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.

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.

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.

First Look at Resident’s Only Members Club at Five Park

The newest luxury residential tower building in Miami Beach, Five Park by Terra and GFO Investment, has revealed plans for the first residents-only, fully-serviced social club inside a luxury apartment. A social amenity package centered on cultural activities, fitness, and fine dining is offered by The Canopy Club.

A specialized club-level concierge and extensive programming are characteristics of The Canopy Club. The Club enables residents to live, work, play, and entertain their guests in a range of venues suited to every mood, including white glove service, wellness, dynamic recreational areas, and the finest dining.

The Canopy Club’s Specialty Dining and Beverage Program, a seasonal dining experience designed by famous chefs and situated in the opulent jewel box bar and dining room, will be available to members only. The Club also features private training rooms, state-of-the-art wellness facilities, a branded spa, a personal trainer on staff, and breathtaking bay and ocean views.

Five Park introduces 50,000 square feet of indoor amenities and a three-acre park outside, creating a new standard for the Miami Beach lifestyle under the direction of a recognized team of visionaries. The 40,000 square feet of social spaces that make up the 26th-floor Canopy Club include a private dining room, a jewel box bar and lounge, living rooms, a library, a den, outdoor terraces, wellness, and workout sections.

Additionally, just a few blocks away at the Five Park private beach club, locals have access to their own section of the beach. The outdoor club, which is on South of Fifth, introduces a branded, exclusive area with lounge chairs, umbrellas, and food and beverage service.

According to the CEO of Terra Development, “Five Park’s Canopy Club represents a new standard of luxury and exclusivity in Miami Beach. We developed a selection of amenities that enhance quality of life, wellness, culture and connectivity. Five Park residents will make their homes within a building that embodies a complete living, breathing ecosystem, offering dynamic spaces and creative programming to their doorsteps.”

Robert Rivani’s Black Lion Buys Retail Space at One Thousand Museum

Los Angeles-based investor Robert Rivani’s Black Lion paid $6.4 million for the ground-floor 6,500 square foot retail space inside the One Thousand Museum in Downtown Miami.

This week, the all-cash deal was completed. Black Lion intends to lease the area to a reputable hospitality company, but talks have not yet started, according to a firm representative.

Rivani stated, “One Thousand Museum is one of the most iconic and architecturally significant buildings in all of Miami. I knew we had to have a piece of it.”

The most recent purchase represents the investor’s tenth in South Florida during the previous two years, which also included a number of prestigious retail buildings.

Black Lion paid $13.5 million for the ground-floor retail space of the SLS LUX Brickell condo project last year. This space is now occupied by the popular Gekko steakhouse, a Bad Bunny and Grutman collaboration.

Additionally, the real estate investor spent $11.5 million and $19 million for retail condos in Miami Beach’s South of Fifth district. The company also owns the space that the popular upscale restaurant The Amara at Paraiso leases in Edgewater.

The 84-unit condominium was finished in 2019 by the developers of One Thousand Museum, a partnership made up of Louis Birdman, Gilberto Bomeny, Kevin Venger, Gregg Covin, and Todd Michael Glaser. They also sold the retail space to Black Lion.

Almi Reveals Plans and Renderings for Midtown Miami-Midtown 7 Residential Tower

In November 2021, Almi Developers announced plans for a residential tower in Midtown Miami, Midtown 7. The project is now moving forward with new construction plans filed as well as new renderings released.

AMLI Residential purchased the 1.85-acre site located at 3001 N.E. First Ave, Miami for $30.5 million. The site is approved for 389 residential units totaling 451,469 square feet. ALMI Residential is considered one of the largest apartment developers in the United States.

The recently submitted designs call for Midtown 7 to include 389 residential units, 28,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, and 501 parking spaces. It will rise 31 stories tall, or 350 feet and the zoning for Miami 21 requires 452 spaces but does allow reductions.

There will be four levels of the podium and three levels of parking. Although attractive garage screening is envisioned, the parking will not be concealed by the residential lining.

Midtown 7 Amenities

• Concierge
• Private Pool
• Covered Parking
• Secure Entrance
• 24-Hour Security
• Gym
• Social area/ Entertainment room

The architect creating the revised plans is Arquitectonica. On September 21, there will be a hearing before the Urban Development Review Board.

Lululemon Buildout Begins at Miami Worldcenter

The $4 billion and 300,000+ square foot multiple use development also known as Miami Worldcenter is ramping up construction. Miami Worldcenter is a vibrant location where you will soon be able to enjoy some of Miami’s finest foods, shopping, and entertainment! This new urban area is will be home to both national and local favorites as well as prestigious international companies.

One of the long-awaited retail locations is the glass cube known as Block F West, which is set to begin construction soon along with the World Square building. It is situated immediately west of Block F East also known as the “Jewelry Box”, which is now under construction and nearly completed.

Along with Sephora, Lucid Motors, and Bowlero, Lululemon is also expanding its retail chain to World Square with their space currently under construction.

These companies join other tenants that have already been revealed, such as Maple & Ash and Etta from Chicago which will both take up 2 stories of retail Space. According to Nitin Motwani, general partner of Miami Worldcenter Associates, these together with the most recent tenants have leased a total of around 90,000 square feet of retail space in the last 90 days.

According to Motwani, “On the heels of announcing an award-winning lineup of restaurant concepts slated to open at Miami Worldcenter, we are upping the ante with a trio of nationally and globally recognized lifestyle brands. These tenants exemplify the diversity we are offering throughout our residential, hospitality, and office developments across Miami, and bringing to life the retail components of Miami Worldcenter’s master plan is critical to transforming our 27-acre site into a thriving open-air destination.”

Lucid Motors is creating a multi-use building that will occupy almost 23,000 square feet. Bowlero will take up more than 31,000 square feet in the glass-enclosed “jewelry box” retail structure at Miami Worldcenter that looks out over the World Square plaza.

With the building permit issued in March 2022 for remodeling, Lululemon will occupy more than 6,000 square feet at the World Square plaza along Block H. The construction cost for Lululemon is an estimated $132,000 which will include remodeling and repairs.

Highest Penthouse at Paramount Miami Worldcenter is Now For Sale at $10.71 Million

At the current price of $10.71 million, the tallest penthouse in RPC’s Paramount Miami Worldcenter is now for sale.

With sweeping views of Miami from the 57th and 58th floors of the tower, Penthouse 5700 has 5,225 square feet spanning throughout  four bedrooms, five and a half bathrooms, and a den that can be utilized as either a home office or a library in the unit. An open-style chef’s kitchen, floor-to-ceiling windows, double-height ceilings, and plenty of space for entertaining are included in the amenities of the property.

Penthouse 5700 will have access to the building’s 46 amenity spaces, which are the most residential amenities in the world and include the nation’s first outdoor soccer field in a high-rise residential building, resort-style swimming pools, tennis courts, a Tai Chi deck, and a boxing studio.

The purchaser will be residing among celebrities thanks to Paramount’s comprehensive array of sporting amenities, which has drawn a wide range of professional athletes.

Located in Miami Worldcenter, an entire city within a city and the second largest master-planned urban project in the country, Paramount offers walkable access to the best restaurants, cultural and entertainment venues in town. 

The 58-story Paramount Miami Worldcenter, which was completed in August 2019, has 569 condo homes with studio, one, two, and three-bedroom floor layouts, as well as penthouses.

The Paramount Miami Worldcenter’s ordinary tower residences have interior square footage of 1,294 to 2,376 plus balconies, whilst its penthouse residences have interior square footage of 3,509 to 6,000 plus balconies.

The typical condo homes at Paramount Miami Worldcenter have either 11-foot- or 14-foot-deep terraces, private elevators, and 10-foot high ceilings with floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Eight magnificent bi-level penthouses at Paramount Miami Worldcenter include 20-foot high ceilings, floor to ceiling glass windows, and panoramic views of the city and lagoon.

Elkus Manfredi Architects created Paramount Miami Worldcenter, which was created by Paramount Ventures. ID & Design International created the lobby and common areas.