Miami Welcomes Mexico’s RosaNegra’s First US Restaurant-Opening Spring 2024

SLS Brickell Hotel
RosaNegra to Open at SLS Brickell

Commercial real estate mogul, Robert Rivani is set to launch Mexico-based restaurant RosaNegra, with its first-ever US debut in Miami.

When it came time to choose a top international name to anchor the restaurant in style and hold its own on the city’s dining scene, Rivani looked no farther than his 13,634 square foot ground-floor spot at the SLS Brickell Hotel and Residences at 1300 S. Miami Ave. in Miami.

According to Rivani, the José Andrés restaurant that had previously occupied the location closed, leaving the area vacant and empty for some time.

Visitors to some of Mexico’s most popular tourist sites, such as Tulum, Cabo, and Cancun, will be familiar with the moniker RosaNegra. The restaurant’s blend of excellent cuisine and a vibrant, nightclub-like atmosphere ought to blend seamlessly in Miami.

A total of 4,634 square feet of outdoor space will be added to the over 1,400 square feet of indoor space, continuing with the RosaNegra brand’s theme of “Day of the Dead meets the Four Seasons.”

Food from Peru, Argentina, Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico will be the main focus of RosaNegra’s menu. A superb wine list is cultivated with the same attention to detail that goes into making cocktails. Live music and a resident DJ complete the club atmosphere.

The restaurant is still in the design, planning, and permitting stages; it is scheduled to open in the spring of 2024. Because a restaurant had previously operated in the location, the operational infrastructure, such as the appliances in the kitchen, is already largely in place, which makes the process easier.

The 33-year-old Rivani has already made a significant impact on the Miami nightlife scene and with the Accor-owned SLS brand. Rivani made his first significant income selling vintage sneakers when he was still in his teens. The Japanese-inspired Gekko at the sibling property, the SLS LUX Brickell Hotel & Residences, at 805 S. Miami Ave., is one of numerous well-known eating tenants and a genuine hot place nearby. The fact that Puerto Rican hip-hop star Bad Bunny invested in Gekko didn’t hinder its success.

The Full List Of Downtown Miami Area Condos With Fannie Mae Approval

Biscayne Beach Miami condos

Biscayne Beach Miami condos

Let’s talk about financing. Many people already know that financing in condos is far more difficult than single-family homes and very few buildings in Miami have achieved that coveted “Fannie Mae Approval”, but which ones did make the cut? Here’s our updated list with expiration dates of the approvals.

SLS Brickell (expires June 2018)
SLS Brickell almost didn’t get to be on this list. According to the executives at Related Group, the inspectors from Fannie Mae were under the impression that it was a condo-hotel... something that would disqualify the property from Fannie Mae Approval. After a site inspection, they could see that it is not a condo hotel. SLS Brickell is a hotel with a tower of residences on the top. They look the same, but work very much differently. Approved!

1010 Brickell (expires February 2018)
This is the first of two buildings who have their approval but are not yet completed. Although it is unarguably behind schedule, I’m really looking forward to see 1010 Brickell open. It is the first building I have seen in Brickell that has such a wide range of amenities for kids of all ages.

1010 Brickell is currently sold-out, but the Fannie Mae approval will help with people who are interested in resales.

Brickell Heights East & West (expires December 2017)
We have covered the Brickell Heights opening extensively and are so pleased with how it turned out. Three members of the Miami Condo Investments team have already signed up for Equinox and are loving the classes!

This is going to be the building for people who want to be in the middle of everything. It is right between Brickell City Centre and Mary Brickell Village, offering a host of entertainment choices. I have heard people who are concerned about the plans to build a 75 story tower called 18 on the lot directly to the north, but it is my opinion that this will not happen. I feel it is simply a sexy tower with approvals to help increase the land value. That’s a pretty common tactic in land sales, but we can talk more about it in another post…

LeParc at Brickell (expires January 2018)
If you’re the type of person who likes to be near the hustle and bustle of city life, but not necessarily right in the middle of it, Le Parc at Brickell is for you. It is a boutique condo that is walking distance to Brickell’s Financial District, but is also located behind Simpson Park. Simpson Park is a natural hammock  on the corner of South Miami Avenue and SE 15th Street and offers trails to experience the natural habitat of this area before the estates and high rises were here.

Fun fact: it is naturally MUCH cooler in the middle of Simpson Park than it is on the street.

Centro (expires February 2018)
This past Monday, we visited the market statistics for Centro and were amazed at how few transactions there were. This is a great opportunity for someone who Ubers everywhere (or Lyft if you’re part of the #DeleteUber movement). There are no parking spots included with the units, so this is for someone who wants a true city lifestyle. Aside from the lack of parking, the location and finishes are great.

Canvas (expires January 2018)
Now we’re going to skip North to the Arts & Entertainment district. Canvas is also still under construction and will need to extend their approval because the building is not quite topped off yet. I feel it will be closer to the middle of 2018 before these units are ready to close.

Crimson (expires June 2017)
If you’re in the market for a LEED certified waterfront condo, then you need to look into Crimson. You also need to hurry because their approval expires at the end of the month. No word yet on whether they intend to renew it.

Biscayne Beach (Expires December 2017)
With interiors by Thom Filicia, Biscayne Beach opened last month to rave reviews. They are currently 99% sold-out of their developer inventory and over have of the units have already closed. Two Roads Development (who is also developing the nearby Elysee) paid off their construction loan and are now sitting pretty as buyers begin to move in.

If you missed the developer inventory, we have listed a beautiful 3 bedroom, 4 bathroom plus den corner layout with south and east views. It is available with one of the best views of Miami, decorator ready for your personal touch at $1.75 million.
Biscayne Beach Miami condos

Miami Condo Investments’ Most Popular Buildings in Greater Downtown Miami

Brickell City Centre April 2017

I thought about doing a TBT post today, but then changed my mind. There is so much going on in today’s real estate market, why talk about the past? New buildings are opening every month, people are curious about how these new buildings compare to the ones that were new in years past. So which buildings are currently the most popular by condo shoppers?

I took a look through our Google Analytics report to see what our readers are looking at the most. In the time period from May 14, 2017-June 14, 2017, MiamiCondoInvestments.com received a total of nearly 73,000 page views. Of those, here are the ten most viewed building pages. This list does not include views of individual listings, just of the building pages themselves, where you can find inventory lists, market statistics and closed sale/rental data.
1 – SLS Brickell – 1,219 views
It makes sense that SLS Brickell would take the number one spot with an overwhelming lead. The project was very much anticipated by future tenants, owners and pool-party-goers alike. Move-ins began in late December/early January and have moved on at a rapid pace, leaving the building almost at full occupancy now, with demand still strong. Our agents alone have handed out 16 sets of keys in the building, with a healthy book of buyers and prospective tenants still shopping.

2 – Reach at Brickell City Centre – 731 views
I would have been surprised if Brickell City Centre didn’t make this list! This project was the catalyst that fueled the buying craze in Brickell over recent years and reinvigorates the neighborhood that was once a dense yet sleepy enclave of beautiful high rises that became quiet at night. Reach was the first residential tower to open in Brickell City Centre, and is also approaching occupancy. When the project initially opened, one bedrooms started at $2,400-$2,450/month, but now have risen to $2,650/month.

3 – Brickell Heights East – 715 views
The newest new building on the block also made the list, and no surprise there. Our photo tour of Brickell Heights just days before they opened was one of the most popular blog posts so far this year, and the amount of calls we get for it is a very good sign that the initial occupancy of the building will go smoothly.

4 – 1100 Millecento – 700 views
Millecento’s place as number 4 on the list was a bit more surprising, but not in a bad way. It’s not the newest building in the area, so people aren’t hungry for a preview. There’s really no drama going on with the building (that I have heard of at this time), so people aren’t looking for gossip and info. We still receive a healthy amount of calls and contact requests on Millecento, so I feel it’s safe to say that the traffic is good ol’ prospective residents. That’s great!

5 – Biscayne Beach – 638 views
Edgewater’s newest new building is also on the charts. We covered the progress & opening extensively, so it makes sense that blog readers are interested in the progress. We also have a beautiful 3 bedroom unit listed on the 30th floor with direct bay and Downtown Miami views. It is well-priced and a blank canvas inside. With the amount of attention the building receives, I feel that it will sell quickly.

6 – The Bond on Brickell – 615 views
The Bond is very popular for people who want to live in a brand-new condo in Brickell, but prefer understated elegance and high quality finishes over the kitschy excess that is SLS Brickell. We receive many calls about this building, and there have also been many of our clients who have called about SLS Brickell but then chosen The Bond. It is like SLS Brickell’s quieter sister.

7 – The Plaza at Brickell East Tower – 531 views
The Plaza is basically a Brickell staple. I was surprised that it received more views than any of the IconBrickell towers, but that just shows what the market is interested in. We did a market report on Monday about The Plaza and found that sellers and landlords fare better in today’s market by removing that horrible outdated berber carpet from 2008. There is too much competition in the neighborhood to expect buyers and tenants to sign up for old berber carpet (in case I didn’t make my point on Monday).

8 – BrickellHouse – 530 views
Despite their garage saga, BrickellHouse remains a popular building in the neighborhood. Yes, the garage is broken. No, we don’t know when it will be fixed. Despite that, the finishes are quite lovely, the views and location are great and it remains very popular among our clients.

9 – IconBrickell Tower 1 – 477 views
Of course IconBrickell would be on the list. It has remained one of our most requested buildings since it opened… even since the pool closed. The pool should reopen by the end of the year.

10 – Jade Residences at Brickell Bay – 468 views
Jade is one of the most luxurious buildings in the neighborhood, even after 13 years. Although most buildings in Brickell have beautiful bay views, Jade is where you go if you want an extremely luxurious setting with private elevators and direct bayfront. The only building it competes with is the Santa Maria, except that Jade is more modern and in a more walkable section of the neighborhood.

Do you think that the top viewed buildings on our website are surprising, or expected?

SLS Brickell Gains Fannie Mae Conditional Approval, Pays Off $157 Million Construction Loan

SLS Brickell Condos at 1300 S Miami Ave

SLS Brickell Residences entrance

After opening in October, SLS Brickell has already paid off the $157 Million construction loan they obtained in 2014. The closings are steaming ahead, passing an average of 40 new keys to unit owners per week.

According to Sonia Figueroa, the Senior Vice President of Development with The Related Group, most of the transactions have been all-cash, with a handful of mortgages being issued. Now that the project is over halfway closed out, they were able to obtain their Fannie Mae conditional approval with the final approval expected soon.

Initially there was a fear that the building would not garner the approval, Figueroa said. The underwriters from Fannie Mae believed that the project was a condo/hotel, which does not fit Fannie Mae guidelines. After a personal tour of the property, they were able to see that the building is the SLS Residences with a hotel on property, but the two are separate entities in the same building. The approval was issued and now we will have a much easier time finding mortgages for buyers in the project.

SLS Brickell has been a wild success for Related Group. They have sold all but two of the 450 units, with the two units remaining being penthouses.  The resale market has been extremely active, with 22 units on the market priced between $415,000 for a 26th floor 1 bedroom up to $1.7 million for the penthouse. The rental market has taken off as well with 57 units coming to market as of today. Nine of those have already found tenants and four have moved-in. The 48 remaining rentals range from $1,900/month for a 21st floor 1 bedroom up to $10,000/month for a designer-furnished 3 bedroom on the 35th floor.

If you are thinking to move to the building, feel free to contact us for a tour.

UPDATED: SLS Brickell Rentals Becoming Available Starting At $1,900/Month

SLS Brickell condos pool deck and sls duck

SLS Brickell condos pool deck and sls duck

Closings are currently under way at SLS Brickell and the competition for qualified tenants is already picking up. We don’t yet have a solid date that the properties will be move-in ready as many were sold decorator-ready.

For those who are new to Miami real estate, decorator ready means that the condo is delivered without flooring, light fixtures, window treatments and the walls are delivered with primer, ready for the topcoat. These are all added after the closing takes place but before the first residents move in. The process of laying the floors and adding the fixtures typically takes around a month, depending upon scheduling and permitting.

As of today, there are three active rental listings in the building. They are all three 1 bedroom listings and range from $2,600-$2,950 per month. As closings continue, we certainly expect to see more inventory. There are also investors who are planning to offer units for as low as $1,900/month for 1 bedrooms or $2,600 for 2 bedrooms, according to the investor’s representative. These units will become available for showings starting next week, but move-in dates are based upon the closing and flooring schedule, so stay tuned.

If you would like to be notified when the apartments become available, please send us a message and we will be sure you are the first to know.

UPDATE: We heard back from the investor’s representative, who informed us that the closings are scheduled for late December and the properties will be available starting in January.

 

Preview the SLS Brickell Penthouse Views Via Drone

SLS Brickell penthouses

SLS Brickell penthouses

The hotel component of SLS Brickell has been open for about a month now, Fi’lia has begun serving hungry Brickellians and closings of the residences are underway. The developer still has 3 penthouse units available for sale with amazing views. Here is a preview from our latest drone video:

You can see that there is in fact a rooftop swimming pool for the residents, and the upper penthouses also have their own private pools. The three penthouses remaining are:

PH5203: 2,274 square feet interior with 3 bedrooms, a den and 3.5 bathrooms. $1,762,900.
PH5003: This one is the same floor plan 2 floors lower for $1,698,900.
PH5005: This apartment has direct southeast views with 4 bedrooms, 3.5 baths and 2,336 square feet. It is listed for $1,906,900.

If you’re interested in a smaller apartment, there are already resales available as well as options for yearly lease. I think that the building turned out beautifully, it is architecturally interesting during the day and the night and I am very excited to visit the restaurants and amenities. A win from Related Group! What do you think?

SLS Brickell Opening Rescheduled for October 10

SLS Brickell Pool (3)
Photo courtesy of Carlos Rosso

The deck chairs are lined up, cushions being organized, the duck is shined & buffed, the tables in the restaurant are arranged and the linens are all getting in order. The opening day of SLS Brickell is just around the corner and we couldn’t be more excited!

In order to make sure everything gets off on the right foot, the folks at Related Group and SLS Brickell have delayed the opening of the hotel to October 10, rather than October 3 as we previously reported. The residential units will begin closings shortly thereafter.

Look out for another update after we are able to test the hotel and restaurants during a little staycation. So far everything looks wonderful!

Photo courtesy of Carlos Rosso
Photo courtesy of Carlos Rosso
Photo courtesy of Carlos Rosso
Photo courtesy of Carlos Rosso
Photo courtesy of Carlos Rosso
Photo courtesy of Carlos Rosso

Check Out the LED Displays in the Motorcourt of SLS Brickell

SLS Brickell LED DIsplay
When we went on our hard hat tour of SLS Brickell last month, our contact from the hotel mentioned an artistic LED display was going to be installed on the ceiling of the motorcourt. It seemed intriguing enough at the time, but I was anxious to go inside the building and didn’t pay much mind to the concept. Yesterday I noticed that the display is now live and it stopped me in my tracks!

On the ceiling there are circular LED displays scattered throughout and they each run a loop of a different scene. Sometimes the scenes are orchestrated together, sometimes they are completely different and sometimes they are all the same. I’m not sure whether this is a test run or if it will always vary, but the entire display is certainly attention-grabbing.

Some of the scenes are pretty and calming, some are inspirational and thought-provoking and some are downright creepy. How very Phillipe Starck. Here is a sample of one of the scenes. It features dancers dressed up like white goats and spelling out different phrases with their bodies. I found these costumes really creepy, but it still held my attention. What do you think?

The LED installation on the ceiling of the motorcourt at SLS Brickell is running! What do you think?

A video posted by Miami Condo Investments (@miamicondoinvestments) on

A Look Inside the SLS Brickell as They Prepare for Opening Day

SLS Brickell Duck

October 3rd is the big day. The SLS Brickell will officially be open, although the site is very clearly still under construction. We were lucky enough to get a hard-hat tour of the project from bottom to top this week and wow! Brickell is in for a treat! Here are some of the highlights from our outing:

The residential lobby has a really cool textured finish on all of the walls and the ceiling.
SLS Residential Lobby

SLS Brickell Elevator Lobby

The hotel lobby has a dramatic curved staircase & direct entry to Fi’lia, Michael Schwartz’s newest restaurant in Miami. They will serve ‘honest Italian food,’ according to their instagram profile @filiarestaurant. (Check it out for pics of the plates).

SLS Brickell Hotel Lobby

Speaking of Fi’lia, here is a snap of the progress in the restaurant. It will have an open kitchen and be the more casual of the restaurants in SLS Brickell.

SLS Brickell Restaurant

Up on the pool deck, things are coming along with the poolside restaurant and the signature Philippe Starck duck already in place. The pool deck has 2 large pools, a reflection pool and 2 jacuzzi’s along with cabanas and the restaurant.

Along side of the pool deck is the start of the meeting rooms. We anticipate many distractions from those meetings with the views of the South Brickell skyline and all of the action from the pool. But, what do you expect from Miami?

SLS Brickell Pool Deck

SLS Brickell Pool Deck 02

SLS Brickell Pool Deck 01

Up top, the residents will enjoy a private pool deck that they will not share with the hotel guests. (Sorry, guys. You have to pay to play.) This deck is on the 54th floor with crazy views all around.

SLS Brickell Rooftop

SLS Brickell Rooftop Pool 01

SLS Rooftop Pool
SLS Rooftop

The penthouses have private rooftop terraces with their own private pools.

SLS Brickell Penthouse Pool

Back down on the ground level, we toured Bazaar. That is the more fancy seafood restaurant that will have custom tile murals with mermaids, leopards, boating wildlife and all kinds of fun things. The spot will also have a fish tank and separate sushi room.

They already have plenty of parties booked, including a farewell party for a certain much-loved Miami Heat player.

SLS Brickell Tile

SLS Tile 02

The residences should start closings as well in October, but are pending their TCO (temporary certificate of occupancy). Currently there is only 1 unit remaining, a 50th floor penthouse for $1,698,900.

The hotel is already booking rooms, with a crazy introductory rate of $200/night! I’m sure that won’t last long, but get it while it’s hot! See you there!

Related Group Construction Update

Related Group Construction Progress in Brickell

The Related Group is looking to start 2016 ahead of schedule. This morning Carlos Rosso, President of Related’s condo division, shared these construction photos of SLS Lux, Brickell Heights, SLS Brickell and the Paraiso mega-development.

Above, you can see Brickell Heights and SLS Lux. Brickell Heights is the two towers under construction in the center of the photo. The tower to the right is Brickell Heights tower 1. This phase is sold out except for a few penthouse opportunities, Brickell Heights 02 is 85% sold out with select residences and penthouses remaining for purchase. This project is scheduled for completion in late 2016.

SLS Lux is the shorter tower to the right of Brickell Heights. The construction began more recently than Brickell Heights and it is scheduled for completion in the fall of 2017. This project is nearly sold out as well with roughly 20 residences remaining and penthouses. Upon completion, SLS Lux will be 57 floors and Brickell Heights will have 49 floors in each tower.

SLS Brickell Construction Progress

Above, you can see SLS Brickell. This one is topped off just in time for the new year and has been sold out for some time with the exception of a couple of penthouse opportunities. The construction schedule shows SLS Brickell being completed in the spring of 2016.

Below is a great angle to see the impressive size of the Paraiso Bay mega development in Edgewater. This project features 4 towers on 4.6 acres that will begin to be delivered in late 2016. The four towers are Paraiso Bay, Gran Paraiso, One Paraiso and Paraiso Bayviews.

Bravo to Related for pushing the projects & heading toward the finish ahead of schedule! We can’t wait to see the neighborhoods continue to grow. We are happy to help should you be interested in any of the remaining opportunities in the projects.

Construction Progress of Paraiso Bay, Paraiso Bayviews, One Paraiso and Grand Paraiso