Former NY Yankees Player A-Rod Just Purchased a Star Island Home for $18.5 Million
For $18.5 million, a company run by former New York Yankees player Alex Rodriguez just purchased a mega-mansion on Miami’s infamous Star Island in Miami Beach.
Casa La Bonita, located at 14 Star Island Drive features 0.9 acres with over 100 feet of water frontage directly on Biscayne Bay. The estate was built by renowned Mexican developer, Carlos Gosselin.
The property boasts imported entrance gates that welcome guests to the gorgeous Mediterranean-style estate opening to arched hallways and courtyards. Throughout the home, it is evident the custom-made Hindu doors, a movie theater, a poolside gazebo, an elevator, high-impact windows, a pool, and a boat dock.
Rodriguez is the manager of Star Island 14 LLC, which is the name of the purchaser of the home. The former MLB All-Star Rodriguez’s addresses in Miami and Woodland Hills, California, were included in the $20 million mortgage from First Republic Bank.
The off-market transaction cost $463 per square foot. In 2020, the house last sold for $24 million.
Rodriguez has purchased on Star Island before. In 2020, Rodriguez and singer/actor Jennifer Lopez bought the home next door, 13 Star Island Drive. Rodriguez and Lopez are no longer together and it is unclear if 13 Star Island will be sold or if either will take sole possession.
In July 2022, the developers, Mast Capital received approval from the FAA for the height allowance for the towers. On September 9, the contractor Moss Construction applied for a foundation work permit.
A second permit was filed on September 12th for the other 2 towers for foundation work. The county also issued a dewatering approval that is needed for the foundation work as well. Dewatering would include the removal of groundwater as well as from surface area.
Cipriani Residences Miami will feature 3 luxury towers spanning over 2.8 acres, located at 1420 South Miami Avenue in Miami’s renowned Brickell area, which will represent the famous brand’s elegant design and exceptional service.
The largest Cipriani tower will rise 80-stories and will feature 397 one to four-bedroom units with views of Biscayne Bay, Brickell skyline, and Simpson Park. The 2 smaller towers haven’t been revealed yet but will rise 59 stories and 50 stories tall.
Mast Capital paid $103 million, marking this transaction as one of the largest in Miami-Dade in 2021.
Cipriani is currently working with Mast Capital and Arquitectonica to bring this luxury building to life. Not only will the tower feature luxury amenities, but each residence will offer custom finishes and gorgeous designs.
Residence Features
• Generous living areas with ceiling heights of 10 feet • Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors and windows with magnificent panoramic views • Terrace access from the living room and primary bedroom of every residence • Gracious walk-in wardrobes in every primary bedroom • An exquisite selection of flooring options included • Direct elevator entry for select residences • Eat-in, open kitchen with custom Italian cabinetry inspired by Cipriani’s renowned style • Top-of-the-line appliances from Wolf Sub-Zero, including cooktop, integrated refrigerator, freezer, wine cooler, and dishwasher • Primary bathrooms with grand, stand-alone bathtubs and glass-enclosed showers; vanities with premium Italian cabinetry, imported stone tops, back-lit mirrors; separate room with water closet • Spacious laundry rooms with full-size washing machine and dryer, with a utility sink in most residences • Individually controlled, high-efficiency central air conditioning and heating systems, with linear diffusers in main areas to ensure seamless integration • Innovative smart technology infrastructure that enables home automation • Intelligent interface system for essential building services such as concierge, valet, and security
Cipriani has disclosed that the residential tower would have sophisticated, resort-style amenities for its inhabitants, as well as traditional design features popular at Cipriani restaurants worldwide.
Tower Amenities
• Exclusive private entrance with lush landscaping and elegant porte-cochère • Dramatic lobby leading to two banks of high-speed, touchless elevators • Signature private dining experiences by Cipriani • In-home dining and 24-hour catering services by Cipriani, exclusive to residents • Private dining rooms available for reservation, catered by Cipriani • Elevated resort deck with two swimming pools, a blissful outdoor spa, poolside cabanas, and a beautifully landscaped sun terrace • Poolside food and beverage services catered by Cipriani • Holistic spa with sauna and treatment rooms • Luxurious residents’ lounge for special events and intimate gatherings • State-of-the-art fitness center • Golf simulator • Pickleball court • Private salon available to be reserved for personal beauty services • Screening room with cutting-edge audiovisual equipment • Serene and spacious residents’ library • Engaging children’s playroom • Elevated four-level wellness center and lounge overlooking the Brickell skyline • Pet-friendly community with dog park • High-speed internet access across all public areas • Electric vehicle charging stations available • Air-conditioned storage rooms
If you or someone you know have an interest in purchasing at Cipriani Residences Miami, please contact Lucas Lechuga via email at [email protected] or by phone at (786)247-6332.
PowerHouse Marina in North Miami Sold for $10.1 Million to Fontainebleau Development
PowerHouse Marina located in North Miami at 13255 Biscayne Blvd was purchased by Jeffrey Soffer’s Fontainebleau Development for $10.1 million.
The seller of the property is listed as David A. Marcus who originally purchased the property in 1995 for $912,500. The property originally opened in 1980 and sits on a canal alongside Biscayne Bay.
On the 1-acre site, there is a 10,000 square foot 2 story building along with 12 boat slips. The records show the property also has a boat repair yard as well as 12 boat slips that were completed in 1967.
The billionaire chairman and CEO of Fontainebleau, Soffer, and president Brett Mufson did not immediately return a call requesting information on whether the company intended to redevelop PowerHouse. According to the company’s website, Fontainebleau also owns and runs Turnberry Marina, a 68-slip facility in Aventura that can handle boats up to 160 feet in length.
The units in Tequesta, Florida’s Regency Condominium, a 53-year-old oceanfront condo structure, were all purchased by Fontainebleau last month for almost $100 million. For the purchase of a large number of condos, Motcomb Estates, an investment company owned by billionaire brothers Simon and David Reuben, granted a mortgage of $80.5 million.
According to published reports, Fontainebleau recently submitted plans to demolish the eight-story oceanfront Tequesta building with 40 units and replace it with a 10-story condominium with 34 luxurious units. The Reuben brothers have previously worked with Soffer and own a 25% stake in Fontainebleau’s JW Marriott branded hotel in Aventura.
Additionally last month, Fontainebleau used a Bank of China New York loan to refinance the JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort Hotel & Spa. According to statistics, the loan added $72.6 million while refinancing $339.5 million in debt.
In the three years since taking over the mortgage from Wells Fargo Bank in 2017, Bank of China has upped the amount three times.
Soffer’s second effort to purchase the Hollywood oceanfront Diplomat Beach Resort in February was unsuccessful. His business had intended to spend $850 million on Brookfield Property Partners to acquire the 1,000-room hotel. The resort is South Florida’s second-largest after Fontainebleau Miami Beach by Fontainebleau Development.
Villa Valencia Condos in Coral Gables has Officially Completed Construction and Sells Out at 95%
Four years in the process, the Villa Valencia luxury condo development by Rishi Kapoor’s Location Ventures has officially completed construction.
With $100 million in closings so far, Villa Valencia, a 13-story, 39-unit project at 501 to 525 Valencia Avenue in Coral Gables, is 95% sold out. There are only three units available, one of which is under contract, a $14.9 million penthouse, and two others with an average price of $4 million each.
According to Kapoor, founder and CEO of Location Ventures, the project’s sales averaged $1,100 per square foot, setting a record for that neighborhood.
According to Kapoor, the majority of the buyers are locals from Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, and Coral Gables. In addition, 20% were from New York, 5% from California, and 4% from Illinois, with 2% from Latin America.
The plot was purchased by the developer for $16 million in 2018, and sales of Villa Valencia began the following year.
Kapoor recognized that labor shortages and delays on the project were made worse by the pandemic, but he claimed that setting building cost locks before the pandemic helped him keep costs under control.
Residences
Private foyer with elevator entry
10-foot ceilings in living spaces
10-foot exterior sliding doors
8-foot European wood interior doors with concealed hinges
Exquisite porcelain floors
Custom finished closets
Most residences have outdoor terraces with summer kitchens
Master bedroom suite with spacious bathroom and separate vanity area
Two assigned parking spaces per residence
EV-ready parking spaces available
Amenities
Entertainment space with billiards and golf simulator
Cucina featuring kitchen and full bar for entertaining that opens to the pool deck
Library with outdoor terrace overlooking the park
Grand building entrance with lobby lounge
Covered garden and valet waiting area
Tea room with kitchen and bar for entertaining
Executive room with video conferencing
10,000 SF onsite park and garden with shade trees
Dog park and dog run
High-Speed WIFI in all Common Areas
Bike Racks
Pool Deck featuring two summer kitchens, spacious sunbed relaxation areas
78-foot resort-style pool with lap lane and waterfall
State-of-the-art fitness facility with yoga, Pilates and weight training area
Spa and wellness center with treatment room, hammam / steam room, his-and-her sauna, and hydrotherapy plunge pools
The Coral Gables City Commission approved Location Ventures’ proposals earlier this week for a second, bigger condo development at 1505 Ponce de Leon Boulevard. The site will be sold by a Florida East Coast Realty subsidiary to Location Ventures, which has plans to construct a 16-story, 87-unit condo structure.
Location Ventures Proposes a 16 Story Condo Tower in Coral Gables
Coral Gables’ continued growth is being hinted at by Rishi Kapoor’s, Location Ventures’ proposal for a 16-story condominium. According to documents submitted to Coral Gables, Location Ventures plans to construct an 87 condo tower on a 1.6-acre plot at 1505 Ponce De Leon Boulevard, as well as at 122 and 126 Menores Avenue.
According to the minutes of the June meeting of the Coral Gables Planning & Zoning Board, the developer has a contract with the seller, who is a partner of Tibor Hollo’s Florida East Coast Realty, to purchase the land.
At its meeting on Tuesday, the municipal commission is anticipated to vote on the request. In the event that the proposal is authorized, commissioners will vote on it a second time at the next meeting.
According to documents, Coral Gables-based Location Ventures intends for seven of the units to be live-work condos on the lower levels of the structure and the other 80 would be located on the upper levels. A 319-car garage, 10,500 square feet of retail space, 20,144 square feet of open space, and a public dog park would also be included in the project.
According to property records, the site is mostly empty save from a two-story, eight-unit apartment structure. According to the minutes of the planning & zoning board meeting, the historic structure, built in 1925, will be maintained and integrated into the project, maybe as retail space.
The finished 13-story, 39-unit Villa Valencia condominium at 515 Valencia Avenue is one of the company’s developments in Coral Gables. In 2018, Location Ventures had invested $16 million in the property.
The business spent $20 million buying a pair of commercial structures in Miami Beach at 1260 and 1234 Washington Avenue last year. Under Location Ventures’ Urban co-living brand, the 1260 Washington Avenue property will be refurbished, while the 1234 Washington Avenue building will be rehabilitated.
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.
