Maison & Objet Does Miami, Again: Inside the French Interior Design Fair

Martone Bicycles on display at Maison & Objet.

Maison & Objet, the preeminent French interior design, decor, decoration, and architectural fair is back in Miami for the second annual incarnation of Maison & Objet Americas, its American edition based in Miami. This time around, the fair has begun to settle in to its permanent American home and grow, taking up double the hall space in the Miami Beach Convention Center, sustaining more satellite exhibitions, events, and parties, and and letting embracing Miami and Miami Beach more than ever. (Last year I explored the fair for Curbed Miami) The fair began today and runs through Friday, with the center of activity being the convention center, but plenty to see in the Design District, Wynwood, and around South Beach. But before all that, here’s a first look at some of the design and decor inside the main show.

AirBnB is Killing it in Miami Despite Patchy Legal Landscape

A Miami AirBnB

Miami is AirBnB’s fifth largest market in the U.S. The short-term home rental app is killing it down here, where hundreds, possibly thousands of small South Beach apartments are rented out on a nightly basis to tourists from across the world. It’s not just the beach that’s raking in the dollars though. “Miami is one of our largest U.S. markets and certainly a broader part of our strategy,” Christopher Nully, a spokesperson for Airbnb, told The Real Deal, which took a deeper look into the future of the company’s presence in Miami. “We really see increased growth in the market, but not just along the beach.” And this is all happening despite a patchy legal landscape, where short term rentals are allowed to varying degrees in various South Florida municipalities, and enforcement is highly uneven.

So, is the AirBnB landscape really as much like the Wild West as it sounds? Well, kind of yeah. It’s a system so unstreamlined that “I’m not sure anyone knows how to deal with it,” said Joe Hernandez, head of the real estate group at Weiss Serota also told Real Deal. Meanwhile, the hotel industry feels “under attack,” as Russell Galbut, partner in hotels such as the Gale, and the Shelborne, said while at a panel recently.

Babylon Apartments Demolition Blocked… For Now

Babylon Apartments. Photo by Phillip Pessar.

The City of Miami’s historic preservation board voted Tuesday evening to block demolition of the iconic Babylon Apartments on Brickell Bay Drive, which is one of architecture firm Arquitectonica’s very first buildings and one of its most iconic. Although the owner, Francisco “Paco” Martinez, who once stared in old spaghetti western movies under the name George Martin, was able to get the City of Miami to condemn the structure, the preservation board unanimously voted to consider preservation a day before Paco was to get his demolition permit. This places a 120 day moratorium on demolition, giving city staff time to further consider the historic importance of the building.

Since its age falls significantly short of the standard 50-year cutoff for historic preservation, the structure must meet a higher bar of “exceptional importance” to warrant historic designation. (It was designed in 1979 and completed in 1982) Preservationists, however, argue that is exactly what it is. “Few dispute the architectural originality of the small Brickell apartment building, distinguished by its vivid red, ziggurat-shaped face, its key role in shaping the redevelopment of Brickell as an urban residential district in the 1980s, or its role in gaining a worldwide rep for the young Arquitectonica.” writes Andres Viglucci in the Miami Herald. Meanwhile, prominent historian Arva Moore Parks calls the Babylon “truly an iconic building.” The Babylon stands among the Atlantis, the Pink House, and the Palace Condominium, as Arquitectonica’s most iconic early buildings, which themselves set the stylistic tone for Miami in the ’80s.

Taxi Companies Are Suing Miami-Dade for Legalizing Uber and Lyft

Photo via Chris Goldberg/Flickr

Yesterday Uber and Lyft were both legalized in Miami-Dade County, following years of legal wrangling and a county commission vote of 9-2 strongly in their favor. The law allowing Uber and Lyft on the roads officially will take ten days to go into effect, but for taxi companies the fight isn’t over yet. In a last ditch effort, they have sued Miami-Dade County for $1 billion in lost medallion values. Is the county worried? Apparently, not really. Similar legal action in New York was unsuccessful. “We can’t be held hostage,” Mayor Gimenez told the Miami Herald Tuesday evening. “That was something they were hanging over our heads for a long time, to scare us. There’s been legal action around the country. We’ll take that on, too.”

East Hotel Taking Reservations Starting May 9, Reach Tower 95% Sold As Brickell CityCentre Begins to Open

Just three days after the ribbon cutting and official opening of Three Brickell CityCentre, we have exciting news about the other phases of the opening. All three remaining components of the much-anticipated development will be opened within the next six months. Here is the timeline we are working with:

Hotel: The East Hotel is currently accepting reservations with availability beginning May 9, 2016. Rates for the first night begin at $279/night including complimentary wifi and continental breakfast for two according to the booking section of their website. Separate packages are available for business travelers, offering a complimentary welcome cocktail, dry cleaning credit, wifi and continental breakfast for one.

Residential: Sales remain strong at both residential towers, Reach and Rise. Reach is currently 95% sold and awaiting their certificate of occupancy to begin closings this month. For buyers who wish to move-in within the upcoming weeks, a few opportunities remain with pricing averaging at $650/square foot. Rise tower is not far behind, boasting 50% sold status and similar pricing. We expect to see Rise opening later this year.

Retail: The impressive list of tenants have already begun their interior build-out to prepare for the grand opening of the mall, which is expected to be in September of 2016. The mall will be anchored by Saks Fifth Avenue and Cinemex luxury movie theater with a gourmet dining component. Other retailers will include Apple with their largest store in Florida, Valentino, Chopard and Lululemon. Sources have been buzzing since 2014 about the addition of an Eataly location although representatives of Swire have been unable to confirm this claim. Here is a full list of retailers that has been released by Swire.

Office: Three Brickell CityCentre was officially opened on March 1 with a ceremonial ribbon cutting attended by Mayor Regalado along with executives from Swire Properties and Akerman. Akerman is the anchor tenant of the office component of the development with 290 attorneys on staff. The new space will allow them to grow by 10%. Two Brickell CityCentre is the second office tower that is currently awaiting their certificate of occupancy.

It is important to note that these are prospective dates, considering everything goes as planned with the weather, contractors and permit delivery. We will be sure to be on top of any changes. Should you be interested in space in the residential, retail or office components, we are here to help.

Week in Review: Brickell Backyard Section of The Underline Receives Large Donation, Auberge Reserves 50 Units in 5 Days and Other News

This week brought great news for supporters of The Underline, a new park that is being developed beneath the Metrorail lines from the Miami River down to Dadeland. Each station is individually funded and the Brickell Backyard section received a $75,000 donation this week from local developers.

The Underline will begin construction in the Brickell phase and continue down 10 miles of the rail tracks. They have also secured $5 million in grants and funding from developer impact fees, Miami Dade County and Florida Department of Transportation. Friends of the Underline CEO & founder, Meg Daly hopes to begin construction by the end of 2016.

Residents of Brickell have been increasingly vocal over recent years regarding their desire for more park space but have lost out due to the laws of economics. The Underline is a solution that meets the needs of everyone involved, as the area underneath the rail tracks is not able to be sold and developed, but is available for public use. Think: the opposite of New York’s High Line… Underline will be a welcome addition indeed. [The Real Deal]

Speaking of the laws of economics, The Next Miami is reporting that the location of Brickell’s Burger King could face the wrecking ball in favor of a 960 foot tower. It appears that plans have been submitted to the FAA requesting permission to build up to 960 feet above sea level on the site.

Before you cancel your reservations on your north-facing apartments at Brickell Heights and hoard a box of Whoppers, let’s take a look at all of the evidence. Yes, a tower could be built on the land and this will likely happen one day. No, the Burger King strip center is not the highest and best use of the lot (particularly after Brickell’s recent growth spurt). We do believe that a tower will be built on the corner, but the likelihood of it happening anytime soon is very low.

The parcel of land at 10 SW 8th Street includes the Burger King on the east side all the way over to La Sandwicherie on the west side. The shopping center was last sold back in 2006 and no developer has been named for this proposed tower. Since shopkeepers in the strip center have been open about the fact that the building is being prepared for a sale, we sense that the proposal is simply a plan to increase the value of the lot in preparation for going to market. Whether or not the sale would happen quickly is another conversation altogether. For the foreseeable future, we will continue to enjoy our late-night La Sandwicherie subs in peace. [The Next Miami]

A little further north, Auberge Residences and Spa certainly had a large week. They released their first inventory on February 10 and successfully reserved 50 apartments in their first 5 days on the market! Given the feedback we have received, we hope that the lucky buyers who were able to secure a reservation hold onto their position when contracts are issued. Many people were disappointed to learn that certain floor plans have already been spoken for. Contracts are expected in late March. [The Next Miami]

While buyers were scurrying for opportunities in the Arts District, buyers of Miami Worldcenter have been scavenging for information regarding the revamped plans of their shopping center. This week finally brought additional details with renderings of the new open-air shopping concept that will replace the enclosed mall that was originally planned.

Some have praised Miami Worldcenter for their revised plans and some have begun to question the development. Have a look at the new renderings and let us know what you think… [Curbed Miami]

Week in Review: Brickell City Centre Reveals Climate Ribbon & Other News…

Week of December 6-12, 2015.

We survived the 13th Art Basel in Miami Beach, drawing record breaking crowds as well as record breaking rain. Despite weather and crowd-related delays and a bit of drama, the yearly art fair drew an estimated 77,000 visitors from around the world and the festival was a success. [NY Times]

Brickell City Centre put a pause on construction to host a beautiful party unveiling their $30 million climate ribbon. The ribbon is designed to filter the tradewinds from the Biscayne Bay into the development, cooling the shoppers and redirecting rain water to the landscaping. [Curbed Miami]

PMG gained approval to build a 1,049 ft tower at 300 Biscayne Boulevard. This would make the new tower even taller than the originally planned 93 story Empire World Towers that was previously proposed for the site. [The Next Miami]  The original plan for Empire World Towers was abandoned after the original developers were sent to prison for tax evasion and fraud. [South Florida Business Journal]

Miami Riverfront land is one step closer to being a more usable & pedestrian friendly shopping/culinary destination. Riverside Wharf would have a fish market, restaurants and a public riverwalk. [Miami Today]

Speaking of the Miami River area, David Beckham finally found a spot for his new soccer stadium. The new & approved location is in Overtown, just bordering the Miami River District and close to highways, public transportation and Downtown Miami. The area has often been overlooked until now, we are excited to see the changes that the stadium will bring! [ESPN]

Moishe Mana has been busy in Downtown Miami. He closed on two more sites this week and now owns over 800,000 square feet of space in the area. We can’t wait to see his plans once he reaches his goal of acquisition in the area near Flagler Street in the historic area of Downtown Miami. [The Next Miami]

NetJet and Snarkitecture Customize Private Jet for Art Basel 2015

It has been estimated that 800 private jets have landed in Miami over the last few days, bringing hoards of art-loving visitors from around the world. Those who landed at the Landmark Aviation private jet terminal at Miami International Airport were greeted by their first commissioned piece right there on the tarmac.

Snarkitecture collaborated with NetJets to bring the piece to life for Art Basel 2015. The $40 million Global 5000 jet was wrapped in blue and white ombre wrapping that was inspired by the changing of the sky at dawn/dusk.

NetJets is a fractional ownership/jet leasing service that was the pioneer in executive charter jets. They were founded in 1964 and were the first executive jet charter service in the world. They operate a fleet of over 650 aircraft.

Snarkitecture is a Brooklyn, NY based practice that focuses on collaborations and design of existing spaces. They are not strangers to the Miami design scene, having collaborated in pop-up installations for Alchemist on Miami Beach,  Design Miami and the Miami Marlins Ballpark.

IconBrickell Pool To Close For 12 to 14 Months

Residents of IconBrickell and the Viceroy Hotel (W Hotel) are in for a hot and dry summer, as their famed pool deck will be closed for renovations/repair. Our sources have confirmed that the Icon Brickell pool closing is expected to begin around February 2016 and the work is estimated to be completed in 12 to 14 months.

It has been reported that the Icon Brickell pool renovations will include re-tiling of the pool deck for safety reasons (because the tiles used by the developer are too slippery for use on a pool deck). Others have reported that leaks in the pool have caused damage to the spa and gym below; however, the management office has not cited at this time the exact reason for the closing.

IconBrickell opened in 2008 to rave reviews but few sales due to the economic downturn. The amenities in particular won awards and accolades for their grandiose, superb quality and design. Developed by Related Group, Arquitectonica was chosen as the architecture firm and Philippe Starck handled the interior design. IconBrickell was among the first condo developments to rebound from the economic downturn in Miami. Average sale prices for the second quarter of 2015 have been reported at $583 per square foot for the three towers or $796,000 and rentals have averaged $3,150 per month for the same period.

The pool closing at Icon Brickell has been well known among residents and the real estate community for several months. As such, listings at Icon Brickell have already begun to price in the negative impact that the pool closing is expected to have.