Terra Group Releases Renderings for $1 Billion Development-Upland Park

Upland Park New Development
Upland Park New Development

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.

Taurus Investment Holdings and The Congress Group Switch Civica Development from Office to Residential

Civica Tower
Civica Tower

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.

New Development Announced in Brickell-Westpine

New Development in Brickell Westpine
New Development in Brickell Westpine

Westpine, a 43-story residential tower, has just had its plans submitted in Brickell. Westpine will have a 474-foot high peak and will feature 328 residential units, 1,155 square feet of retail, and 357 spaces for parking.

A multifamily building with 24 units that was built in 1964 is currently on the 0.7-acre site.

Westpine Brickell LLC is listed as the developer and Behar Font Partners as the architect. Westpine Brickell LLC, an affiliate of Westpine partners originally purchased the site for $11.53 million.

Instead of being referred to the City of Miami for review under city zoning regulations, the project was submitted to the Miami-Dade County Planners for review under their Rapid Transit Zoning Metromover Subzone.

On December 9, a pre-application meeting with county planners was sought.

Brickell, also known as the Financial District of Miami, is home to a large number of international banks such as HSBC, Espirito Santo Bank, and Banco Santander.

These Brickell Miami banks are predominantly located along Brickell Avenue – the main thoroughfare running through Brickell Miami and extending north to south from the Brickell Avenue Bridge to the Rickenbacker Causeway.

Brickell Miami is considered to be one of South Florida’s most prestigious neighborhoods and is a perennial favorite place to live among affluent, young professionals. 

Let’s Take a Moment for Miami’s First Vermouth Bar-Victoria’s Vinos y Vermuteria

Victoria’s Vinos y Vermuteria Now Open in Coconut Grove

The team behind LoKal, Kush, and Spillover, Matt Kuscher and Kush Hospitality will debut their newest concept, Victoria’s Vinos y Vermuteria, a Spanish vermouth, and natural wine bar located in Coconut Grove. Victoria’s Vinos y Vermuteria will be located at Vicky’s House, a former milkshake stand and beer store for Kush.

The first woman in the industry to design and open a vermouth bar in the United States, Corporate Beverage Director Cristina Suarez, helped launch the establishment. The bar itself has a strong emphasis on Spanish wines and ciders, large-format craft beers, and a variety of unique house-made vermouths.

Suarez has fallen in love with vermouth thanks to her research and education to the point where mezcal is no longer her preferred libation. Suarez states, “We want them to have a special, instructive, and private experience and leave here feeling they have learned something new in a stylish, sexy atmosphere. We’re not expecting them to discover the enthusiasm we might have for vermouths.”

The bar itself is designed to serve as both a “waiting room” for LoKal patrons and a stand-alone attraction, making it ideal for couples out on a date. Along with fantastic pours, it will serve small foods in the tapas manner, charcuterie boards, Chicken Skins, and Sandwich de Mescla, Caviar, Pan con Tomate, and more. Vermouths will be offered in a variety of designs and flavor profiles, with options that are both common and uncommon.

The highlight of Victoria’s menu is vermouth, a bittersweet fortified wine that has been spiked with alcohol and laced with herbs. Kuscher’s signature blend, which is described as “Christmasy and warm on the palate,” as well as a second, lighter variety by Suarez called Titi Marie vermouth are just two of the house-made vermouths served in the new establishment, which was launched in collaboration with Kush’s corporate beverage director Cristina Suarez.

Many natural wines, Spanish ciders (poured in the Asturian manner of extended pouring), large format craft beers, tapas-style small meals, charcuterie boards, “not-so-fancy” tea sandwiches, caviar, and other items are also available.

Victoria’s is officially open today and their hours include Wednesday through Sunday, 5 pm to close.

Michelin Star and Miami Born Chef Officially Opens Brasserie Laurel at Miami Worldcenter

Brasserie Laurel Opens at Miami Worldcenter
Brasserie Laurel Opens at Miami Worldcenter

In the recently constructed Miami Worldcenter Caoba apartment tower in Downtown Miami, chef and restaurateur Michael Beltran has officially opened Brasserie Laurel, a French-focused eatery.

Escargot, frog legs, foie gras, deer tartare, beef Wellington, chicory salad, turbot in tomato beurre blanc, and Maine lobster with veal sweetbreads are just a few of the French classics on the menu at Laurel, which was devised by executive chef Ashley Moncada, a former chef de cuisine at Ariete.

Ashley Moncada, the new chef employed by Beltran at the establishment, trained at Ariete during the pandemic that has been going on for the past two years. Her first substantial project is this eatery.

“We see Laurel as Ariete’s younger sister. It’s a new approach to French brasserie food. Think Frank Sinatra, Dizzy Gillespie, La Tour d’Argent in Paris,” states Chef Beltran.

Tom Lasher-Walker, the restaurant’s beverage director, provides modernized versions of classic cocktails such the Beneath the Sheets, which is created with aged rum and pineapple, and the Corpse Reviver Royal, a late 19th-century concoction made with gin, bubbles, and absinthe. Speaking of absinthe, there is a fountain behind the bar at Laurel where it is readily available. A sizable selection of champagnes and wines in the French and Old World styles completes the menu.

The restaurant’s interior, which is housed inside the flashy Miami Worldcenter, maintains the French concept throughout with its use of deep blue, gold, and dark wood. Two additional Ariete Hospitality eateries, Chug’s Express and El Vecino, will also make their Miami Worldcenter debuts in the upcoming months next to Laurel.

Favorites from Chug’s Diner including croquetas, pastelitos, and coffee will be available at the Chug’s Express “ventanita.” El Vecino, on the other hand, will be an upscale cigar bar that offers a full alcohol menu along with light meals including mussels, a variety of meat and cheese, a greek burger, foie torchon, and a variety of snacks.

The Scapegoat in Miami Beach, the Taurus in Coconut Grove, Ariete, Nave, Chug’s, and most recently, the Gibson Room on Coral Way make up the Ariete Hospitality Group’s fast-expanding restaurant portfolio.

Downtown Miami’s Brasserie Laural can be found at 698 NE 1st Avenue. They are open from 5 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday and from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Sunday through Thursday.

Rapper Future Buys $7.5 Million Bentley Residences Condo in Sunny Isles Beach

Rapper Future Buys Miami Beach Home
Rapper Future Buys Unit at Bentley Residences

Atlanta-born Grammy award-winning rapper Future just purchased another property in Miami and this time, it’s at Bentley Residences in Sunny Isles Beach.

At $7.5 million, Future will be buying a unit with one of the largest terraces in the tower featuring a private pool. His specific unit will also feature a 1,500-square-foot four-car garage that brings the cars directly to your unit by the Dezervator.

The 39-year-old rapper and songwriter Future, otherwise known as Nayvadius DeMun Cash, is in contract to buy a splashy spread for just over $7.5 million at the Bentley Residences in Sunny Isles Beach, Fla., from Gil Dezer, CEO of Dezer Development, which built Porsche Design Tower.

Future, whose real name is Nayvadius Wilburn, was raised in the Zone 6 neighborhood of Atlanta and was given the nickname “the Future” by the Dungeon Family. Future, whose first mixtapes were released in 2010 and early 2011, was mentored by his cousin and fellow Dungeon Family member Rico Wade of the renowned Organized Noize, positioning him for a breakthrough in the mainstream.

About Bentley

The Dezervator is a patented designed elevator by Dezer Development which is featured in Bentley residences as well as the Porsche Design Tower. This is designed to be able to see the cars directly from your living room but with a glass wall.

Bentley Residences will be located at 18401 Collins Avenue and will be considered the world’s first Bentley-branded residential building. The tower will rise 60 stories and feature what only the Bentley brand can offer.

Featuring 216 fully finished units, each condo will showcase open indoor-outdoor floorplans, an in-unit garage with a car elevator, a private balcony, a sauna, floor to ceilings windows, and a pool. These units begin at $4.2 million.

Bentley Residences Amenities

  • State-of-the-art fitness center
  • Pool with cabanas
  • Spa
  • Restaurant
  • Whiskey bar
  • Cigar lounge
  • Cinema
  • Landscaped gardens
  • Dezervator car elevator

Construction is set to be completed in 2026. If you or someone you know have any interest in purchasing at Bentley Residences, please contact Lucas Lechuga via email at [email protected] or by phone at 786-247-6332.

Bentley Residences Miami

Aria Development and Merrimac Ventures Buy Miami Worldcenter Site for $17.5 Million for Proposed Condo Building

Tower Proposed at Miami Worldcenter
Tower Proposed at Miami Worldcenter

After purchasing a redevelopment site for $17.5 million, Aria Development Group and Merrimac Ventures have proposed a new Miami Worldcenter condominium building.

According to records, the joint venture paid the labor union $11 million to take over the former Miami headquarters of the International Longshoremen’s Association at 33-55 Northwest Sixth Street. According to a press statement, Aria and Merrimac also paid $6.5 million to acquire a neighboring unoccupied 1.2-acre site from a partner of Miami Worldcenter developers Art Falcone and Nitin Motwani.

The project calls for a 32-story skyscraper with about 600 fully furnished residential units with no limitations on short-term rentals with pricing starting at $395,000.

The final construction plot that was up for grabs in the Miami Worldcenter district was purchased by Fort Lauderdale-based Merrimac, led by Nitin and Dev Motwani, and Miami-based Aria, led by principal David Arditi, according to Mattingly.

Merrimac and The Related Group partnered earlier this year to pay $12 million for another Miami Worldcenter development plot at 601 North Miami Avenue, The Crosby, a 33-story, 450-unit condo tower that will also be accommodating to short-term rentals.

Miami Worldcenter, a $4 billion master-planned mixed-use city, is luring titans of the real estate sector to make investments in the area. For a property at 697 North Miami Avenue that was previously permitted for a 40-story, 429-unit skyscraper, a business connected to WeWork co-founder Adam Neumann received $108 million in construction financing in February. Neumann also owns the Caoba apartment complex, which is a nearby residence.

A.5-acre development site on Northwest 10th Street and North Miami Avenue was purchased by San Antonio-based Lynd Living in August for $30 million. Although a 650-unit apartment building is permitted on the plot, Lynd hasn’t made its official plans public.

One acre at 1016 Northeast Second Avenue, where the New York-based developer intends to construct a two-tower residential complex, was purchased by Naftali Group for $40.5 million a month later.

Aria Development Plans 105 Unit Development in South Brickell-2200 Brickell

2200 Brickell Front Rendering
2200 Brickell Front Rendering

Miami’s 2200 Brickell is a brand-new, luxurious condo offering an unrivaled modern condo investment opportunity. Across from opulent waterfront towers, close to Coconut Grove and the Rickenbacker Causeway. On 1.65 acres, these 105 condo units will be a great residential choice in the most sought-after part of downtown Miami.

After the recent success of YotelPad and the current spectacular new short-term rental developments with AirBNB of 501 First Residences and 600 Miami Worldcenter, ARIA Development Group, a builder with high prestige in the market, will develop 2200 Brickell residences. Aria Development is also partnering with Largo and Place Projects on 2200 Brickell.

Developer: Aria Development Group, Largo, Place Projects

Architecture: Revuelta Architecture International

Interior Design: ODA New York

Number of Residences: 105

Number of Stories: 5

Residences:

  • 1 Bedroom 590 – 864 SF
  • 2 Bedroom 1,187 – 1,329 SF
  • 3 Bedroom 1,470 – 1,846 SF
  • Garden Villas
    • 2 Bedroom1,233 – 1,793 SF
    • Bedroom1,973 – 2,070 SF

Residence Amenities:

  • Floor-to-ceiling glass windows and sliding glass balcony doors
  • Large format ceramic tile flooring throughout the living area with engineered wood flooring in bedrooms
  • Fully tiled balconies featuring glass railings with access from the living room and primary bedroom of every residence
  • Custom gourmet kitchens designed by ODA New York with wood cabinetry and stone countertops
  • Innovative household appliances featuring refrigerator, freezer, built-in convection oven, microwave, and cooktop
  • Undercounter wine coolers in select units
  • Luxury primary bathrooms featuring double vanities, stone countertops, porcelain tile on walls and floors as well as rain showers
  • Spacious, fully built-out custom closets
  • Dedicated laundry featuring a full-sized washer and dryer

Development Amenities:

  • Covered porte-cochère
  • On-site valet parking
  • Double-height, 24-hour attended lobby
  • Above-ground parking on all levels with direct access to residences
  • Electric vehicle charging
  • Luxer One automated parcel storage featuring tech-forward, contactless digital package delivery system with cold storage
  • The resident lounge and entertaining space
  • Dedicated work-from-home suites with conference room
  • World-class state-of-the-art fitness center designed by Homage Fitness
  • Custom children’s playroom designed by Silver Hill Arts
  • Cycling lounge & workshop and bike storage
  • WELL Building StandardTM designation with thoughtful and intentional spaces that enhance human health and well-being
  • Resort-style pool with outdoor spa and poolside cabanas
  • Pickleball court
  • Summer kitchen with ample seating
  • Outdoor fitness area designed by Homage Fitness
  • Children’s play area by Silver Hill Arts
  • Quarter-mile walking track

Pricing for the units will begin at $1,000,000.

Midway through October 2200 Brickell Holding LLC and Miami-Water Dade’s and Sewer Department reached an agreement for the supply of utilities for the new project. The demolition permit to clear the site was also issued in August 2022.

2200 Brickell Pool Rendering

$40 Million Construction Loan Secured for Bentley Residences

Bentley Residences in Sunny Isles Beach
Bentley Residences Sunny Isles Beach

A $40 million construction loan was secured by Dezer Development’s proposed Bentley Residences condominium development in Sunny Isles Beach.

Records show that City National Bank of Florida provided the mortgage. The financing is for pre-development expenses related to the planned 216-unit luxury tower at 18401 Collins Avenue.

The Sunny Isles Beach-based development company, run by Gil Dezer, just unveiled a $10 million sales center with a scale model of a 6,000-square-foot condo at Bentley Residences. For apartments facing the Intracoastal Waterway, prices vary from $5 million to almost $6 million. Units with a view of the ocean start at $7.2 million. The penthouses will cost between $57 million and $75 million.

Bentley Motors and Dezer collaborated to create their first residential building ever constructed. According to a press release, the 61-story Bentley Residences will have a “Dezervator” auto elevator in the middle of the structure. Each luxury unit will include a three or four-car garage with electric vehicle charging outlets.

According to records, a Dezer affiliate paid $6.8 million in 1996 for the 3.6-acre property, which includes a five-story hotel bearing the Wyndham name. The 180-key building’s demolition is anticipated to begin in the first quarter of 2019, with a 2026 completion date for the project as the goal.

Dezer is transforming the North Miami Beach Intracoastal Mall into the $1.5 billion mixed-use Uptown Harbour project. The expansive development, which spans over 30 acres and includes 2,000 residential units, 575,000 square feet of retail and office space, 250 hotel rooms, a port, and a central park, was given initial approval by the North Miami Beach City Commission in 2020.

Bentley Residences will be Dezer’s second opulent residence with a modern vehicle lift. The first was the Porsche Design Tower, a 2016 completion of a 60-story luxury brand high-rise in Sunny Isles Beach.

We are One Week Away from Miami Art Week and Art Basel and Here is What You Need to Know

Miami Art Week and Art Basel 2022
Miami Art Week and Art Basel 2022

From November 29 to December 4, 2022, Miami becomes the epicenter of the art world, featuring more than 20 international art fairs, 1,200 galleries, hundreds of artists, and tens of thousands of art enthusiasts.

Art Basel Miami Beach at the Miami Beach Convention Center is the focal point of this yearly explosion of the arts. The ultimate international art market, Art Basel Miami Beach, offers art enthusiasts a vast selection of works, from installations by promising up-and-comers to masterpieces from the 20th century.

Here are some ideas for how to view as much of Miami Art Week 2022’s greatest exhibits as possible, despite the fact that it’s impossible to see everything.

Tuesday, November 29th

Start Art Week in Miami’s Design District, where artwork is pervasive. A large portion of it will come from Germane Barnes, a Miami-based architect, who was given the 2022 Miami Design District Annual Neighborhood Commission award. This will allow the installation of the architect’s idea, Rock | Roll, in the neighborhood’s public areas.

As part of Prizm 2022 Contemporary African Art Fair’s 10th Anniversary celebration, galleries and artists will be examining how the development of fine art practice around the world has been impacted by popular modes of artmaking that originated in global African contexts. The exhibition is at 4220 N. Miami Ave. from November 29 to December 11 from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.

Wednesday, November 30th

The most significant pieces of art from the 20th and 21st centuries will continue to be displayed at Art Miami, Miami’s oldest international and contemporary art fair, which is offered by a number of the most reputable galleries in the world. The 10th edition of its sibling fair, CONTEXT Art Miami, will give mid-career, developing, and cutting-edge artists from new and established galleries the ideal platform.

Over 215 galleries from 17 different countries will be represented by the combination of Art Miami and CONTEXT Art Miami at the One Miami Herald Plaza on Biscayne Bay from 11:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

Thursday, December 1

VIPs are permitted to tour Art Basel Miami Beach two days before the general public gets a first look on Thursday. In 2022, the fairest of fairs will mark 20 years since it first opened. Tickets to view the finery brought in by hundreds of top contemporary art galleries from across the world may be purchased here.

Be sure to pay attention to the Buffalo, New York-based Native American-owned K Art gallery’s booth, which features the work of three Indigenous contemporary artists, including the renowned Hock E Aye Vi Edgar Heap of Birds (Arapaho/Cheyenne) and the well-regarded up-and-coming Erin Ggaadimits Ivalu Gingrich (Inupiaq/Koyukon Athabaskan) and Robyn Tsin

El Espacio 23 in the Allapattah district features more works of Cuban art and culture. Over 100 artists from Cuba and the Cuban diaspora are represented in a new exhibition that draws on the collection of Jorge M. Pérez, a Cuban refugee himself.

Friday, December 2nd

Begin the day by visiting NADA (New Art Dealers Alliance) Miami 2022, which will feature 146 galleries, exhibition spaces, and nonprofit organizations from more than 40 locations around the world. The Ice Palace Studios’ doors open at 11:00 AM (1400 North Miami Ave.)

The Wynwood district, renowned for its many murals of street art, is one mile from the NADA fair. On December 2 and 3, Prime Video will host a massive immersive art activation based on the original series “Riches” at Soho Studios (2136 NW 1st Ave.; entrance on NW 22nd St.) in the heart of Wynwood. Through photography, sculpture, painting, music, video, and performance art, the exhibition showcases components from the show that best represent the freedom of expression and sense of identity in the Black diasporic experience. ​

Saturday, December 3rd

Didier William: Nou Kite Tout Sa Dèyè, the artist who grew up in North Miami, will present his first significant solo museum exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami. In this exhibition, William presents his first colossal sculpture in addition to more than 40 paintings and prints that all focus on the precariousness of black life in America, the desperate yearning for black joy, and the affirmation of black gay humanity.

By transforming ordinary objects into extravagant ones, Ral de Nieves’ vibrant, three-dimensional beaded sculptures honor his Mexican heritage as well as drag and dance culture. His artwork is on exhibit at the mile-away Nina Johnson Gallery (6315 NW 2nd Ave). Admission is free from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

Sunday, December 4th

At SCOPE Miami Beach, which is situated on South Beach’s renowned Ocean Drive between 8th and 10th Avenues, keep going till the finish line (801 Ocean Drive, Miami Beach). With Charly Palmer’s “Infinite Black” series on display will be Black-owned Knowhere Art Gallery from Martha’s Vineyard, MA, one of more than 150 varied contemporary exhibitors. Palmer depicts contemporary events and African origin in each of her paintings.

For all event schedules and locations, click here.