Cherit Group Announces 4 Tower New Development -The River District

The New York-based developer Chetrit Group has announced a groundbreaking new district that will transform over six acres of the Miami River’s waterfront into a premier destination for art, entertainment, music, and culture as Miami’s bustling Brickell neighborhood transforms into one of the country’s most desirable urban cores.

The River District, a Brickell megaproject, is being planned with a total of four skyscrapers containing residential units, offices, and rentals with the first residential tower already under construction.

The River District will have 4 million square feet of new construction overall and will be located directly south of the Miami River.

The River District Amenities:

• Yacht harbor (60 ft vessel accommodations)
• 1,600 homes
• Class A office space
• 2,000 covered parking spaces
• Nightclubs
• Restaurants

Partnering with David Grutman of Groot Hospitality to offer dining and entertainment options. Additionally being planned are a riverwalk and marina. Architecture by Kobi Karp will be a part of the new development.

According to David Grutman, “The River District is going to be a highlight in Miami city’s ongoing transformation. Paired with Chetrit Group’s overall vision, I’m incredibly excited to bring Groot Hospitality to this game-changing development. We plan to feature versions of our existing concepts as well as all new ideas, across residential, restaurant, and entertainment spaces.”

Chetrit Group hired the highly regarded architecture and design firm Rockwell Group of New York for the interiors. For award-winning projects worldwide, including restaurants, hotels, airport terminals, and hospitals as well as festivals, museum displays, and Broadway sets, Rockwell Group is renowned for developing distinctive narratives. Each of The River District’s four skyscrapers stands out for its distinctive interpretation of the Brazilian tropical modernist motif.

The luxury condominium’s groundbreaking, which is anticipated to happen in early 2023 and is expected to be finished in 2026, will mark the start of the following phase.

CitizenM Hotel in Brickell Officially Opens

On Monday, CitizenM, a hotel chain with headquarters in the Netherlands, formally unveiled CitizenM Brickell in Miami, its newest hotel, and its official opening to the public!

The 252 rooms spread over the hotel’s 20 stories with each room identical in size and design, with king beds, wall-to-wall windows, free WiFi, and streaming TVs. As a result of an Open Art Call that CitizenM held earlier this year with 70 different artists, the rooms include artwork from ten different artists, both local and international.

The hotel’s unconventional living room-style lobby welcomes visitors with furniture from Swiss designers Vitra, which is meant to evoke the feeling of being at home. Eight SocietyM meeting rooms with break-out areas are located on the third floor.

The hotel provides CanteenM, one of the brand’s hallmark eateries, which is open 24 hours a day in the lobby and serves food and beverages. The hotel also provides two terraces for guests to use, one facing S. Miami Avenue and the other facing one of the greenest gardens in the city.

Robin Chadha, CMO of CitizenM states, “We’re thrilled to be opening the first of two citizenM hotels planned in Miami this year. With Jen Stark’s striking facade artwork and the interior curated with a selection of works from artists celebrating Miami’s diverse and vivacious spirit, we are excited to be able to provide guests with an unparalleled and culturally robust experience, making this property a landmark in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood.”

The former Perricone’s building on the land started to be demolished in April 2019, and immediately after that, foundation work for the new hotel tower started.

The tower itself was designed by Concrete, a company based in Amsterdam with Gensler as the executive architect. The ground floor restaurant will feature a Negroni restaurant.

This year, CitizenM, which describes itself as an “upscale hotel” company, will eventually open another hotel in Miami at the Miami Worldcenter in late 2022. The hotel chain currently operates 27 properties across 17 locations, including London, Amsterdam, Paris, Geneva, New York, Boston, San Francisco, Taipei, and Kuala Lumpur.

Marriott and Westin Open a Dual-Branded Hotel in Brickell

In Miami’s Brickell Financial District, a dual-branded hotel with considerable commercial space has opened. Robert Finvarb Cos. and Tony Cho recently finished the AC Hotel by Marriott and Westin located in the heart of Brickell at 115 S.W. Eight Street.

The AC Hotel totals 264 rooms with 156 inspired by the Marriott and 108 rooms by the Westin that caters to longer-term guests. Also included in the hotel are 22,500 square feet of ground-floor retail, and 4,600 square feet of meeting space. Rosa Sky is the bar located on the rooftop.

Amenities:

• Pool
• Bar in lobby
• Fitness Center
• Ground floor retail
• Meeting space
• Rooftop lounge

Robert Finvarb, CEO of the Finvarb Cos stated, “We believe our dual-brand property and Rosa Sky concept will fit in well with this market, offering an enhanced guest experience.”

The ground-floor retail space is currently under contract with Metro 1. Other tenants include a speakeasy piano bar Il Piano, Silver Mirror, La Suiza Bakehouse, and Toro restaurant.

Arquitectonica designed the hotel and John Moriarty & Associates of Florida was the general contractor. AC Hotel is just one block west of Brickell City Center and the Brickell Metrorail Station. AC Hotels currently have 107 locations in North America, 12 in Central America, 90 in Europe, and 6 in Asia.

Smart Brickell Tower 3 Coming Soon

Smart Brickell is one of the newest condo-hotel projects located in the heart of West Brickell. This mixed-use development will comprise three towers total that features 170 condos and 150 hotel rooms spanning over the three towers.

The most unique thing about the Smart Brickell Tower, besides its futuristic design, the smart technology is so advanced that it will set the stage for all pre-construction towers going forward. Some of the smart features include Lifx Wi-Fi enabled LED smart bulbs, Samsung’s digital home appliances, concierge app, and Nest thermostats.

Tower 1 rises 26 stories featuring 50 condos with 1 to 2 bedroom floor plan options. Floor plans will range from 558 to 1117 square feet starting at $318,000. The first 7 floors will feature a boutique-style hotel managed by Habitat Hotels with floors 11-23 will be condos.

Units will be fully furnished and finished. Top-off was completed in May 2021. The exterior is still will be completed with stucco and prime paint has started on the south facade. Interior drywall and framing is 90% complete.

Tower 2 will feature 50 condos as well as 50 hotel rooms with one to two-bedroom floor plans. Units will also be fully furnished and finished and can be rented up to 50 times a year on a short-term basis like Airbnb. Completion for tower 2 is anticipated for 2022.

Construction on Tower 3 will begin soon and will feature 20 condos and 100+ hotel rooms. These units will also be fully finished and furnished.

On the ground level, the development will feature 12,000 square feet of commercial space with retail, a cafe, and a restaurant.

Building Features

• 25 Story tower designed by the well-known architect, Hernando Carrillo
• The building is Leed certified
• One assigned parking space per unit in secured parking garage plus valet parking services
• Electric car charging stations
• 24 Hour concierge and security services
• The café is on the ground level
• Stunning amenity deck located on the 8th floor with landscaped recreational area and expansive terrace
• Resort-style pools with lap area and sun deck
• In-water lounge chairs near a waterfall
• Spa and wellness center
• Fully-equipped business center on the 9th floor
• Chic and spacious event room on the 10th floor
• Sky fitness center located on the 24th floor
• Lounge bar located on the 25th floor
• Wi-Fi throughout the lobby and amenity deck

Residence Features

• Renowned design firm, Arquitectonica Interiors, designed the units that take full advantage of every square foot
• Each unit is equipped with smart, Wi-Fi enabled features to compliment the look and feel of the future of living including Nest thermostat, Lifx Wi-Fi enabled LED smart bulbs and Amazon echo/Alexa home and personal assistant
• City-view terraces with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors
• Every residence has the ease to always be in control from the comfort of their smartphone with the Concierge App
• The kitchen will be fully equipped with Bosch and Samsung appliances and contemporary cabinetry
• The penthouse is located on the 23rd floor and has 12-foot ceilings

Four Seasons Miami Sold for $130 Million

Developer for the Four Seasons Surf Club in Surfside recently purchased the Four Seasons Miami in Brickell for $130 Million. With this purchase, Fort Partners (developer for Four Seasons) now have full control over all of the Four Season properties in South Florida.

The deal was financed through a New York company Madison Realty Capital for a $105 million loan. The full purchase price is unknown but according to the press release, the property traded for close to $130 million. This selling price equals $588,000 per room.

The hotel located at 1435 Brickell Avenue is a part of a 70-story tower that includes residential units, retail, parking, and a gym. The hotel was completed in 2003 and was considered then the tallest tower in Miami.

According to the Managing Principal and Co-found of Fort Partners, their plans are to renovate the hotel. They also want to ‘modernize’ the hotel rooms, lobby, and pool deck. They are also looking for additional food and beverage restaurants/bars to join the brand.

The sellers for the hotel include Westbrook Partner, a New York-based company. They purchased the property 10 years ago with a 3 part deal to eliminate debt on another Miami Property. They originally acquired the property for $40 million. Fort Partners was represented by JLL’s Jim Dockerty, Kevin Davis, and Mark Fisher.

Last year, the tourism industry stood at a pause as well as a dim future. Now, that states have opened up and are allowing travel, we are seeing more hotel transactions. In June, Pebblebrook Hotel purchased Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort for $270 million. Allen Morris Company, Stormont Hospitality, and Black Salmon teamed up to purchase a Miami Beach hotel for $25.5 million. TPG Real Estate Partners have also purchased 2 hotels in Edgewater for $61 million.