  • Custom-designed Italian cabinetry
  • Graciously appointed primary suits and separate service quarters with separate entrance
  • Stunning, 360-degree views of the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal Waterway
  • Indoor BBQ
  • Indoor/Outdoor living space

Spread throughout the 2 towers will feature 70,000 square feet of amenities.

  • Managed by the St Regis Hotel Company, without hotel premises.
  • Grand entry driveway and 2-story porte-cochere
  • Impressive two-story lobby
  • 10 Guest Suites per Tower
  • Concierge Services
  • Pet-friendly and much more
  • Private beach facilities
  • Oceanfront and sunset pools
  • A signature restaurant
  • Wellness center
  • Spa
  • Athletic club

According to the President and CEO of Fortune International Group, “It’s a very exciting time in the South Florida market and it’s been an honor to continue to elevate luxury residential living with our projects.”

As for the CEO of Château Group, Manuel Grosskopf, “Without a doubt, The St. Regis Residences, Sunny Isles Beach, Miami embody these coveted touchpoints and we look forward to releasing more details of the project as we come to market.”

The construction plans show 1,000 parking spots available for residents and the starting price for units begins at $3.5 million. The project is expected to begin in 2023 and be delivered in 2026

St. Regis Residences Sunny Isles
St. Regis Residences Sunny Isles

MSC Cruises USA Breaks Ground on PortMiami Terminal

MSC Cruise Miami at PortMiami
MSC Cruise USA Breaks Ground at PortMiami

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.

MSC Cruise Miami at PortMiami

Plans for Twin Condo Towers at the Turnberry Yacht Club Proposed

Turnberry Isle Condo Proposed in Aventura
Twin Condo Towers Proposed in Aventura

Jeffrey Soffer, CEO of YCM Acquisition LLC, has submitted a site plan to build on a section of the 18.4-acre site located at 19500 and 19735 N.E. 36th Street in Aventura. The current site is comprised of 7.6 acres of buildable land and 10.8 acres of submerged land.

Currently on the site is a marina, a 50-room hotel, a clubhouse, a spa, and tennis courts. The two proposed condos would replace the hotel, eight tennis courts, and a portion of the parking lot that is currently on the site.

The twin towers would be labeled as towers north and south and would rise 24 stories tall. The north tower would equal 398,000 square feet in the first phase of the project, with 145 condominiums, 10 service apartments, and 320 parking spots.

The residential units would range from 1,730 square feet for the two-bedroom floor plan to 4,990 square feet for the three-bedroom floor plan.

The service apartments would be smaller and range from 367 to 638 square feet. These suites would only be for guests of owners and can be purchased by the owners.

Each condominium would have its own pool, exercise facility, and social areas. Two additional tennis courts would also be built in the south tower.

Soffer is making a name for himself in Aventura, first with the Turnberry Ocean Club and a building north in Tequesta and now with this new development.

No dates have been submitted for the review of the proposal. Arquitectonica is the architect for these twin towers.

New York Developer Secures $108M Construction Loan for a 42 Story

Caoba Phase 2 New Construction Tower at Miami Worldcenter
Caoba Phase 2 New Construction Tower at Miami Worldcenter

New York developer has secured a $108 million construction loan to construct an apartment building at the 27-acre Miami Worldcenter development in downtown Miami. The site covers approximately 20,980 square feet and is located at 697 N. Miami Avenue.

The New York developer under the name Block G Phase 2 LLC, which is managed by Mark Lapidus received the mortgage from Los Angeles Cim Real Estate Credit. Lapidus is the former WeWork CEO.

This property will be part of the current tower at Caoba apartments and will be designated as the second phase of this current tower. The new tower will be connected to the amenity deck of Caoba, which was originally opened in 2019.

The tower was originally approved in 2018 and was reactivated again in September 2021.

Construction is already underway and this second phase will feature 420 units rising 42 stories. The square footage for this property includes a project of 473,330 square feet which will include 4,103 square feet of retail.

The renderings show that the tower will not a parking garage but will share the amenity pool deck. It will also be a bit smaller in height and width but should remain very similar to the current design of Caoba. The cost of the project is estimated to be $82,833,750.

Coastal Construction and AECOM Tishman, is listed as the general contractor. The project is projected to be completed in late 2022 or early 2023.

Miami Real Estate Sales Soar for the 16th Consecutive Month

Miami Real Estate Sales for January 2022
Miami Real Estate Sales for January 2022

According to the MIAMI Association of Realtors and the Multiple Listing Service, Miami-Dade County real estate extended its record run of house sales with its best-ever January sales month, as existing condo transactions climbed for the 16th consecutive month.

The record-breaking 2021 included the greatest annual total dollar volume, all-time year total house sales, most single-family home sales, most condo transactions, and the highest number of cash transactions. Now, 2022 brings its best January sales month in history.

Homes sales rose 19.6% in January from 2,211 to 2,645. Single-family home transactions increased from 968 to 1,008 transactions at about 4.1%. Condo sales saw a higher increase at 31.7% from 1,243 to 1,637 transactions. This marks the 16th month of double-digit condo gains.

Compared to last January, home sales are up 42.4% from 1,857 to 2,645 with single-family homes at 13.6% and condos at 68.8%

Luxury condo sales also surged at 69.9% compared to last January at 192 transactions. Single-family luxury homes rose 20.4% at 201 sales.

Median-priced Single-family homes between $400-$600k rose 31.3% to 386 transactions for January. Condo sales in that same price range rose 98% with 303 sales in January.

Inventory decreased for both single-family homes and condos. Single-family homes decreased by 9.1% while condos decreased by 3.6%.

Median family homes sale prices increased 10.8% in January. Single-family home prices rose for the 122 consecutive months while condo prices increased for 124 consecutive months.

Total dollar volume hit $2.1 billion in January with single-family home volume increased 16.7% while condo volume increased 56.2% for January.

The sales percentage of Miami out preforms the Nation while in state, single-family home sales increased 1.4% in January 2022. Condo sales increased 6.7% in January 2020.

Single-family median sales percentages reached 98.1% for January 2022. The median sales percentage for condos increased by 3.2% compared to last year’s median sales percentage.

Cash sales in Miami make up 40.1% of real estate transactions, which is 48.5% more than the national average for January 2022. Cash sales made up of 49.4% of condo transactions while 25% of the single-family transactions were in cash.

According to the Miami Chairman of the Board, Fernando Arencibia Jr. stated, “The demand for Miami real estate has never been higher from both domestic and global homebuyers. Major U.S. companies opening HQs in Miami, surging domestic and global migration to South Florida, a larger percentage of Florida residents in their prime home-buying years, the expansion of remote work, low mortgage rates, Florida’s low taxes, relaxed Covid restrictions, South Florida’s healthy lifestyle and more have each played roles in Miami’s booming sales.”