Related Group Proposes 15 Story Residential Development on Biscayne Bay in North Miami
The Related Group has officially submitted plans for a new development located in North Miami, Icon Residences. The development is projected to cost around $150-million and rise 15-story project sited on a one-acre tract of land at 2305 NE 123 Street. The site currently is occupied by the two-story White House Inn, which was built in 1969, closed in 2014, and vacant.
Icon Residences will feature 54 luxury residences, each costing an eye-popping $4.6 million, to be built right at the Shepard Broad Causeway’s entrance, with views across Biscayne Bay to the towers of Sunny Isles Beach to the northeast and due east across Bay Harbor Islands to Bal Harbour – as well as the yards and windows of the single-family homes of Keystone Point just north across the canal. The site would also allow for 184 feet of water frontage.
The Related Group is requesting that the city increase the building height limit on the land from 35 feet to 169 feet, which is the identical height of the Majorca Bay tower located at 11930 N Bayshore Dr., just a few blocks over. The entire height of Icon Residences would be 184 feet, including the 15-foot mechanical plant near the rooftop swimming pool.
Between the White House Inn site and Majorca Bay, related and other entities are considering or preparing a future skyline of structures of similar height. The White House Inn site is presently limited to 35 feet of construction under North Miami’s 2017 Comprehensive Plan, whereas the bayfront land to the south is permitted to 115 feet.
The Keystone Homeowners Association, which covers the area of more than 900 properties, held a full community meeting on May 19 in the recently opened Wildcat Center at 1600 NE 126th St. to discuss their frustrations with this project.
Pedro Gassant, a Holland & Knight partner representing the Related Group, made his best case, claiming that the Icon project would eliminate the vagrancy and illicit dealings currently plaguing the site and bring in $1.7 million in tax revenue in the first year and $45 million over 20 years for the cash-strapped city.
A 184-foot structure, according to Eric Riel, an urban planner who has lived within 500 feet of the projected skyscraper, is incompatible with the single-family dwellings shown immediately across the canal.
The new North Miami Planning Commission meeting is scheduled for June 28th at 7pm at North Miami City Hall.
Two Roads Development Buys $150 Million Edgewater Site for a 3 Tower Project
Two Roads Development recently purchased a $150 million development site in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood, with the intent to build a 3-tower luxury condominium complex.
With the purchase of Biscayne 21, a 1960s-era condo with 191 units, Two Roads obtained the 3.5-acre beachfront lot located at 2121 North Bayshore Drive for $150 million.
Arquitectonica’s Bernardo Fort-Brescia will design the tower, which will contain branded apartments and luxury condo units.
Three Roads Development plans to build the 3 towers rising 60 stories tall or about 649 feet tall with up to 750 residential units and apartments.
The sellers which include 176 unit owners, were represented by an Avison Young team led by John Crotty and Michael Fay. More than two years ago, the unit owners came together and hired Avison Young to offer their property in bulk to Two Roads Development.
According to the Avison Young team, the unit owners were able “to negotiate for a multiple of more than three times what the sellers would have sold their individual units for on a one-off basis.”
Two Roads is a West Palm Beach and Miami-based developer that is known for its other towers including Elysee and Biscayne Beach.
Construction Begins at Aria Reserve Miami
Today marked the official start of construction for Aria Reserve Miami with a groundbreaking ceremony. In attendance were the developers, the Melo Group, Mayor Suarez, and many others. The groundbreaking took place near the ocean at the Edgewater site just steps away from the sales center.
Speakers included Guopo Melo, Mayor Suarez, and sales staff for Aria Reserve. Refreshments and appetizers were served along with a mini-presentation of Aria Reserve.
Aria Reserve will rise 62 stories tall reaching 627 feet, making it the tallest twin waterfront residential development in the United States. The project will feature two towers, each with 390 units and 1,608 parking spaces.
Sales for Aria began in June 2021 for South Tower. According to the Melo Group, over $40 million of all 12 penthouses have sold within the first 90 days of the launch. Now more than 90% of the units have sold with a total sales of over $600 million.
Residential units begin at $750,000. Although sold out, the penthouses started at $12 million. Units will feature 1 to 4-bedroom floorplans with 1,100 to 2,600 square feet of options. The penthouses themselves range from 3,500 to 9,000 square feet with each of them featuring a 3-car garage.
Tower Amenities:
2-acre recreation deck
Lap pool and spa
Gaming center
Playground
Tennis courts
Basketball courts
Paddle courts
Miniature golf course
Wellness center
Gym
Meditation Garden
Residence Features
Unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay and Ocean
Finished residences with two flooring options
All residences include 2 high-speed elevators
All residences include an office/media room
All residences are sunrise-sunset flow-through from East to West
3-month seasonal rentals allowed up to 4 times per year
Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2024. If you or someone you know have an interest in purchasing at Aria Reserve, please contact Lucas Lechuga via email at [email protected] or by phone at (786)247-6332.
Cornerstone Group Begins Planning Phase for New Development in Miami-Dade County
Royal Pointe Associates, controlled by executives from the Miami-based Cornerstone Group, submitted a pre-application to county officials for the 5.5-acre property at 11350 Dunbar Drive, which encompasses the majority of the block along Lincoln Boulevard and Booker T. Washington Boulevard. It has a deal with Miami-based Anvil Community Development for the unoccupied site.
Anvil Community submitted plans in 2019 to develop the land with 102 units, but construction has yet to begin. Because the land is in a federal opportunity zone, investors can benefit from large tax breaks.
The project would contain 102 units in four 3-story structures, according to Cornerstone Group’s plan. A clubhouse and 174 surface parking places would be provided. The only thing that would be missing from the development is a pool.
The units would range from 714 to 1,259 sq. ft as 30 one-bedroom units, 60 two-bedroom units, and 12 three-bedroom units.
Before filing official applications, developers submitted pre-applications to gain comments from county employees. The project was designed by Miami-based Burgos Lanza Architects & Planners.
Cornerstone Group sold 27 housing buildings in South Florida to Blackstone in January for a total of $575.7 million. Given the steep rise in rents in Miami-Dade, there is a strong need for additional affordable housing, and Cornerstone Group has the resources to develop it.
JMH Development to Build 7 Story Luxury Tower in Miami Beach
The long-awaited Miami Beach condo project by JMH Development can finally move forward after the lawsuit against the developer was dismissed. The lawsuit included the actual condo site where the plans for this new tower would be constructed.
The project has been put on hold for 5 years due to a dispute between the original partnership of Jason Halpern (Managing Partner for JMH Development) and companies owned by Dhruv Piplani. In 2017, Piplani filed suit again Halpren and accused them of selling the property without permission of the co-investors.
When originally purchased, the property was purchased for $7.75 million by 29 ICD LLC, managed by Gerard Longo, who is noted as a longtime business partner of Halpren.
To add fuel to the fire, in 2020, Halpern filed for a $5.25 million mortgage foreclosure against the property. The original case was dismissed due to a breach of contract because PSB Indian Creek failed to make the $800,000 contribution toward the project in 2016.
According to Halpren, “In addition to Justice Masley’s ruling in favor of JMH Development across the board, the court awarded our client attorneys’ fees. This is a big win for our client, and demonstrates the egregious nature of the claims made against them.”
The project itself will be located at 2901 and 2911 Indian Creek Drive in Miami Beach. It is approved to rise up to 7 stories with 22 luxury condo units. The property itself will have to stay under 17,150 square feet and will also feature a rooftop pool, as well as a parking garage for 22 cars.
M Tower Redesign Renderings Revealed
Located at 56 SW 1st St and 65 SW 2nd Street, M Tower will rise 49 stories in Downtown Miami. Recently, the developers released renderings for a redesign of the tower. M-Tower will be developed by the Miami Parking Authority and a private developer in a partnership.
The old plans showcased the property reaching 53 stories, 440 condo units, and 818 parking spaces. The tower was proposed to encompass 622,783 square feet total with 25,732 square feet of office space and 1,089 square feet of retail. These previous designs were created by Zyscovich Architects.
The new designs showcase 624 condo units, ground floor retail, offices for Miami Parking Authority, and 717 parking spaces. The architect for the redesign is NBWW Architects located in Coral Gables.
In the previous design, the older garage on the property was to be refinished and incorporate some of the new design but the current plans show an entire demolition of the site with plans to rebuild.
The property that the proposed M Tower sits on sold earlier this year to an affiliate of the Lion Group NYC for $10 million.
If the new redesign is approved by all parties, then construction will begin in 2022.
$150 Million Miami Multisport Facility Project Moves Forward
Plans for the $150 million multi-sport facility is moving forward and has officially named its general contractor as well as its architect for the project. Destination Sport Miami will be developed by OHLA Building, a New York-based contractor, and Andrus Architecture in Rockford, Michigan as the architect.
Destination Sport Miami will be located at 11850 N.W. 22nd Street in western Miami-Dade County. At just over 20 acres, Destination Sport Miami will be considered one of the largest indoor sports complexes in North America.
There is nothing like Destination Sport in North America, according to Andrus Architecture, which has developed several ice rinks and office buildings. Multiple sports in the same structure will present a unique architectural challenge.
According to the Executive VP of OHLA Building, “We are looking forward to being part of Destination Sport Miami, an iconic and unique project that will have a significant positive impact on the South Florida community.”
As of May 2021, the plans for the facility were approved with a $2.94 million incentive deal with promises to create 229 jobs over a period of time.
One of the unique things about this facility is the names associated with the build. OHLA Building CEO, Bryan Trottier is also a Hall of Fame center for hockey, U.S. Women’s National Team coach Jill Ellis for soccer, All-Star forward Glenn Rice for basketball, and All-Star pitcher Livan Hernandez for baseball.
Destination Sport Miami will feature:
• 2 NHL-regulation ice hockey rinks
• Turf field for football or soccer
• 18 NBA-regulation basketball courts
• 22,500-square-foot esports arena with daily programming
• 36 volleyballs courts
• 11 USTA-regulation tennis courts
• 15,000-square-foot fitness center
• 50-meter Olympic pool
• 25-yard warm-water therapy and teaching pool
• Indoor surfing simulator
• Several restaurants and cafes
Andrus is still working with county officials on the building’s design, which includes the significant energy and water/sewer demands. The developer is planning a glass façade that collects solar radiation for energy efficiency. Once plans are approved, construction should begin in 2022.
Rosso Development and Standard International are Partnering to Bring a 228 Unit Condo Project to Midtown
In its very first partnership, Standard International along with Rosso Development are collaborating on a residential project that will bring a 12-story tower to the Midtown neighborhood of Miami, the Standard Midtown.
Sales are slated to begin on November 30. Arquitectonica and Urban Robot are collaborating on the project, which will be located on the southwest corner of Northeast First Avenue and Northeast 32nd Street across from a grocery store development that is currently under construction.
The Standard Midtown will feature 228 luxury condos ranging from 432 to 965 square feet of living space with studio to two-bedroom floor plan options. Prices will range from $329,000 to $829,000
Payment Structure:
Deposit 10% at reservation
Contract and Groundbreaking 20%
6 months after contract 10%
Top off 10%
Closing 50%
The units will feature cubby kitchens designed by Urban Robot, expansive terraces, and master baths with double showers. Unit owners will be able to rent their units for periods up to 30 days with exclusive benefits to friends and family.
Amenities:
35,000 square feet of amenities
10,000 square feet of retail space
Expansive lobby with lounge areas and a cafe
Rooftop restaurant
Bar
60-foot resort-style pool
Sweat room and fitness center
Indoor pickleball court
Yoga and stretch studios
Karaoke bar
Pet Spa
Party room
Carols Rosso, owner of Rosso Development has stated that this is his first major development since he left the Related Group. Rosso hinted at additional Standard-branded residential projects in the pipeline.
Standard International, currently operates 16 hotels in the United States and across the world and owns a waterfront hotel on the Venetian Islands in Miami Beach named the Standard Spa.
Construction is planned to begin next year and be finished by the middle of 2023. The site at 3100 Northeast First Avenue, as well as the air rights above the existing neighboring garage, are owned by Vadia’s Midtown Opportunities VIIIB LLC.
Related Group Announces Casa Bella Tower with Sales Beginning Soon
The Related Group is on the verge of launching sales for their newest tower in downtown Miami; Casa Bella. This residential tower will be built at 1400 Biscayne Blvd in the Miami Arts and Entertainment District and is on the same site where Auberge Residences was originally planned.
According to the renderings, it appears Related is continuing with the same design and specifications that were planned for Auberge. Those designs include full glass exteriors in a wave-like pattern, as well as the unit floor plans. According to The Real Deal, the Related Group is likely reusing them since they have already been approved and to fast-track construction.
Casa Bella will feature 3 towers and 2 will rise 60 stories while 1 will rise 50. The first tower will feature 300 luxury units although 1,430 residential units have been approved for the site. The towers will have 1,629 parking spaces and will be connected by a podium.
The newest tower will feature 1 to 5 bedroom floor plans with only 6 units per floor. Interiors will be designed by Pierro Lissoni with landscape architecture by Enzo Ena. The double-height lobby will also be designed by Lissoni and will feature a mixture of sophistication and modern designs with a permanent collection of museum-quality art located throughout.
The location of this tower places residences near the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and the Miami Internation University of Art and Design. The Omni Station Bus Loop is also 1 block away.
With the reopening of borders and the lifting of the pandemic restrictions as of November 8, 2021, we will likely see an increase in international buyers, especially for the new construction towers. Currently, international buyers are representing around 50% of new construction developments when earlier in the year, they were only representing 20%.
Construction for the development is estimated for spring of 2022 with an anticipated completion date of 2024. If you or someone you know have an interest in purchasing at Casa Bella, please contact Lucas Lechuga via email at [email protected] or by phone at (786)247-6332.
