South Florida’s Luxury Real Estate Landscape: A Glimpse into the Recent Transactions of Industry Titans
In the ever-evolving world of South Florida’s luxury real estate market, industry leaders from diverse sectors have recently sealed some notable deals. These transactions span the tri-county region, with property values ranging from a commendable $7.8 million to a staggering $10 million.
In the heart of Miami Beach, renowned actor Marjorie O’Neill-Butler parted ways with her cherished waterfront residence, fetching a price of $8.3 million. The new owners of the property at 603 East Dilido Drive on the Venetian Islands are Marcio Pacheco Ferreira and Luciana Augusto Mattoso Ferreira. Pacheco Ferreira is a distinguished partner and senior portfolio manager at Pharo Management, a hedge fund headquartered in New York City. The property, a classic built in 1935, boasts five bedrooms, three bathrooms, two half-bathrooms, and luxurious amenities like a pool and a dock. It was initially listed for $9.5 million last year.
Venturing further into Miami-Dade County, a prominent figure from Disney’s elite circle, Rich Frank, along with Leslie Frank, invested $8.7 million in a condo situated at Estates at Acqualina. Rich Frank’s illustrious career includes his tenure as president of Disney Studios and later as chairman of Walt Disney Television and Telecommunications. The couple’s current venture is the acclaimed Frank Family Vineyards in Napa. This property has also seen other high-profile transactions, including those by a dairy magnate and a jeweler.
Lastly, in the exclusive Admirals Cove community in Jupiter, financiers Tim Garry and Amanda Link sold their waterfront residence for a cool $10 million. The property, now under the ownership of the CKMH Family Trust, is a modern marvel built in 2020. Garry, a pivotal figure at the New York City-based Senator Investment Group, had initially purchased this property in 2021 for $6.5 million.
These transactions underscore the dynamic nature of South Florida’s luxury real estate market, reflecting the preferences and investment strategies of industry moguls.
Monarch Alternative Capital Buys 801 Brickell Office Tower for $250 Million
The 801 Brickell office tower in Miami is being purchased by Monarch Alternative Capital and Tourmaline Capital Partners for roughly $250 million.
This 28-story building is anticipated to close in the next week. According to property records, the building was finished in 1984 and has a total square footage of 695,000 square feet, 415,000 of which are offices. The building was purchased in 2002 for $80.3 million by Nuveen, the financial division of the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America, or TIAA. Over 90% of units at 801 Brickell are leased.
Among the tenants are the bank Cassel Salpeter, the investment business Selvatra, and Swiss Re AGroup. The 7,000 square foot office will be opened in the fourth quarter by BNP Paribas Securities Corporation, a division of the European bank BNP Paribas. Komodo, a restaurant owned by Groot Hospitality, has a location at 801 Brickell as well.
Approximately 60% of the purchase price is being financed by 801 Brickell’s buyers.
Apollo Capital Management, Canadian asset management CI Financial, and private equity company Thoma Bravo are three financial institutions that have recently leased space in Brickell. Also relocating from Chicago to Brickell is billionaire Ken Griffin’s Citadel and Citadel Securities.
Since Griffin’s $286.5 million purchase of the structure at 1221 Brickell Avenue in the summer of last year, Monarch and Tourmaline’s acquisition is the largest office transaction in South Florida.
With some asking rentals over $100 per square foot, the number of tenants has driven Brickell rents to all-time highs. The 801 Brickell acquisition is partially a bet on rental growth at the tower because, according to sources, new leases are signing for over $100 per foot, which is significantly more than the rates for existing leases.
According to its website, Tourmaline is an office investment company created in 2021 that has made $3 billion in deals and has 1.4 million square feet under construction. Brandon Huffman is in charge of it.
The Citigroup Center in downtown Miami, located at 201 South Biscayne Boulevard, is likewise a property owned by Monarch and Tourmaline. The 34-story tower also has CP Group, formerly known as Crocker Partners, is listed as a co-owner.
Jeff Bezos Buys Waterfront Mansion on Indian Creek Island for $68 Million
Third-richest man in the world and billionaire Jeff Bezos reportedly paid $68 million for a waterfront mansion on Miami’s Indian Creek Island. An organization that bought the demolished home at 11 Indian Creek Island Road was controlled by the founder of Amazon.
Bezos and his fiancée Lauren Sánchez, a former news reporter, and pilot, were searching for a new or restored property in the Miami region. He probably began looking for a home when in Miami in May for the Formula One Grand Prix. Given that he has looked at residences on La Gorce Island, Star Island, and North Bay Road in Miami Beach, he might potentially be prepared to buy additional properties.
The home was originally built in 1965 with some additional renovations completed in 1985. The home features 9,300 square feet of living space with 3 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms on 2.8 acres. According to tax records, the sellers are listed as hotelier Tulia Soucy de Gonzalez Gorrondona.
Other notables on Indian Creek Island include hedge fund manager Eddie Lampert, businessman Carl Icahn, Tom Brady, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, musician Julio Iglesias, and auto dealer magnate Norman Braman.
David Guetta is also under contract to purchase the beachfront spec home at 37 Indian Creek Island Drive, which has a $69 million asking price.
Miami Riverbridge Development Approved
The lease between the City and the joint venture led by Hyatt and Gencom was unanimously authorized by the Miami City Commission with a vote of 5-0. This choice represents an important step forward for the ambitious Miami Riverbridge project at 400 Southeast 2nd Street, paving the way for the revitalization of Downtown Miami’s riverside area.
The agreed lease deal opens the door for joint initiatives between Hyatt and Gencom to improve accessibility, encourage walkability, and bring a variety of offerings to the bustling city. The joint venture may now go forward with finalizing the construction plans in close collaboration with the City thanks to this significant endorsement.
The Miami Riverbridge project has already had resounding public support, garnering an amazing 64% of voters’ approval in the November election. This broad acknowledgment of the project’s transformative potential emphasizes its significance to the local community and visitors alike, sparking excitement for Downtown Miami’s future.Riverbridge in Miami. Credit: Gencom and Hyatt.
Both Phil Keb and James Francque, speaking on behalf of Gencom and Hyatt respectively, acknowledged how grateful they were that the City Commission had approved the lease. They reaffirmed their steadfast dedication to bringing about a great development that satisfies the community’s ambitions while also making a major contribution to Miami’s economic development.
Now that the leasing arrangement is finalized, the Miami Riverbridge project can move forward, realizing the riverfront’s full potential and creating a vibrant urban environment. The joint venture’s goal is to accommodate the rising demand for homes, hotel rooms, and event venues while also bringing in a sizable sum of money for the City in the form of taxes, fees, and ground rent.
Three towers affording residents and hotel visitors sweeping views of Downtown Miami and Biscayne Bay are part of the site’s plans, which were created by Miami-based Arquitectonica. 682 multifamily apartments, a 615-room Hyatt Regency with more than 100,000 square feet of conference space, and 264 serviced apartments will be housed in Towers One and Two, which will rise 61 stories. A Skybridge with an upscale destination restaurant and lounge positioned 700 feet above the city will connect the towers at their highest point. Tower three will rise 1,049 feet in the air and contain 860 residential apartments, making it one of the tallest structures in South Florida.
Shakira is On the Move to Miami
Shakira has recently relocated to Miami with her children after leaving Barcelona, the hometown of her ex-boyfriend, Gerard Piqué.
The Colombian singer, who lived in Barcelona for eight years, explained in a farewell Instagram post that she was leaving following her breakup with Pique, 36, so she could begin “a new chapter.”
Shakira and Piqué first became acquainted while working on the music video for her song “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” which served as the FIFA World Cup 2010’s anthem. In March 2011, the pair announced their relationship for the first time. Last June, they made their breakup public.
Piqué, who was born in Barcelona, had a fruitful career with FC Barcelona, the illustrious team representing the city. Before the defender announced his retirement from the game in November 2022, his teams won eight La Liga championships and three Champions League trophies.
With the recent news of her departure, Shakira has been seen looking at homes across Miami and plans to spend up to $50 million for a mega-mansion.
Pictures of the glam pop diva and her brother visiting more than six potential properties in Florida’s wealthy neighborhoods were captured.
The 46-year-old is apparently renting a $15 million waterfront mansion while searching for a larger place to settle down with her kids Milan and Sasha, ages ten and eight.
Miami Beach’s Star Island is Now Ranked as the Nation’s Highest Priced Neighborhoods
Miami Beach’s exclusive Star Island has taken the top spot among the most expensive areas in the country, surpassing Port Royal in Naples, FL, Beverly Hill’s Gateway, and Trousdale Estates in Beverly Hills. In 2022, the price of the typical home sold on the island was $40.2 million, an increase of $16.7 million and 71% from 2019 when it was $23.5 million.
Ken Griffin, the founder of Citadel and a heavyweight in the hedge fund industry, has spent a total of $170 million over the past few years buying a collection of five houses on the island. Griffin made a big impression when he paid $75 million for a 1993 demolition on 1.8 acres at 8 Star Island Drive. At the time, the sale broke a record for Miami-Dade County single-family home sales, but Griffin is no stranger to shattering records.
Griffin also bought the nearby 10 Star Island for $25 million, 11 and 12 Star Island Drive for about $37 million, and 13 Star Island for $32.5 million in an off-market purchase. Also, he was the owner of 14 Star Island, which he acquired for $24 million in 2020 and reportedly traded for 13 Star Island for $18.5 million with former New York Yankee and real estate mogul Alex Rodriguez.
Griffin is not the only well-known investor who has bought and sold on the Island. Stuart Miller, the executive chairman of Lennar, paid $33 million for the old 4 and 5 Star Island Drive owned by Thomas Kramer, which marked the beginning of a protracted series of deals on the renowned island. With Todd Michael Glaser, Stuart Miller created an extravagant model home at 22 Star Island that was designed by DOMO Design and sold for $49.5 million in an off-market transaction managed by David Solomon and David Miller.
The owner of the NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, Robert Pera, purchased the 1.9-acre property next door from Miller in 2019 for $25 million. A contentious 28,000 SF seaside home with a basketball complex is being built by Pera. Marc Iacovelli sold the historic Carl Fisher estate at 46 Star Island Drive to Roger and Sloan Barnett for $39 million on the other side of 22 Star Island. On the island, Shay Kostiner recently sold his vacant lot at 44 Star Island for $10 million, while Anthony Hsieh, the founder and CEO of LoanDepot, just paid $30 million to purchase 34 Star Island Rive.
Just over the MacArthur Causeway from Fisher Island’s entrance and Miami Beach’s South of Fifth district, the gated Star Island has long been one of Miami’s most sought-after neighborhoods. The Army Corps of Engineers constructed the island in 1922 as part of a dredging project, and Carl Fisher turned it into an island for the affluent and well-known. Celebrities and billionaires like Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Philip Frost, Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs, Alex Rodriguez, Stuart Miller, and Vladislav Doronin currently reside on the island.
Approval Pending for Construction on 10 Story Residential Tower in Miami Beach
An application has been submitted for design review approval to build a new 10-story mixed-use building at 6940 Abbott Avenue, the location of a former BellSouth office and parking lot that is no longer in use in the North Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach. The application was filed by 6940 North Beach LLC, a joint venture between entities controlled by Rainer Viete, Jose Boschetti, and Eduardo Otaola.
The 130-foot-tall structure will feature 134,573 square feet of space, including 96 multi-family units, 21 of which would be co-living units, 2,192 square feet of ground floor retail, and 90 parking spaces. It was designed by Arquitectonica with Biscayne Engineering serving as the land surveyor and civil engineer.
Unit floor plans include studio, one, and two bedrooms. The regular size units would be between 550 and 1,250 square feet, while studio units (co-living) will be between 403 and 437 square feet. A cafe, fitness facility, pickle-ball court, and a lap pool will all be on the rooftop.
The traffic engineer is David Plummer & Associates, while the landscape architect is Christopher Cawley Landscape Architecture. The interior of the building will be thoroughly illuminated by natural light thanks to the use of grey glass windows and a glass railing. Mixing these materials will produce a striking, modern appearance that blends nicely with the nearby North Beach neighborhood. A stunning concrete frame with spherical motifs grouped in a bond-like pattern wraps around all elevations of the residential component of the building, emphasizing its distinctive form.
The development organization has also offered hurricane-proof impact windows, passive cooling systems, resilient planting, a study of the elevation of the property and the elevation of neighboring properties, and a recycling or salvage strategy for partial or complete deconstruction. To integrate the loading and parking driveways, they also ask for a waiver. The granting of this waiver will enable the project to be better designed while still adhering to the TC-C district’s development restrictions and without the requirement for variances. The project’s anticipated construction cost is approximately $14,692,224.
New Renderings Released for Shoma Bay in North Bay Village
New images of Shoma Bay, a 24-story mixed-use development proposed for 1850 79th Street Causeway in the waterfront neighborhood of North Bay Village, have been released by Miami-based developer Shoma Group.
The tower will feature 333 residential units, a 35,037-square-foot Publix, and 6,325 square feet of retail space, which includes a rooftop lounge and Shoma Bazaar food hall. It was designed by MSA Architects with interiors by Adriana Hoyos. The pedestrian-friendly location is close to all main freeways, stores, and food options at 79th Street Causeway and East Treasure Drive.
Each floor plan in the 2.8-acre mixed-use development’s furnished studios to three-bedroom units, with sizes ranging from 344 square feet to 2,700 square feet, was created to enhance functionality and comfort.
With only a few changes that improve the building’s appearance, the new tower design, which combines traditional art-deco and modern architecture, indicates a modest departure from the original design. The building now has a more contemporary appearance.
Amenities:
Resident lounge and bar
Spa
Hammam
Golf Simulators
Fitness center with Technogym equipment
Pet spa
Kid’s club
6,030 square foot pool deck
Panoramic views of Biscayne Bay
Pool
Cabanas
Summer kitchen
Library
2,600 square foot cowering business room
Lounge with coffee bar
Gaming area
Movie area
Gated parking
Electric vehicle charging stations
Specialized bike room
Storage areas
The construction of Shoma Bay is anticipated to begin in the summer of 2023 with a completion date in 2025.
Exclusive: Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen’s Indian Creek Waterfront Mansion Construction Update
After 13 years of marriage, Tom Brady and Gisele Bündchen announced on Oct. 28 2022 that they officially divorced putting a pause on construction of their 5,000+ square foot teardown located on Indian Creek.
The Billionaire Bunker residence on Indian Creek Island was originally purchased by the couple in 2020, but their divorce was only finalized in late 2022. The estate, which sits atop a plot of land in the “world’s most exclusive municipality,” is arguably the most noteworthy of Tom Brady’s residences. It is one of just 34 properties with waterfront views of Biscayne Bay that are offered across 300 acres in South Florida’s Atlantic region.
The house was one of the nicest in the world, and Tom and Gisele were planning to live there forever with their kids, Benjamin Rein and Vivian Lake Brady. Although they are no longer together, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback has reportedly continued to develop and refurbish the property, according to The Daily Mail(opens in new tab).
Aerial images recently obtained by the British publication reveal that “production has advanced dramatically” since its initial inspection of the house in September 2022. To begin with, Tom and Gisele demolished a 5,772-square-foot house with the intention of building a contemporary, eco-friendly mansion on the property.
Gisele, a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Environmental Program since 2009, knew she had to build an eco-friendly home.
Together with solar panels, an organic garden, a yoga deck, a cabana, and a sizable outdoor kitchen, the new estate will also contain these features.
Gisele Bündchen bought a lavish Florida home that is situated directly across the water from Tom’s mansion as he continues to develop. She also covertly paid $1.3 million for a cottage in Florida, which she began to remodel last year. Billionaires Bunker is close to her new residence (likely convenient for co-parenting with her former husband).
Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and billionaire businessman Carl Icahn are some of the other noteworthy residents. Whenever building is finished, Tom Brady will live next to Icahn.
