Japanese Restaurant, Makoto in Miami Beach Named Top 100 Restaurants in the Country
Makoto, a modern, upscale Japanese restaurant in Bal Harbour Shops, was the only restaurant from Miami-Dade County to make OpenTable’s annual Top 100 Restaurants list. Makoto Okuwa, the restaurant’s chef and partner, leads the restaurant, which opened in 2011, and serves sushi and robata dishes that is cuisine cooked on a fire grill.
Makoto relocated to the third floor of the luxury outdoor mall earlier this year and was updated by international designer India Mahdavi. The space now has indoor and outdoor seating for 244 people, as well as a new terrace and sushi counter. The restaurant’s ownership group’s Stephen Starr responded to the news by praising the Makoto staff.
According to Starr, “The team at Makoto has demonstrated excellence in hospitality from the beginning, and it’s great to have those efforts recognized by our patrons. To be named as one of the top 100 restaurants in the country is an exciting honor and a reflection of our incredible, dedicated staff members.”
With ten restaurants each, Florida and Nevada tied. Fort Lauderdale had two favorites on the list, Louie Bossi Ristorante and Takato, while Tampa had three. To compile the list, OpenTable analyzed more than 13 million verified reviews from 47 cities in 21 states. Only those who book through OpenTable and dine there can leave reviews.
MAKOTO is located at Bal Harbour Shops at 9700 Collins Ave. in Miami Beach.
Fortune International Group Announces Casa Tau Branded Residential Tower-ORA
Fortune International Group, led by visionary founder Edgardo Defortuna, has announced a collaboration with hospitality brand Casa Tua to curate and program its newest high-rise, mixed-use development located at 1210 Brickell Avenue in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood.
ORA is the first branded residence for Casa Tua, the renowned, heartfelt brand and exclusive members’ only club that has gathered friends in their properties in Miami, Aspen, and Paris for over two decades and is set to launch in The Surrey, A Corinthia Hotel in Manhattan in 2023. Casa Tua has planned a full suite of amenities for the property, as well as short-term rental residences.
According to Defortuna, “ORA will serve as a unique residential development in a premier location, at the best corner in the Brickell neighborhood. We look forward to working alongside the Casa Tua brand to curate a sophisticated experience that will create a community for its residents and Brickell. ORA will become the city’s most exciting amenity.”
ORA by Casa Tua will feature, among other things, two new restaurant concepts by Casa Tua, a gourmet market by Casa Tua, a rooftop lounge – with resort-style offerings such as a pool, sky lounge, and bar; a show kitchen, private event space, and – curated by Casa Tua; an abundance of nature and lush landscaping infused into the building’s design, including full floors of floating gardens overlooking city views; an entertainment lounge, and fitness and wellness amenities.
Reservations for the short-term rental homes, which range in size from 500 square feet for studios to 2,400 square feet for four-bedroom homes, will open in January 2023. The price will begin at $800,000.
Terra Group Releases Renderings for $1 Billion Development-Upland Park
Upland Park, a $1 billion transit-oriented development planned close to Dolphin Mall, has unveiled renderings. According to the developer, Upland Park is being specifically constructed for connection with the projected east-west transit link.
Upland Park’s urban planner is Plusurbia Design, while the project’s design architect is Arquitectonica with the developer listed as the Terra Group.
According to the developer, the community would have quick access to key employment hubs like the Health District, Downtown, Brickell, and Miami International Airport.
The actual project location is the Dolphin rapid transit station.
Once within the community, people will experience a master-planned neighborhood that is walkable and has resiliency elements as well as built-in traffic solutions.
In order to appeal to “all ages and audiences,” including elders and students, the community will also offer a range of home sizes and price points.
Project Description:
1,700+ residences
140,000 sq. ft. of retail space
427,000 sq. ft. of commercial space
126 room hotel
charter school
After the developer acquired a lease for the property on December 1 and secured a $35 million site work loan, site construction is anticipated to start in early 2023.
Aston Martin Residences Miami Reaches 97% Sold
According to the developers for Aston Martin Residences Miami, the tower is now 97% sold. With this news comes another unveiling with the Aston Martin exclusive 3-story penthouse.
The new penthouse is going for $59 million and a new name ‘Unique.’
Unique features seven bedrooms, eight bathrooms, a wraparound terrace on each story, a private pool, a gym, a jacuzzi, and a custom-built garage are all included in the 20,000 square foot home.
The final Aston Martin Vulcan race car, one of just 24 versions of the company’s 7.0-liter V12 820bhp, all-carbon fiber supercar, will also be given to the buyer. It is worth $3.2 million. It has its own climate-controlled garage and is only designed for track driving.
An 80-page art book with original works of art by the six internationally renowned artists-in-residence at the property has been published to promote the penthouse plan reveal.
Units range from studio to 4 bedroom floor plans with square footage beginning at 698. River and Panoramic units start at $750,000 and rise to $8+ million depending on the floor plan and unit location. As for the Sky and Penthouse residences, units begin at $14 million reaching well over $50 million.
Development Information
Developer: G&G Business Developments
General Construction: Coastal Construction
Architect and Design Team: Luis Revuelta of Miami and Bodas-Miani-Anger of Argentina
Residence Features
Private service entrance at basement level for all move-ins and personnel
Bulthaup custom cabinetry in kitchens
White marble floors throughout the entire unit and porcelain in all balconies
Quartz countertops in the kitchen. Piatra Grey (Ceasarstone) or similar
Gagganeau appliances in all residences: (sizes depends on units)
Duravit wall-mounted toilets in all units throughout the building and bidets in select units
All bathrooms feature marble floorings and walls (Thassos or similar
Hansgrohe faucets in secondary bathrooms and exclusive Axor model in master and powder bathrooms
Italian Bertolotto doors with AGB hardware in all units
Wood-paneled front doors to residence with programmable smartphone technologies such as NFC and Bluetooth
Floor soundproofing system installed throughout all units including all bathrooms
Walls dividing units with corridors will be 10″ wide with layers of Quiet Rock improving soundproofing
German Schuco hardware on sliding glass doors
ThyssenKrupp “Destination Dispatch” elevator system from main lobbies getting passengers to their destination in the shortest travel time and enabling access only to their own floor for enhanced security
High-speed elevators going up to 1200 feet per minute
High-speed internet and Wi-Fi hotspots in all common areas
Cast iron pipes and risers avoiding Waterflow noises
Amenities
Full-service building with concierge and hospitality-inspired services
Super Yacht Marina facilities
“The Aston Martin Club” membership
Rooftop infinity pool located on 55th floor
Fitness Spa and Fitness Center with Meditation Room and Treatments Suites
Private Steam, Sauna, and Locker Facilities
Pet-friendly building
Building designed with a helipad on the rooftop
24-hour valet and covered garage self-parking
Valet charging stations for electric cars
Valet Butler
Additional bicycle and private storage spaces
10 destination controlled super hi-speed elevators and separate dedicated service elevators
Digital connection to concierge and all building amenities from every residence
State-of-the-art Business Center and Conference Rooms
Art Gallery and Art Lobby on 53rd floor
Private Residence Movie Theatre, Event Space, Kids Playroom, Teen Center, and Game Rooms
Virtual Golf
Beauty Salon with blow-dry station, pedicure chair, manicure table, and wash stations
If you or someone you know have any interest in purchasing at Aston Martin Residences, please contact Lucas Lechuga via email at [email protected] or by phone at 786-247-6332.
NuVerse Advisors Hedge Fund Relocates to Miami
NuVerse Advisors LLC, a hedge fund located in New York City is relocating to Hallandale Beach.
According to Jaime Moreinis, senior project manager for NuVerse Advisors, the company officially launched its new headquarters this week in a 4,044-square-foot space on the 20th floor of the Optima Onyx Tower at 1010 S. Federal Highway in Hallandale Beach. Additionally, he said, it has reduced its New York presence to a single modest office in the Carnegie Hall Tower.
According to Moreinis, “NuVerse is expanding its presence in South Florida to service its growing international clientele looking to build and add to its multifunctional talent that consists of individuals with many decades of financial services experience.”
In 2001, NuVerse was formed by managing partner Elias Saal, along with Dov Schlein and Stephen Saali. The financial markets data provider Wallmine.com reports that the company is managing $591.64 million in assets. Twelve individuals are currently employed there, according to Moreinis. In addition to its location in New York, NuVerse also maintains a location in Lugano, Switzerland.
According to Moreinis, the business had a smaller branch seal relocated to the neighborhood before it opened in Optima Onyx tower.
More than half of NuVerse’s workforce will operate out of the Hallandale Beach location, which is now larger.
Since the pandemic, the South Florida region has had a greater influx of high-income households, which has boosted the local economy and led to rising rents, brokers and developers have told the Business Journal. New-to-market businesses have been setting up offices in the area as a result of the influx of CEOs and educated workers into the area. Even some companies moved their headquarters.
Arlo Hotel Now Open and it’s Wynwood’s Very First Hotel
Wynwood now has the newest hotel from independent, experience-driven hotel chain Arlo Hotels, which already operates hotels in Miami Beach and other parts of New York City. Arlo Wynwood, a new hotel in Miami’s most unique area, combines art and peace with nonstop entertainment.
The hotel is the first to open in Miami’s premier creative and cultural neighborhood, which is home to the most street art in the entire world. With guest rooms starting at $239 a night, the 9-story hotel, with 217 rooms will be a cultural hub for locals and tourists alike and offer intelligent travelers prime access to the best of the area.
The hotel’s signature restaurant, MaryGold’s, a “Florida brasserie,” was designed by the James Beard-nominated team of Brad Kilgore and Bar Lab and is located to your right as you enter.
The hotel was created by Meyer Davis, a highly esteemed company at the forefront of international, luxury commercial design. It embraces an eclectic industrial look where organic meets modern while drawing on the neighborhood’s bold and well-curated creative nature.
A flawlessly balanced tension between the natural and the artificial is achieved by contrasting warm, earthy materials with crisp, modern finishes and vibrant accents that create subtle richness through a delightfully welcoming palette. In keeping with the Arlo Hotels brand, the establishment’s sizable living room and lounge areas foster amicable interactions and creative connections among visitors, employees, and members of the neighborhood. The spaciousness of the main spaces reflects the friendly vibe that distinguishes Wynwood.
The property’s rooftop pool and bar, which are now only accessible to guests, are its main attractions. Huge red and white striped umbrellas and cabanas line the edge of the pool.
The airport is only roughly 15 minutes away from the hotel, and the Brightline station is even closer. Wynwood is Arlo’s fifth site; the other four are the Nautilus in Miami and three other hotels in New York City.
According to CEO of Quadrum Global of Arlo Hotels, Oleg Pavlov, “Wynwood is one of the most vibrant districts in Miami. We’ve been eager to develop a hotel in the neighborhood, and with an increasing number of tech-forward businesses moving their headquarters to Wynwood, we feel this is a great time. The year-over-year hotel occupancy in the broader downtown market has grown nearly 30%. We’re thrilled to debut Arlo Wynwood as the premier hotel in the neighborhood. The property will embody Wynwood’s renowned artistic flair and offer first-rate restaurants, bars, wellness programming, and entertainment for guests and locals alike.”
New Report Shows Miami as the Most Competitive Rental Market in the United States
Renting is at its greatest level in fifty years, with almost 44 million American households renting. However, some renters found it difficult to find a new place to call home in 2022, particularly in the highly sought-after South Florida region, which has long been a popular relocation destination for individuals from all over the country.
Additionally, in the past two years, more people have relocated to the Sunshine State as a result of laxer rules and the growing use of remote work. As a result, migrants found themselves in a competitive market with local residents looking for units, making Miami-Dade the most popular rental market in the country.
RentCafe.com examined the 135 biggest U.S. markets examing five crucial metrics that include the number of days apartments were vacant, the percentage of occupied rentals, the number of prospective renters, the percentage of rental renewals, and the share of apartments completed for the year.
The largest metro areas in Florida opened new apartments this year more quickly than any other city in the nation. However, this was still insufficient to meet the rising demand in such a well-liked location.
Due to record-high occupancy and high lease renewal rates, Miami had the hottest rental market in the United States. Numerous Millennials and even members of Generation Z who wanted to work and live in the Sunshine State were drawn due to a number of factors, including the absence of a state income tax, the business-friendly environment, and the thriving tech scene.
Renters in Miami are in a very difficult situation because practically all units are occupied, especially since 75% of apartment residents choose to stay put this year. As a result, Miami’s rental apartments were full in 25 days on average, with a record-breaking 32 renters competing for each available property. Additionally, despite the metro area’s stunning 2.8% rise in apartment supply in the first half of the year (the highest growth rate among the top 20 cities in the ranking), the high demand for rentals is still far from being satisfied.
Notably, the city’s favorable business environment, which draws corporate relocations and expansions, maybe the cause of this demand. Orlando is also a member of the Florida High Tech Corridor, which attracts business people, students, and young professionals.
Florida welcomed the newest residents between 2020 and 2021, according to the US Census Bureau (220,890 people looking to escape high taxes and frigid winters in the North). Arizona (170,307) and Texas (170,307) were much behind it (93,026). And even while developers are hard at work constructing apartments all around Florida, the supply of recently created rentals is just insufficient to meet the soaring demand for housing.
Casa Tua Announced in Brickell by Fortune International Group
In Miami’s Brickell district, Fortune International Group is developing Casa Tua, an opulent residential skyscraper that will allow short-term rentals.
According to Fortune CEO Edgardo Defortuna, Ora by Casa Tua, a 70-story development with roughly 460 residential units, is proposed for the 1210 Brickell Avenue site. Early in the next year, Fortune will start accepting reservations.
The skyscraper will be the company’s first residential development. According to insiders, Miky and Leti Grendene’s hospitality business has been in discussions with developers for a long time. The Food Hall on Saks Fifth Avenue in Brickell City Centre and the Casa Tua main location are both in Miami Beach. Additionally, a Casa Tua Cucina restaurant will open in Miami’s Wynwood’s planned Nomad Wynwood Residences development.
Two new restaurant concepts, a 24-hour market, entertainment lounge, fitness, and wellness center, a three-story sky garden, and a rooftop club with a pool, jacuzzi, cabanas, and a bar will all be included in the mixed-use Brickell tower. The hotel management and marketing will be handled by Casa Tua.
According to Defortuna, the condos will have sizes ranging from 600 square feet for studios to 2,400 square feet for four bedrooms, with prices between $800,000 and $2.5 million. Defortuna predicts that a sizeable fraction of owners will profit from the option for buyers to rent out the apartments on a short-term basis. The lowest two-thirds of the skyscraper will feature between eight and ten units per floor, while the upper third of the tower will have fewer, larger units with an average of six units on each level.
The building is geared toward a younger clientele and offers a wine-tasting bar, a 24-hour grocery and bakery, a restaurant near the pool, and an equipped lobby.
Depending on sales milestones, he said, construction may start in late 2023 or early 2024.
According to property records, the property is owned by Patagonian Investment Internacional LLC, which is run by Argentine investors Federico Carabetta and Vicente Luis Carabetta. Next year, Fortune will close the location and destroy the parking garage to make way for Ora by Casa Tua. The garage is close to the office building at 1200 Brickell Avenue, which still houses the Dirty French Steakhouse owned by Major Food Group.
Casa Tua has outlets outside of Miami in Aspen and Paris and will establish a restaurant and lounge in New York City in Surrey, a Reuben Brothers venture, the following year.
Taurus Investment Holdings and The Congress Group Switch Civica Development from Office to Residential
The focus of Civica’s plans is shifting from offices to residences in recently updated plans for the development. In the previous plans, the development was set to rise 22 stories tall with a height change to 27 stories or 310 feet.
The changes also include 342 residential units, luxury amenities, commercial and office space, and an 8-level garage with 590 parking spaces.
The property is located five minutes walk from the Civic Center Metrorail station. The land sits right behind the 836 Expressway, which is being reconstructed as part of the Signature Bridge project.
Currently on the site is a three-story shopping center with 74,463 square feet, as well as a 4,768 square-foot bank branch. While the tower is being constructed, both of those buildings would still be present, albeit their parking spaces would be moved to the new parking garage for the complex.
The Miami Urban Development Review Board is scheduled to examine the project at a hearing on December 21. The architect for the project is listed as Cube 3 and the developers include Boston-based, Taurus Investment Holdings, and The Congress Group. The developer purchased the site for a combined $30.5 million in 2020.
