Miami=Brickell Financial District [Archive] - Page 5

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 1st, 2006, 02:51 AM

oh. of course. doesn't surprise me a bit.

and i am so relieved about the 1101 news. i'm uber for this one, its stupid how bad i want it to be built. so from here its a go, right?!

also, how about Brickell Park, Citicentre, and 1450 (the cool looking one, i think it is 1450) . . . any confirmations?

Yes yes :wave: , Miami as in Perrrrrrrrrrrrrrfect :cool: :hahaha: !!!, 1101 Brickell Tower :rock: is definately a GO, but the size of this tower is so huge and bulky, it will take at least 5 years to complete with the renovation of the existing buildings, I see a late , 2011 completion. Also for Brickell Citi-Centre :okay: complex, all three towers should be completed by early 2012, maybe a hurricne delay could delay construction of the third tower till 2014. 1450 Office :righton: tower is also a go, very soon groundbreaking Later this year, a 4 year project , it should be completed by late 2010, Early, 2011 :applause:

:speech: Again PerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrFect :hilarious !!!, Go Cranes !!! :banana: :cheer: :pepper:

Miami as in Perfect

March 1st, 2006, 03:19 AM

thanks. but i think you avoided the Brickell Park. Hopefully it is so. Good design, and it is hyped up in N. American forums, so we have to "live up" to our words.

Dale

March 1st, 2006, 04:15 AM

Chuck -

As far as you know, is 1101 good to go at 849' ?

kevinkagy

March 1st, 2006, 11:09 PM

Wow Dubai's always popping out stunning buildings! But 1101 and the Brickell CitiCentre are major projects, I'm really exciting about these! Can't wait!

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 2nd, 2006, 09:46 AM

Chuck -

As far as you know, is 1101 good to go at 849' ?
Dale :) , I see this tower so far only going up to 700 feet, but, I'll know for sure soon, I'll be Back, lol. :cheers:

Need to find out :) , what the approval was for and did it get a Major use permt ??? :cheers:

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 2nd, 2006, 09:51 AM

thanks. but i think you avoided the Brickell Park. Hopefully it is so. Good design, and it is hyped up in N. American forums, so we have to "live up" to our words.
Miami as in PerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrFect :) , as far as I know Brickell Park is a Park :runaway: next to ICON Brickell :) , please let me know something different, I'm getting confused again, LOL> :cheers:

dave8721

March 2nd, 2006, 03:36 PM

Miami as in PerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrFect :) , as far as I know Brickell Park is a Park :runaway: next to ICON Brickell :) , please let me know something different, I'm getting confused again, LOL> :cheers:

"Brickell Park" is the other name for the Flatiron.

dach2k5

March 2nd, 2006, 06:15 PM

According to Miami Today last month:

Developer gets permit for mixed-use project in Brickell

By Deserae del Campo
Architects' renderings show 1101 Brickell towering above Brickell Avenue with balcony views of downtown Miami and the Biscayne Bay skyline.
The renderings may soon become reality. Miami commissioners last week granted developer Leviev Boymelgreen a major use special permit to build the 849-foot, 74-story mixed-use building with 650 residential units, 269,000 square feet of office space and 30,000 square feet of retail space.
According to city records, construction cost is estimated at $256 million.
The city expects the project to create 770 construction jobs, 51 permanent jobs and $3.9 million in tax revenue.
The site had been occupied by an 11-story office tower opened in 1964 and renovated in 1993 and a 19-story office tower built in 1985. They were sold last year by Banco de Desarollo Economico y Social de Venezuela, forced to divest the property by Venezuelan law.
To construct 1101 Brickell, architects said, developers will demolish the existing parking garage along with the office and commercial tower, which will be gutted and renovated to create retail space.
Unit prices haven't been determined, but Leviev Boymelgreen officials say anyone interested in buying a unit does not have to be multimillionaire.
The 17th floor is to include an amenity deck with a yoga studio, spa and fitness center.
According to materials submitted to the city's planning department, "1101 Brickell is a large property, approximately 3.2 acres, which spans from Brickell Avenue to Brickell Bay Drive that presents a significant redevelopment opportunity."
The planning department recommended approval of 1101 Brickell with conditions. It asked developers to provide a pedestrian-friendly environment surrounding the building along with landscape architecture.
"We've made this project pedestrian-friendly with public access to Brickell Bay Drive and Brickell Avenue," said Kobi Karp, president of Kobi Karp Architecture. "It took us three to four months to complete the renderings for this project."
There are to be 390 one-bedroom units, 138 two-bedroom units and 106 two-bedroom units with bi-level lofts on the top floors.

Dale

March 2nd, 2006, 06:31 PM

849' and holding.

dave8721

March 2nd, 2006, 08:21 PM

The City permit is conditional upon the developer getting FAA approval.

Dale

March 2nd, 2006, 08:47 PM

I know that Four Seasons is 789'. But didn't it have FAA approval at 849' ?

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 3rd, 2006, 01:58 AM

The City permit is conditional upon the developer getting FAA approval.

DACH :hi: , thanks for the info update :wink2: , sounds great, But I still say F.A.A. :bash: has the limit NOW after 9/11 :angel1: to less than 800 feet :cheers: ,.

So, DALE :wave: and DAVE :rock: , and also DACH :cool: , I really don't see this 1101 Brickell :okay: Tower going any higher than th Four Seasons :laugh: Hotel and Condo tower, IMO, I see in the Future the Four Seasons Hotel still the tallest in the Brickell Area, But I hope it will get built at 800 feet, or at the current height of 849 feet :righton: . Time will tell, I still see the 1101 tower :( completed by 2012 in my dreams :hahaha: , No matter how high it is. :banana: :cheer: :pepper:

And Again Everyone :grouphug: , Go Cranes !!! :applause:

Oceans

March 3rd, 2006, 03:21 AM

4 Seasons had the green light to go for 849 feet(1st design was a 900 foot tower) and settled on 789 feet.The FAA should not be a problem for 1101 since they were the ones that told the 4 Seasons 849 feet is okay.

Dale

March 3rd, 2006, 03:26 AM

The Mad Hatter!!

March 3rd, 2006, 03:40 AM

i thinks it the developers not wanting to go through the trouble of getting faa approval rather than the faa chopping them down, the only project that for sure has been chopped down was the rivertown project with was only a few miles away from the airport and was almost 400ft.

mileageman

March 5th, 2006, 03:27 AM

Mick's daughter Jade Jagger will be joining uber designer Philippe Starck at a breakfast and groundbreaking ceremony for the new Icon Brickell condo on Tuesday. Jagger is Starck's corporate cousin at Jade Jagger for Yoo, the London-based development company headed by John Hitchcox. Yoo is opening its first Miami office this month in the Design District.

Miami as in Perfect

March 6th, 2006, 03:47 AM

hey guys i know this is probably really late but:
i haven't been downtown in the longest and haven't really paid attention to pictures, but are the brickell towers mended from Wilma? the windows? does anybody want to drift me to a thread with recent pictures so i can see for myself?

archifreese

March 6th, 2006, 03:59 AM

^ i dont have recent pics but i was at gordon bierscht friday (brickell ave/coral way) and there was still plenty of plywood all over especially on colonial bank (with mortons on the nw corner) and still some on the building with the elevators on the outside in neon blue (se corner).

Tifosi

March 6th, 2006, 11:08 AM

aside from the four seasons (which is now 75% fixed) i believe all other Brickell pictures will be identical to the post wilma ones. hardly anyone else has recieved glass yet...

miami1

March 6th, 2006, 02:19 PM

UPDATE: Extell Lands $153M Loan for $220M Brickell Project
By Marita Thomas
Last updated: March 3, 2006 03:42pm

(For more retail coverage, click GlobeSt.com/RETAIL.)

MIAMI-With $153 million in construction funding, New York City-based Extell Development Co. will break ground on July 1 for a two-tower, mixed-use development now named after is prestigious address, 1060 Brickell. When Extell announced the project in October 2004, the company was called Intell Management and Investment Co., and the project was named Avenue. While the plan remains the same, the costs and condo prices have moved up.

Thomas Moore, VP and senior loan originator in the Atlanta office of Santa Monica, CA-based Fremont Investment & Loan, arranged the funding, its sixth transaction with Extell. PB Capital, based in New York City, provided half of the total loan amount via a co-lending agreement, Moore says without disclosing other details of the funding. Fremont also supplied Extell with a $12-million loan to acquire the site in December 2003. According to public records, the price was nearly $15.4 million. Moshe Spitzer, an Extell VP, tells GlobeSt.com the project cost is $220 million.

The property calls for two towers containing a total of 570 residential condos, 25,000 sf of retail and an 11-story parking garage. Spitzer says more than 520 of the residential units are pre-sold, “with many more contracts in the pipeline. But, obtaining the financing is a far more important milestone than the number of units sold. Getting financing in Miami, especially an amount for a project of this size, is very difficult. Lenders are wary, because so many condo projects have been announced, and have already pre-sold units. A lender really needs to understand the developer’s ability to deliver and keep costs under control.”

Residential units in 1060 Brickell range from 750 sf for studios to 2,500-sf duplex penthouses. Prices, Spitzer says, “range from $360,000 to over $1.5 million.” When the project was announced last October, GlobeSt.com reported the price range between “the low $200,000s to more than $1 million.”

Extell expects to deliver in late fall 2007. The company has significant development underway in New York, and this is its first project in Miami. Spitzer says it might consider additional development here, “if an attractive site became available and we could control costs.”

Roark

March 6th, 2006, 04:33 PM

UPDATE: Extell Lands $153M Loan for $220M Brickell Project
By Marita Thomas Last updated: March 3, 2006 03:42pm

MIAMI-With $153 million in construction funding, New York City-based Extell Development Co. will break ground on July 1 for a two-tower, mixed-use development now named after is prestigious address, 1060 Brickell. When Extell announced the project in October 2004, the company was called Intell Management and Investment Co., and the project was named Avenue. While the plan remains the same, the costs and condo prices have moved up.

What a bizzarro article. The post says last updated March 6, 2006 but they broke ground over a year ago and both towers are going vertical. Perhaps the news was a second construction loan? At anyrate, here is a photo that I took at the Groundbreaking ceremony March 3, 2005. Notice the auger pilings working in the background.
http://www.restainer.com/skyscrapers/avenueballoon_w.jpg

dach2k5

March 7th, 2006, 12:09 AM

Roark

March 7th, 2006, 12:33 AM

The loan closing is dependent on a lot of conditions. One of which is % of sales, which is pretty high these days. Once they pull the foundation permit they can use the 2nd 10% deposits to cover construction costs, so they can build using those deposits for some time before the loan closes. If the developer has deep pockets they can fund out of pocket the soft costs as well until closing and then get reimbursed. I've worked with PB Capital and I can tell you they leave no stone unturned. These lenders are very sofisticated and their loans take a long time to close.Okay...no doubt construction loans are hard to get. As the exclusive sales and marketing company, I can tell you that all but 30 of the 566 apts have hard contracts.
Today, I drove by and saw with my own eyes saw the building about 60 feet verticle. But how about the part in the article that says, "will break ground in July"??? The picture that I posted showed the ground breaking last year!!! That picture doesn't lie. Bizzaro article.

archifreese

March 7th, 2006, 01:04 AM

Miami as in Perfect

March 7th, 2006, 01:06 AM

So there is this huge (times 3) list that i believe Hatter composed of every single nifty thing over such and such of feet. It is on SSP, SSC, and just about everything. You guys know the one I am talking about. Well, to avoid me mentioning every single one on there, does anybody, *chuck, hint-hint*, that knows a good bit *Hatter* about he status want to update this gigantic list? It would be very helpful - this is IF you show me things i want to see; lol. Some project I am really leaning towards need to happen; 1101, Citicentre, Icon, Flatiron, Capital, Met 2 & 3, 600 Brickell, yada yada. Thanks.

The Mad Hatter!!

March 7th, 2006, 01:20 AM

its actually dave's list...and just click here to see it, i wish we had new info to update it with but theres nothing....so we'll continue to wait.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=217154&page=2&pp=25

Miami as in Perfect

March 7th, 2006, 01:35 AM

oh, ok. thanks.

dave8721

March 7th, 2006, 03:42 PM

^ Roark and co., i remember there being a lot of confusion between avenue and 1060 brickell once before. the one thats about 6 floors up (as seen from Rosinella's on Miami Ave and 11th street i thought was avenue. but i also always get them confused as they would be adjacent properties, unless they are actually the same project then im even more confused.

I dont think they are referring to the project that is next door to Avenue. That one is 1080 Brickell and hasn't even made it to the Planning Board yet so I doubt they would be selling units much less go before the planning board. 1060 Brickell is the address of Avenue.

archifreese

March 7th, 2006, 05:11 PM

^ Thanks for the info 1080 was the one that got confused but that is early, but then that article is really odd because if 1060 is avenue then it IS a good 6 floors up as of this weekend when i was over there.

miami1

March 8th, 2006, 04:03 AM

The article was about Avenue, if you go to globest.com you will see the rendering of Avenue. The article is an update of a previous article, the author probably forgot to edit the parts that mentioned the ground breaking. Sorry for all the confussion. :)

Roark

March 8th, 2006, 07:08 AM

Archi is right on. There was confusion. I think that came from some incorrect info registered in city documents. 1060 Brickell is in fact the address of Avenue (we represent Intell and Extell). The city was reporting 1060 Brickell when they probably meant 1060 SE 1st Avenue or 1060 Miami Avenue. Either of those two addresses would be the Brickell Park site (formerly marketed as the Flatiron site).
Either way, the most confused was the journalist that wrote that article!

Miami as in Perfect

March 8th, 2006, 11:13 PM

hey, how is le brickell park (flatiron) comming along? probable, likely, shady? fill meh in.

Roark

March 9th, 2006, 03:23 AM

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 9th, 2006, 04:47 AM

hey, how is le brickell park (flatiron) comming along? probable, likely, shady? fill meh in.
MIAMI as in PerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrFect :hi: , please help me out here :? . I've been driving by this project site on South Miami Avenue for the last 6 years that a sign in the middle of the project :bash: had the picture of this FLATIRON tower, which dissappeared :bash: way before the last hurricane season :omg: .
I just don't see anything going up on this site for another 2 years. Its just not in my dreams of 2012 :? . If it was another project by the Related Group , Jorge Perez :applause: would had this started years ago. I just don't see it :dunno: , AND... :|

:) Where does the name The Brickell Park :dunno: ( Le Brickell Park ) come from, because , I know there's a 12 floor " THE BRICKELL PARK :yes: " on brickell avenue completed in 1981 :yes: , and that tower is NOT :nono: changing its name. :righton:

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 9th, 2006, 04:48 AM

hey, how is le brickell park (flatiron) comming along? probable, likely, shady? fill meh in.
MIAMI as in PerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrFect :hi: , please help me out here :? . I've been driving by this project site on South Miami Avenue for the last 6 years that a sign in the middle of the project :bash: had the picture of this FLATIRON tower, which dissappeared :bash: way before the last hurricane season :omg: .
I just don't see anything going up on this site for another 2 years. Its just not in my dreams of 2012 :? . If it was another project by the Related Group , Jorge Perez :applause: would had this started years ago. I just don't see it :dunno: , AND... :|

:) Where does the name The Brickell Park :dunno: ( Le Brickell Park ) come from, because , I know there's a 12 floor :yes: " THE BRICKELL PARK :yes: " on brickell avenue completed in 1981 :yes: , and that tower is NOT :nono: changing its name. :righton:

Miami as in Perfect

March 9th, 2006, 05:15 AM

lol; i only added the "le" for an extra flair. sorry for the confusion and even sorrier that flatiron isn't moving. hmm, maybe someday.

fairweatherfriend

March 9th, 2006, 06:15 AM

Any updates on Villa Magna? They appear to have started a very half-assed marketing effort. Not for anything, and granted it's personal, I would love to see these guys fall flat on their face.

Dale

March 9th, 2006, 06:23 PM

Any updates on Villa Magna? They appear to have started a very half-assed marketing effort. Not for anything, and granted it's personal, I would love to see these guys fall flat on their face.

I find your comments puzzling, as I'm seeing spectacular ads in a number of publications.

And why do you want them to fail ?

dave8721

March 9th, 2006, 08:40 PM

hey, how is le brickell park (flatiron) comming along? probable, likely, shady? fill meh in.

Flatiron goes before the UDRB at 1:30PM on March 15th. Its first step into the City approval process.

http://www.miamigov.com/planning/pages/Boards/UDRB031506.pdf

Miami as in Perfect

March 10th, 2006, 02:12 AM

o0o! good news. thanks. and i agree about the villa magna marketing. i think some of their print ads, (herald) are awesome.
it looks like there is a little bit of a curve on the east end (bay end) of the southern-most tower. i think they are rather nice. but i did her somewhere that they are going to be on the last available bayfront in the brickell area. (there are plenty of others, but i heard not likely to sell their hideous, balcony infested mid-rises)

fairweatherfriend

March 11th, 2006, 06:57 AM

I find your comments puzzling, as I'm seeing spectacular ads in a number of publications.

And why do you want them to fail ?

I have first hand knowledge regarding their Russian equity partners. My opinion - not good people. I did not have a very pleasant experience dealing with them. Given pricing for the product, I honestly believe the project will tank. And as stated previously, I really hope the thing tanks -

900Biscayneguy

March 11th, 2006, 07:46 PM

About Villa Magna,

At first I was not impressed. But after seeing the beautiful ads and looking at the brochure, I think I will be a nice addition to the Brickell Area. The floor plans are some of the best I have seen and the project has lots of great ammenities. The price point is high but maybe they are marketing it to Europeans or South Americans. Who knows!!! I hope they do well.

Roark

March 11th, 2006, 09:05 PM

Well I'm rooting for the success of Villa Magna, but there is more murmurs of a slow or subpar project. Traffic in the sales center is very slow. This isn't the case in that overall market. I know Mint at Riverfront is selling like crazy. The Villa Magna price point starts at $800 per sq and up. That is about 15% higher than it's recently completed neighbor Jade and is proposed to have similar but not up to the same standard of amenities or views of Jade. As posted before, the 3 big brokers that I know (guys that sell 25 - 100 apts in places like Mint/Ivy/Jade/Icon) aren't touching Villa Magna.

fairweatherfriend

March 11th, 2006, 09:37 PM

Thanks Roark. You made my day!

900Biscayneguy

March 12th, 2006, 04:19 AM

Hs anyone any info on how Epic is doing? Has there been much interest in that project?

BornInTheGrove

March 12th, 2006, 05:00 AM

speaking of epic... i haven't seen any updated pics of the site... whats up with the sales center, i passed by it like a week or two ago and it looked like it was a month or less away from completion.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 14th, 2006, 05:22 AM

Hs anyone any info on how Epic is doing? Has there been much interest in that project?
Born In the GROVE :wave:
900 BISCAYNE :hi: , Its on its way :applause: , Please someone Take pictures :dizzy: , Long 50 foot REBAR rounds being drilled in TODAY :nocrook: , March 13th , 2006 :okay:

THIS Epic :righton: will be done before the Everglades on the Bay :cool: towers get completed, I 'm sure, Please someone Quote me on this, take pictures, EPIC is going ahead with its foundation now with huge cranes drilling. :cheers1:

Its Great and another yellow construction crane goes up at the AVENUE :cool: , making it 4 there, and Another yellow construction rises at Plaza on Brickell :cool: making it 4 there, and another yellow construction crane rises at 500 Brickell :cool: making it three there, This is F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C !!! :yes: :hahaha:

I say
Go Cranes !!! :banana: :cheer: :pepper:

The Mad Hatter!!

March 14th, 2006, 05:38 AM

600brickell went to the zoning board today........................

i kinda like it kinda dont...its actually 2 900ft towers and one about 600ft...which is why i'm very suspicious about this project ever going up..think rockafeller center mixed in with the new louisville museum plaza project, im going to do a quick diagram and do a more detailed rendering 2moro just to show you guys what it looks like.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 14th, 2006, 05:41 AM

Mad Uptown Hatter :wave: :cool: , This 600 project has to Pass, its really needed, tear down that old office tower there now, its UGLY :bash: ,
Find out what happens My friend, :cheers:
EPIC is drilling today, its Great :banana: :okay: :righton:

The Mad Hatter!!

March 14th, 2006, 06:09 AM

ok heres a little massing diagram...by your truly...i'll do a better rendering 2moro/

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/enyers/600v2.jpg

Miaminole

March 14th, 2006, 06:29 AM

Hey everyone, drove by the axis site today and they were putting up a white crane. Finally!

900Biscayneguy

March 14th, 2006, 07:13 AM

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 15th, 2006, 02:24 AM

Hey everyone, drove by the axis site today and they were putting up a white crane. Finally!

True Miami Noles :) !!!, in fact there's two White Tower construction cranes going up for the south Tower so Far, lol. :cheers:

P.S. also Miami Noles, there's two Blue tower construction cranes going up very soon at The WIND :runaway: condo tower at the Riverfront Project. :cheers:

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 15th, 2006, 02:38 AM

Seems like Epic is moving along very fast. I wonder how long they will keep that sales center up before they have to tear it down for the phase 2. Sales might be good there if they are moving along so quickly. :nocrook:

900 Biscayne Guy :) , okay here we go, The Unfinished sales center on the planned Dupont Plaza Condo will remain on that site for at least 2 years according to Ugo Columbo's :) plans. He plans to complete EPIC Hotel and residences first , as early as April 2009, But the Dupont Condo Tower will not start until the end of 2008, and will be completed by MID - LATE 2011 with 58 floors. :cheers:

900Biscayneguy

March 15th, 2006, 02:50 AM

Chuck,

Wow, I had no idea the Epic sales center will be up that long. Do you think Epic will beat Met3? :runaway: :) :cheers:

The Mad Hatter!!

March 15th, 2006, 03:37 AM

MIAballinboi

March 15th, 2006, 04:01 AM

^nice hatter, but whered u see the design, was it on the planning board meeting, ?

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 15th, 2006, 05:22 AM

Chuck,

Wow, I had no idea the Epic sales center will be up that long. Do you think Epic will beat Met3? :runaway: :) :cheers:

:rock: Oh Yes 900 Biscayne Guy :wave: , EPIC Hotel and Residences Tower will be completed and opened in early spring 2009 :cheers1: , MET 3 :hm: :soon: by that time will only be more than half way up past maybe the 50th floor.
Remember 900 Biscayne guy :bowtie: , its 74 - 76 floors, that's almost 2 years of just going Vertical :righton: , after almost 6 - 8 months of just the foundation and cement pouring into the strongest foundation in MIAMI's History, then after the Topping Off ceremony there will be another year :okay: just for the finishing touches, windows, surfacing, painting, there's NO WAY MET 3 will be completed before 2010. :ohno: :nuts: :nono:

:speech: But Dupont Plaza Condo Tower :applause: to the east of EPIC Hotel will take longer to complete and will start alot later in 2008 after they tear down :bash: the concrete 3 floor sales center and be completed by the Middle to end of 2011. :banana: :cheer: :pepper:

dave8721

March 15th, 2006, 05:48 AM

ok here's my rendering of what 600brickell looks like...it doesn't have that much glass but i was to lazy to go in and draw the stucco....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/enyers/600-21.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/enyers/600-213.jpg

And who was the architect and who was the developer? If only the city would ever update that development report (its been over 3 months)....

Dale

March 15th, 2006, 06:19 AM

Those are going to be massive buildings at 903'.

quefueuno

March 15th, 2006, 03:47 PM

the Epic sale center will be up the whole time even when the second tower is being built i went to the sales center to check epic out and they told me that the new sales center doesnt get in the way of the second tower....by the way Met 3 hasnt started they are just checking the soil...........does anyone know when they will start Met 2 office building or Infinity 2 they sent me a paper telling me that its coming soon it came with this website http://www.infinityiicondos.com/ will i didnt even here that anyone was about to tear down that ugly office buiding at 600 brickell hope it happens soon well keep the updates

Toucano

March 15th, 2006, 10:32 PM

From MiamiToday (http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/060316/story3.shtml)

Developers outline plans for western Brickell in forum

By Charlotte Libov
When it comes to Brickell, it's all about the brand, and developers are sure they can extend the avenue's caché to the residential, office and shopping projects cropping up to the west.
"It's incredibly exciting to be involved with downtown when you think about Brickell. Brickell makes an enormous contribution. It's what's driving downtown. It keeps the brand strong," said Dana Nottingham, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority who served as moderator for the Developers' Forum, in which four developers presented their projects.
The Brickell Area Association sponsored Monday evening's event, which attracted about 75 businesspeople, most involved in development, real estate, construction and finance. The forum was designed to show "what is happening west of Brickell, where people can't always see it," said Carl Walters, vice president of Facchina-McG, the evening's organizer.
The developers spoke about the rewards and the challenges of constructing large-scale projects in the Brickell area.
"It's exciting to be in Miami with all these other developers. After we open, there will be (other projects) opening, which will make it even better for us," said Marcos Freire, general manager of Mary Brickell Village, a 192,000-square-foot retail center.
"We tried to hit all the notes so that we can take care of the community," he said, adding that PF Chang and Regions Bank are to open at the beginning of April "and we hope to be going full force by Christmas."
"We'd be crazy to ignore the tourists, but our main focus is the community," he said. "We will try to be a fun, pleasant place, and I'm sure our entertainment will bring tourists in. But our main focus is the community."
Mr. Freire said he doesn't like to quote lease rates because they can vary, depending on the type of tenant he is trying to bring in, but "our goal is to be above $400 per square foot."
"Our sales have been impressive. Ours is the model others are trying to build out there," he said, referring to outdoor shopping centers, which have become fashionable elsewhere. "But we have the weather here."
Carl Rosso, vice president of the Related Group, said his company has three projects in construction or planned for Brickell - the Plaza on Brickell, 500 Brickell and Icon on Brickell. He said the Plaza and 500 Brickell are sold out and under construction and only 300 of 1,800 units remain at Icon on Brickell. The Plaza and 500 are to open in January 2008, he said, with Icon to open at the end of 2008.
"We certainly believe this idea of urban living will catch on in Brickell. People are tired of using their cars for everything," he said. "Brickell will be the motor for Miami."
He said it is difficult to know how many units in the Related projects wee sold to speculators. He said earlier projects Loft I and Loft II were priced below market value to enable city employees to live there. Some workers who bought units, he said, then quickly sold them at a profit. "Were these users or investors? It's hard to tell." He said. "What defines one category becomes blurred."
Alan Ojeda, president and CEO of Rilea Group, said his company's project, One Broadway, is the product "of a contrarian mind" because instead of being a condominium, it is a "36-story, extremely upscale rental project."
Due to the cost of land and construction, he said, an upscale rental project "does not work in the short term" but his company is in the project "for the long term."
"In the short term, we have no competition because everyone has gone condo," he said. "Any competition we have will be from the people who buy these condos and then rent them. So I will need to raise the pampering quotient.''
His company is involved in Phase 2 of One Broadway, construction of an office tower, which will be "glass, and very corporate." Since it is glass, Mr. Ojeda said, "we are going way above the requirements of code, not only in the type of glass we use but the way it will be anchored.
"In our opinion, our location is the best location," Mr. Ojeda said. "I will create the best building I can, as all of us are creating this growing city."
Evangeline Gouletas, chairman and CEO of Skyline Equities Realty, which is constructing the 35-story, 360-unit Skyline at Mary Brickell Village, said "there is no bubble" and demand for the type of luxury condos she is building will remain strong.
"I've been in South Florida for a long, long time, and I've done seven projects here," she said. "When I looked for my dream place, I decided that if I chose Miami, I wanted to be on Brickell Avenue."
She said that the type of urban living under development in the Brickell area is the type that will have lasting appeal.
"I was born in the Mediterranean, and people enjoy a way of life where you don't need to use a car to get a cup of coffee or go to the bank," Ms. Gouletas said. "It's unique, it's human, it's the way we should live today."
She lauded her fellow panelists, saying, "Development is a war, and, if I am in a war, I want people like those sitting to the right and the left of me who have the battle scars."

The Mad Hatter!!

March 15th, 2006, 11:53 PM

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v289/enyers/600-1.jpg
The architects are rtkl, the first phase will be a 400,000sqft office building which will be about 600ft, the 2nd phase will be the 60+story office,residential,hotel towers.900ft+..the first thirty floors will be office residential the rest will be office space. the place where the current 600brickell building is located will now be open space, they claim to be the project with the most open space on brickell ave.the developer is unknown to the moment.

Miami as in Perfect

March 16th, 2006, 01:05 AM

is it probable? can we expect anything, especially at that height?

Dale

March 16th, 2006, 02:09 AM

Damn ! I was hoping the taller towers would go first.

quefueuno

March 16th, 2006, 10:42 PM

does any one know anything about 500 Brickell Station its the second project of 500 Brickell. Its going to be right infront of Brickell on the River (South Tower) if anyone has any info on this please let me know

dave8721

March 23rd, 2006, 04:12 PM

Some renderings of the new 1080 Brickell building. Its to be a residential addition to the existing 1100 Brickell Office buiding. Fronting South Miami Ave, at 491 feet it will be about the same height as the taller Avenue tower next door (495 feet). The renderings show 1080 and Avenue:

(the 76 page document the renderings come from)
http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/22489.pdf?bcsi_scan_7FC3C74FD9762EFF=0&bcsi_scan_filename=22489.pdf
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/dave8721/1080_1.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y19/dave8721/1080_2.jpg

archifreese

March 24th, 2006, 05:23 AM

archifreese

March 24th, 2006, 05:46 AM

ok im going to try to get u guys pics of these tomorrow night, but heres the details on some south side of the river projects.

Icon brickell (which i have a direct view of now) has three minicrane drilling machines (im sorry i dont know their proper names but ull c them in the pics) going and they also have an archeologists (apparently) hole going as well though the work continues. they have the rebars stacked in piles and have really kicked it into gear.

500 brickell has all its columns and foundations poured and its being to rise with the core of the west tower first (again pics coming).

BOR II is almost at the pool deck level of BOR I and rising fast now thats its passing the garage levels.

Asia is already going vertical also, that thing happened in the blink of an eye!
also hopefully pics of epic, met 1,2, and 3 sites to be posted on downtowns thread.

900Biscayneguy

March 24th, 2006, 05:50 AM

Hey Archifreese or anyone else,

Can you also take some street level photos ot Marina Blue, 900 and 10 Museum. Very curious how those projects are looking from the street.

Toucano

March 24th, 2006, 06:47 AM

I Took a ton of pics a week ago but i dont have anywhere (or time) to host them... I can send them to one of you all if you`d like to post them up for all to see...

south florida dave

March 24th, 2006, 07:51 AM

i'll post them if you wanna send them to me, toucano. i really wanna see what the area looks like from street level.

email is sfd@jpaz.com

south florida dave

March 24th, 2006, 10:13 PM

i got toucano's pics, but i haven't had much time today to get them uploaded. i should be able to get them up tonight. until then, here's one of the many GREAT pics he took:

http://img60.imageshack.us/img60/2749/viewdownbiscayneii8re.th.jpg (http://img60.imageshack.us/my.php?image=viewdownbiscayneii8re.jpg)

Bobdreamz

March 24th, 2006, 11:30 PM

^ that is a kick ass pic Toucano!

Toucano

March 25th, 2006, 12:06 AM

Thanks Guys, wait till you see the rest...I went on a 2-3 hour walking/Metrorail/People mover tour of Miami last friday...I was attempting to capture the Grit and Grime of the CBD mainly but also found the time to get many construction pics...I wanted to document some of Miami's older buildings which often go unrecognized or unoticed in the broader skyline shots...I wanted to experience the movement and bustle in downtown on a Friday, while also taking note of the construction, Urban renewal and streetscaping, and new stores popping up in the CBD...

Thanks SFD for hosting and posting...I would have done it myself, but I have 3 exams next week and have little time to dedicate to it...Enjoy!

ChuckScraperMiami#1

March 25th, 2006, 02:46 AM

the density at the 'flatiron' triangle area could be fantastic, avenue, 1080, flatiron, axis, the 2 infinities, and captial all in a 1 block radius!!!!

does anyone know who owns or what the future holds for that little commercial building next to axis' site?
okay ARCH :wave: !!!, here we go, a tower that many have forgotten :hm: , and has been approved over a year ago, and will start :soon: before the Flatiron Tower, Is the 56 floor , 1,000 condo unit " Pointe at Brickell :applause: " at 1100 S. Miami Ave, the empty lot behind " The Axis Twin Towers, which is located at 1101 S.W. 1st Ave.. This tower will be almost as tall as Infinity I.
This Tower will also be in the middle of Your 1 block radius :righton: .
YES Arch :rock: , The Density in this Area will be Fantastic,
I say, :cheer:

Go Cranes !!! :dance:

quefueuno

March 25th, 2006, 03:51 AM

So what "The Point at Brickell Village" will start sales? or what are you saying?

SkyDiveJunkee

March 27th, 2006, 06:23 AM

That Biscayne corridor is going to be quite dramatic with that skyscraper wall complete in a few years time. I love the look of Ten Museum Park around the base.

BornInTheGrove

March 27th, 2006, 06:27 AM

dude... pictures... where are the pictures... lol

Toucano

March 28th, 2006, 05:30 PM

Guess he forgot...

ChuckScraperMiami#1

April 2nd, 2006, 01:44 AM

dude... pictures... where are the pictures... lol

YES, Born in the GROVE :hi: !!!, pics, MIAballinboi :applause: , please we need pics Tomorrow after church, Get Dad :righton: to drive up Brickell Ave to the 500 Brickell :okay: site. FOUR :) yellow Tower construction cranes are operating Now on the two 42 floor twin tower site. All 4 are in place and I have to say it again. :omg:

2 :cheer: , 4 :cheer: , 6 :cheer: , 8 :cheer: , Who do we appreciate :speech: !!!

Cranes :banana: !!! Cranes :pepper: !!! Cranes :banana2: !!!

Gooooooooooooooooo, Cranessssssssssss !!! :dance:

fairweatherfriend

April 2nd, 2006, 02:00 AM

Anyone have any updates on Villa Magna? Has this thing tanked yet?

MIAballinboi

April 2nd, 2006, 06:20 PM

nice old picture i found

doesnt 4seasons look like it was gonna be a 1000 footer from this angle,

do u think the cranes were actually around 1000 feet in this pic?

http://www.degen.net/images/fort_lauderdale_02/miami_skyline-2_03-02.jpg

BHK27

April 2nd, 2006, 09:49 PM

I remember seeing this tower raise. I really thought it was gonna be way taller than Wachovia until I saw the stats of the building. Great picture!

ChuckScraperMiami#1

April 2nd, 2006, 11:18 PM

I remember seeing this tower raise. I really thought it was gonna be way taller than Wachovia until I saw the stats of the building. Great picture!
BHK :rock: and MIAballinboi :cool: , Grrrreat ole pic there, and Yes the Four Seasons Tower is 25 feet higher than the Wachovia Tower to the right in Downtown MIAMI.

Your answer MIAballinboi :hi: , the Tower construction Cranes on top of Towers under construction usually reach 100 more feet when raised where the cranes need to be when the incompleted tower reaches them as in the Ole Pic there.
The Four Seasons Hotel and Condo :cool: tower Construction Cranes was very close to 900 feet. :bowtie:
The Tower now completed is at 789 feet. :cheer:
:speech:
P.S. Everyone :grouphug: , Look at the pic again about 4 years from now, with the Two " Capital " :) Towers, and the Two "Infinity :) " Towers, and 1450 Brickell Office tower right close to the side of the Four Seasons tower like smaller brothers and sisters in a group.
The Four Seasons Tower :okay: will always be the tallest tower south of the MIAMI River, UNLESS the 800 foot 1101 Brickell tower ever gets started, that will be a Miracle to me. :righton:

Miami as in Perfect

April 3rd, 2006, 12:26 AM

So you don't think it will be built? the 1101 Brickell? or how about the Flatiron . . . . I remember not too long ago i heard they were going to start demolition of the thing that is on the site now, in order to make room. It has to go up, there is no option here. ::crosses fingers::

dave8721

April 3rd, 2006, 04:38 PM

Rendering of West Brickell Centre, a 14-story, 145 footer to go on SW 11th ST west of the metrorail next to I-95 with 192 condos, 2780 sqft of retail and 323 parking spaces. Goes before the planning board on April 5th.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/22700.pdf

Toucano

April 3rd, 2006, 06:07 PM

Nice Finds Dave, you have been very busy lately...

Paul305

April 3rd, 2006, 08:02 PM

Yea, when I logged on today Dave had already posted four or five messages. Also, I've been watching all of the developments going up around the Brickell Metrorail Station for a while. This is the first that I know of on the west side. Anyone who has been to this station knows that it is very unique. It has one of the best views of downtown and plays Beethoven's Fifth when a train is approaching the station. Soon, it will be completely surrounded by high-rise buildings. And btw Toucano, I really liked your blog entry on the "No Dog Left Behind" bill, it's crazy what our politicians are wasting our tax dollars on these days. :bash:
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f125/paulmoor/BrickellMetroStation.jpg

mileageman

April 3rd, 2006, 08:21 PM

http://marketing.cbre.com/miamidt/marketpulse/Brickell.pdf

Groundbreaking on 514,577 sf of Class A office space at
1450 Brickell is scheduled to begin in April 2006 and
completion is scheduled for Winter 2008. This
development is a contrast to the abundance of residential
and mixed-use developments in the CBD corridor.

5.59 acres west of Brickell Avenue was sold for $46.5
million to J. Kevin Reilly, principal of the planned Brickell
CitiCentre project.

kevinkagy

April 3rd, 2006, 11:46 PM

It'd be nice to see development west of Brickell Station too, that's cool.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

April 4th, 2006, 12:09 AM

It'd be nice to see development west of Brickell Station too, that's cool.
YES KEVIN :rock: , that's West Brickell Centre :cheer: , it has already started on its Foundation, just last month, Very fast and a good start for that area. :applause: :cheers1:

Thanks PAUL :hi: for the Great Ole Picture of Brickell, Great matchUp of all the projects in the area, Very Nice !!! :dance:

Miami as in Perfect

April 4th, 2006, 01:56 AM

so what can we expect from our significant projects in the downtown as a whole? (I decided to ask about CBD and Brickell, and couldn't decide a thread; so i based it on which has more.)
in the lineup we have: somebody that is eduacated please post likleyhood and date
The Met Miami; Met 2 and 3.
Brickell CitiCentre
Brickell "Flatiron" Park
Villa Magna
1450 Brickell (Is it still looking the same?)
*Paramount Park

fairweatherfriend

April 5th, 2006, 04:08 AM

C'mon...someone has to have news on Villa Magna! Hell it's only 2M sf plus!

Miami as in Perfect

April 6th, 2006, 01:38 AM

Does somebody want to picture what this place will look like in 6 years? I was thinking about the Brickell area, and then the southern end of CBD, and it will be absolutely packed. Tall too. Several over 800 feet . . . . This is good news.

dave8721

April 7th, 2006, 07:50 PM

archifreese

April 7th, 2006, 09:13 PM

i was by it today, pf changs sign is already on (lit at night) the paving in the plaza is almost done and it appears that a midsummer opening or late summer (say july-aug) could be possible.

dach2k5

April 7th, 2006, 11:09 PM

Funny. I had a Mary Brickell Village article in Miami Today from '02 come up on a google search and the mention a Fall '03 opening. hahaha Developer time.

Roark

April 9th, 2006, 05:32 PM

By the way, does anyone know Mary Brickell Village is supposed to open? I remember about this time last year someone told me it would open October or November of last year. Not a whole seems to have been done on the site (at least not visible from outside) since then.I always remembered Winter '05 for the shops, it was supposed to open right behind Brickell on the River north. As for the apartments...who knows...

mileageman

April 11th, 2006, 03:11 PM

Skyline may discount for would-be buyers elsewhere
South Florida Business Journal - 8:28 AM EDT Tuesday

People who have seen developers cancel their condominium contracts or reservations aren't entirely out of luck. Skyline at Mary Brickell Village has said it plans to waive the developer fee on purchases from people with the cancelled paperwork.

To be eligible for the discount at the Miami development, buyers must bring in proof of their cancelled, executed purchase contract or proof of reservation with another development.

The Skyline at Mary Brickell Village condominium is to be at 900 S.W. First Ave. A 35-story building is to hold 369 residences and a 40,000-square-foot pool and recreation deck.

Developers have said they expects to complete construction at the site in the second quarter 2008.

fairweatherfriend

April 12th, 2006, 03:28 AM

Interesting..the lack of response to any questions with regard to Villa Magna would imply the project is doomed to failure, absent a 2-3 point drop in interest rates!

ChuckScraperMiami#1

April 12th, 2006, 03:57 AM

Interesting..the lack of response to any questions with regard to Villa Magna would imply the project is doomed to failure, absent a 2-3 point drop in interest rates!
My Friend FAIR Weather :rock: ,
As long as the 73 year old Great Tibor Hollo :bow: :bowtie: :applause: stays alive :cheers1: , His greattest project, the twin 57 floor VILLA MAGNA :soon: will be built, but not till after this Hurricane Season will he break ground on tower one, and have tower two started in about two years, all to be completed by the end of 2011 :banana2: , and to move in Early 2012 for the second tower. :righton:

dach2k5

April 12th, 2006, 05:52 PM

Any estimates of completion for a project that hasn't broken ground or even gotten financing are totally pie in the sky. Like i mentioned above, there are articles talking about the retail at mary brickell village being completed and open in 2003. Here we are 3 years after that date and they still aren't open. There are just so many things that can delay a project. Even if you plan to start right after hurricane season, if a hurricane passes you'll get delayed (even though you haven't started).

dave8721

April 13th, 2006, 05:28 PM

The MD Aviation dept's findings on 600 Brickell:

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/23145.pdf

Our review finds that a 913 ft assumed AMSL (Above Mean Sea Level) struct....conform to the Miami-Dade County Height Zoning Ordinance

However, our prelminary analysis indicates that the phase 2 structure may impace the following Terminal Instrument Procedures (TERPS) surfaces:

-Runway 8L IFR Departure: exceeds by 149 ft
-Runway 8R IFR Departure: exceeds by 199.4 ft
-Runway 9 IFR Departure: exceeds by 210.2 ft
-Runway 12 IFR Departure: exceeds by 195.4 ft
-Runway 26 LNAV Final Approach: exceeds by 547.6 ft
-Runway 30 LNAV Final Approach: exceeds by 549.2 ft

dave8721

April 13th, 2006, 05:54 PM

600 Brickell and 1080 Brickell go before the Planning Board on April 19th at 6PM.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/meetings/2006/4/1243_A_Planning_Advisory_Board_06-04-19_Agenda_Short.pdf

The Mad Hatter!!

April 13th, 2006, 06:34 PM

I thought they were 903ft...not 913.

anyways i dont think that these 3 towers will ever get built,well actually i think phase 1(about 500ft office building) might get built but that about it.

Dale

April 13th, 2006, 06:35 PM

600 Brickell and 1080 Brickell go before the Planning Board on April 19th at 6PM.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/meetings/2006/4/1243_A_Planning_Advisory_Board_06-04-19_Agenda_Short.pdf

Hard for me to get excited about either of these now, knowing full well that if Met 3 could not survive an FAA-chopping, then certainly these won't.

dave8721

April 13th, 2006, 07:57 PM

I thought they were 903ft...not 913.

anyways i dont think that these 3 towers will ever get built,well actually i think phase 1(about 500ft office building) might get built but that about it.

913 is the "Height Above Mean Sea Level" which is what the FAA is interested in. 903 is the height above ground.

brickell

April 13th, 2006, 09:01 PM

I don't recall seeing this one posted. It's another little one for SW Brickell. There's a sign up on the lot but no sign of construction.

http://www.barimatbrickell.com

Miami as in Perfect

April 15th, 2006, 10:50 PM

Anybody have any spare time on their hands? Well I remember a while back, I believe Hatter posted a future picture of the skyline, north and south of the river, with all of the new towers in the "mix." Well now that there are better renderings of 1101, and Brickell "Flatiron" Park, and Capital was shrunk (losers), and so much awesome stuff has happened since he made the pix; does anybody want to attempt another?

Anyway; I am back from BFE (WVA) and I was driving from my place in PemPines south on 75 to the Hialeah to my uncle's place and I saw some big white thing covering half of ESP. Not on the building, but in the way of; what was it. (About the same height, maybe a tad shorter.)

fairweatherfriend

April 18th, 2006, 03:19 AM

Dale

April 18th, 2006, 03:43 AM

ChuckScraperMiami#1

April 18th, 2006, 04:33 PM

Hey "Mad," what are your thoughts on Villla Magna? Do you think the thing gets built? I heard Tibor actually cashed out on his investment some time ago and others are holding the bag at this point......

My " Fairweather " Friend :hi: , No way :down: on the new buyers :bash: ,. never will the 73 yr old Tibor Hollo :applause: give his most precious project Up.
He's fought for this 57 floor twin tower " Villa Magna :okay: " for years :old: , and should of back then started to build it when he had the chance of putting those towers up to 67 floors, too late :omg: :gaah: , now, Jorge Perez :bow: of Related group would had these towers up years ago :hm: .
but, After this 2006 Hurricane season :soon: ,
The Great Tibor Hollo will hopefully still be alive to see his twin towers rise one tower at a time by December, 2006 :cheers1: .
Untill then :tyty: ,
Go Cranes !!! :banana: :cheer: :pepper:

Dale

April 18th, 2006, 04:35 PM

Chuck -

Fairweather wants Villa Magna to fail because he believes that Hollo is partnering with unscupulous people to develop the project.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

April 18th, 2006, 04:38 PM

Chuck -

Fairweather wants Villa Magna to fail because he believes that Hollo is partnering with unscupulous people to develop the project.
It won't happen, Unless, I'm just kiddin on this, ..lol. If its Donald Trump, lol..

rider_of_rohan

April 18th, 2006, 08:36 PM

It won't happen, Unless, I'm just kiddin on this, ..lol. If its Donald Trump, lol..

Im always afraid that trump will build a tower with a really bad hairpiece on top..I mean roof.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

April 18th, 2006, 10:18 PM

Im always afraid that trump will build a tower with a really bad hairpiece on top..I mean roof.
LOL, Rider of ROHAN :hi: , That's funny :righton: , it would look like the fancy " hair " top of the 62 floor " Freedom Square :okay: " condo tower :hahaha: :lol: :clown: :crazy2: :dizzy: :hilarious .

MIAballinboi

April 18th, 2006, 11:07 PM

^hahaha

dave8721

April 19th, 2006, 05:52 PM

A rendering of the new 500 Brickell station with 500 Brickell and the two BoR's can be found on page 5 of this 52 page pdf:

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/23337.pdf?bcsi_scan_7FC3C74FD9762EFF=0&bcsi_scan_filename=23337.pdf

dave8721

April 19th, 2006, 08:42 PM

ChuckScraperMiami#1

April 20th, 2006, 01:37 AM

Just a heads up that 600 brickell and 1080 brickell go before the planning board this evening at 6PM if anyone is interested.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/meetings/2006/4/1243_A_Planning_Advisory_Board_06-04-19_Agenda_Short.pdf

DAVE !!! :hi: , DAVE !!! :cheer: , DAVE !!! :applause: ,
I'm Interested, I gotts to know :tyty:
Please, ME, Johnny 5, have got to know,

DID it pass ??????? please please, lollollol :cheers:

fairweatherfriend

April 20th, 2006, 03:38 AM

Chuck -

Trsut me, if Villa Magna tanks, your idol Tibor will suffer no harm. Additionally, I am not a bad person....

Miami as in Perfect

April 20th, 2006, 04:07 AM

Chuck -

Trsut me, if Villa Magna tanks, your idol Tibor will suffer no harm. Additionally, I am not a bad person....

No, you aren't a bad person at all. I think bad is n understantment. TERRIBLE!

JUST KIDDING! (I have an odd sense of humor, forgive meh, okay?!)

But I understand your grudge - maybe if it doesn't get built like you so wish, something better will go up. And if it does go up, its damn nice anyway. All I know is that Miami is the best, with or without Villa frikkin Magna.

dave8721

April 21st, 2006, 03:45 PM

While looking through the stuff submitted by Logik I came accross some newspaper articles they submitted on the need to office space and look what I found, an article about the new 903-foot 600 Brickell complete with a rendering. I actually got a little more confident about the project when I saw that the developer is partnering with Swire to build it. They wouldn't plan on building the taller one until 2011 at the earliest.

On page 3 & 4:
http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/22509.pdf

archifreese

April 21st, 2006, 04:36 PM

interesting but bulky building, love the idea of an 900 footer south of the river but wont faa chop this bad boy down or is this in that safe zone? and 2011 thats the perfect time this could be the crowning moment of the boom !

BornInTheGrove

April 21st, 2006, 09:55 PM

Imagine how much will be done or nearing completion by 2011 =)

The Mad Hatter!!

April 22nd, 2006, 12:12 AM

I was doing a rendering for you guys, but i see dave posted an official rendering, but anyways here it is.

http://www.fileden.com/public/44495820923a9564470425.jpg

dave8721

April 25th, 2006, 04:29 PM

I don't recall seeing this one posted. It's another little one for SW Brickell. There's a sign up on the lot but no sign of construction.

http://www.barimatbrickell.com

Going next to that building will be this: One Plaza.

http://a.im.craigslist.org/PD/TV/eVQdzJy6WBidF8YuMDIhj5qXsvhA.jpg

A good thing about the western brickell area is look at those prices:

http://miami.craigslist.org/rfs/154391127.html

Toucano

April 25th, 2006, 04:54 PM

sweet!

rider_of_rohan

April 25th, 2006, 05:03 PM

Those prices are a lot more reasonable :)

lbjoey

April 25th, 2006, 05:37 PM

Look what the Sq. Footage is going for. You have any idea what you're buying for $272,000.00. What is the square footage????? It's elementary.

dach2k5

April 25th, 2006, 06:22 PM

Well it doesn't say waht the sq footage is. It's a 1/1 + den which means it's probably at least 800 or 850 sqft. That's $340 a sqft. on the low end. I did a quick search around and didn't find any floor plans for that building. Finding a place for under $300,000 anywhere in Miami is not easy. You are either:

* very far from anything (ie Homestead, out near the development boundary, etc)
* in a bad neighborhood;
* in a tiny unit;
* or in a very old building;

dach2k5

April 25th, 2006, 06:26 PM

Anyone know what is going on at The Sail at Brickell?

It looks like construction has come to a halt. The Emerald next to it and Solaris a block away were both well behind it in schedule and they have both passed it. I visit a friend at the Jade a lot on weekends I haven't seen any progress since around Jan/Feb. My friend heard that it was being foreclosed on.

renner01

April 26th, 2006, 10:20 AM

Im working with one of the contractors on that project and the developer really drags his projects out (H & H development) I know they are trying to finish to commission the building for occupancy. I have heard the developer is having financial problems. He sold those units years ago and cos. costs have gone up and he is binded by contract to keep the same pricing

dave8721

April 27th, 2006, 02:21 PM

A suit is being filed by 1390 buyers claiming that the so called "ground-breaking" that occured a few months back was just a ploy to get more money from them (they were contractually bound to put down another 10% at ground breaking).

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/14438067.htm

COURTS
Brickell Bay condo buyers file class-action lawsuit

Buyers at the canceled Miami condominium 1390 Brickell Bay don't just want their deposits back plus interest -- they have filed a class-action lawsuit seeking much more.

By MATTHEW HAGGMAN
mhaggman@MiamiHerald.com

Dozens of buyers at the failed 1390 Brickell Bay condominium tower have filed a class-action lawsuit against developer Kenneth Baboun and his company BBB Group claiming fraud and breach of contract.

Baboun pulled the plug on the proposed 49-story condo near Miami's Brickell Avenue in February, saying hurricane-related delays and rising construction costs doomed the project. He returned buyers' deposits, which amounted to 20 percent of their purchase price earlier this year.

But 56 buyers have sued in Miami-Dade Circuit Court alleging they were defrauded when Baboun announced groundbreaking in June 2006 but was far from ready to start construction. At groundbreaking buyers were required to put down the second 10 percent deposit on their units.

the rest of the article:
http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/14438067.htm

Toucano

April 27th, 2006, 04:43 PM

eh, they prove a point...

dave8721

May 1st, 2006, 02:38 PM

Flatiron goes before the Planning Board on May 3rd but it looks like its been downsized to 794 feet tall.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/meetings/2006/5/1270_A_Planning_Advisory_Board_06-05-03_Agenda_Short.pdf

dave8721

May 1st, 2006, 04:39 PM

From the Downtown Development Authority:

http://www.miamidda.com/enewsletter/april/index.html

Mary Brickell Village is Soon Opening Its Doors!

The community anxiously awaits the opening of Mary Brickell Village. The highly anticipated open-air lifestyle center, spread over 5.2 acres in the heart of the Brickell Area, along South Miami Avenue between Ninth and Tenth Streets, will have its first tenants, including Regions Bank and PF Chang's, open this month.

Other tenants located on the section of the project east of Miami Avenue will soon start their build outs and will be opening within the next few months. Tenants in this side of the project include Starbuck's Coffee, La Romainville Bakery, Enerjuicer Juice Bar and L&K's Convenience Store.

The section of the project west of Miami Avenue, where 85% of tenants are located, is scheduled to be complete by May 31, 2006, with tenants opening for business in the following months.

Tenants in this section of the property include Oceanaire Seafood Room, Rosa Mexicano Restaurant, Blue la Pizzeria del Sole, Blue Martini, The Grape, Vertigo, Edward Beiner, Passion Hair Saloon, Publix, Bally Total Fitness, and several other stores ranging from restaurants to services, fashion and jewelry.

The center will bring a sense of community to the Brickell area and will be a great complement to the Downtown Miami area. The line up of signature restaurants, upscale boutiques, and neighborhood services will make the City of Miami even more attractive to businesses, residents and visitors. Great downtowns are known for their vibrant retail offerings. Thanks to Mary Brickell Village, Downtown Miami moves closer to greatness.

For more information on Mary Brickell Village, please visit www.marybrickellvillage.com.

The Mad Hatter!!

May 4th, 2006, 10:54 PM

anyone notice steel rising at the latitude one site......finally an office tower.yay

dave8721

May 4th, 2006, 10:56 PM

Whatever happened to 1450 Brickell anyway?

The Mad Hatter!!

May 4th, 2006, 11:01 PM

its 0% leased.

I dont know if latitude one found a major tenant but whatever its underconstruction so im happy.

dave8721

May 11th, 2006, 09:48 PM

Another nimby battle brewing, this one in Key Biscayne:

http://www.miaminewtimes.com/Issues/2006-05-11/news/metro.html

http://media.newtimes.com/id/43729/Story%20Photo

A peice of the long article:

Key Issue

Should high-rises tower over this pricey island paradise?

By Forrest Norman
Article Published May 11, 2006

Argentine mogul Edgardo Defortuna has made Key Biscayne his home since 1993. Defortuna, along with his brother and sister, made millions in real estate sales and then turned to development. He is a fixture on the key, where his aquiline profile can often be seen in the back seat of his Bentley.

In 2004 Defortuna bought and bulldozed Nixon's famous Winter White House and the mansion next door, formerly the home of Nixon's buddy Bebe Rebozo. (He plans a 14,000-square-foot, five-bedroom mansion on the bayside property.) Then, after hearing that Sonesta owner Roger Sonnabend was planning to redevelop his land, Defortuna set his sights on that storied property.

This past March 14, development attorneys for the Sonesta presented their plans to the village council. They called for six new fourteen-story buildings with a total of 240 hotel suites and 37 residential units. If approved, the complex will comprise two high-end spa hotels, one conventional inn, and three condominium towers. The two spa hotels are to be built only 50 feet from the property line of the nearest Holiday Colony homes, on land that is currently occupied only by tennis courts.

After hearing the plan, many residents were incensed. Morty Freed, who called the project "a monstrosity," said it wouldn't fit in. "What they're putting up is not Key Biscayne — it's something that they see with big dollar signs."

Former village Commissioner Mike Kelly seemed weary as he took the podium. "I don't know of a single person in Key Biscayne who is anxious to see more construction along the coastline, with more traffic, with more construction vehicles, with more workers," he commented. "We should do whatever we can within the range of what is legal to try to stop this project from going forward."

Dale

May 11th, 2006, 10:16 PM

The way projects are dropping like flies now, the nimbys only need chill-out.

rider_of_rohan

May 11th, 2006, 10:32 PM

Speaking of Nimbys :)
More land raping
http://coconutgrovegrapevine.blogspot.com/

I still don't get how the neighbors at Bay Heights, Glencoe and Natoma Manors agreed to the monstrosities that are planned for the Mercy Hospital parking lots. The poor waterfront will never be the same.

The neighbors seem to feel that the high-end condos will be empty most of the year because they will end up being second homes to most, so that will alleviate the traffic problems.

The problems are unbearable now, try turning out from any of those neighborhoods during rush hour, it is impossible. No matter what is built on the 42.5 acres is going to add to the overdevelopment of the area.

I find it very disturbing lately the way the neighbors in the Grove are selling out to developers. Last week it was the Hiawatha Village Project, now the land rapers The Related Group and Ocean Land Equities. The quality of life in the Grove is getting worse and worse, day by day.

Again, we say NO to changing the variance on the Mercy Land, just like we did with the Hiawatha Village Project.

fairweatherfriend

May 13th, 2006, 02:48 PM

Gotta check in on my favorite....Villa Magna. Anyone have any updates as to how the project is faring these days? Any sales stats out there?

spellbound

May 13th, 2006, 03:04 PM

The way projects are dropping like flies now, the nimbys only need chill-out.

It was predictable. Still, a shame.

dave8721

May 15th, 2006, 04:57 PM

The new 500 Brickell tower, Brickell Station, was originally at 599 feet then dropped to 559 feet but now Related is changing it again, this time to 568 feet tall. The tower goes before the Planning Avisory Board on the 17th.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/meetings/2006/5/1271_A_Planning_Advisory_Board_06-05-17_Agenda_Short.pdf

dave8721

May 16th, 2006, 02:25 PM

About time:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/14587549.htm

RETAIL
Mary Brickell Village comes to life

After years of delays, a shopping center in the heart of downtown Miami begins to take form. Regions Bank and P.F. Chang's are the first two establishments to open in the Mary Brickell Village.

BY JIM WYSS
jwyss@MiamiHerald.com

Four years, two developers and a few hurricanes after construction crews broke ground to create a shopping hub in the heart of downtown Miami, signs of life are emerging at the Mary Brickell Village project.

On Monday Chinese bistro P.F. Chang's became the first of seven major restaurants to open its doors at the open-air shopping center that straddles South Miami Avenue between Ninth and 10th streets.

The 195,000 square-foot plaza will eventually be home to a gourmet Publix Supermarket, a Bally's Total Fitness gym, Starbucks and more than 70 shops and retail outlets.

Surrounded by towering office blocks, condos and construction cranes, the $100 million project is widely seen as the last major dining and retail development that can be squeezed into downtown.

''Land is at a real scarcity, and the high-rises have been so profitable that nobody had set aside space for retail usage like this,'' said Cynthia Cohen, president of Strategic Mindshare, a Miami-based retail strategy consulting firm. ``All the other plots of land are taken up by vertical multiuse buildings.''

With its low-slung construction, fountains and benches, the Village is designed to be a breezy shopping oasis amid the concrete jungle, said the center's general manager, Marcos Freire.

Along with dining establishments and upscale retail outlets, the Village will also have shops designed to meet neighborhood needs, such as a shoe-repair store, a dry cleaner and a teeth-whitening center, he said.

''This is the prototype of the open-air lifestyle center that everyone is trying to do,'' he said. Lifestyle centers, which are open-air shopping areas that tend to be more pedestrian friendly and smaller than traditional malls, are one of the new trends in retailing.

Ultimately the Village will sit in the shadow of a 34-story condominium slated to be built on top of its seven-story, 900-car garage. That project, called the Skyline at Mary Brickell Village, is expected to be complete by the end of 2007, Freire said.

The Village has been a long time coming. Originally planned to open in fall of 2003, financing and permitting issues plagued the center, Freire said. Last year, the original developer, Constructa (which was behind the CocoWalk project), turned it over to Canada's Ivanhoe Cambridge.

But with the opening of Regions Bank a few weeks ago and P.F. Chang's Monday, major construction at the site should be finished within two months, said Freire.

''We are trying to finish as much as we can before hurricane season,'' he said over the din of earthmovers. ``The only thing that could push us back from our July schedule is a bad storm.''

When Hurricane Katrina swept through last year, it toppled a crane and lured away workers to better-paying construction jobs, Freire said.

But the wait has been worth it, said P.F. Chang's Operating Partner Dave Currey.

''We're excited to be part of what may be the first and last dining center in the area,'' he said as the first curious customers started walking into the 250-seat establishment.

Standing outside the restaurant, Gwen Carrion said the neighborhood was in desperate need of a place like the Village, where she would be able to dine, shop or run errands during her lunch break.

''It looks like our patience is paying off,'' Currey said.

dave8721

May 16th, 2006, 09:13 PM

Another one for the West side of the metrorail tracks: Brickell View Terrace. Its to be 23 stories and 244 feet tall with 119 residences at 936 SW 1st Ave.

http://www.brickellviewterrace.com/
http://www.brickellviewterrace.com/images/index.2.jpg

dave8721

May 17th, 2006, 08:04 PM

ICON Brickell to speed up:

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/060518/story4.shtml

Developer gets Brickell Park easement for Icon sales center

By Deserae del Campo
Miami commissioners last week approved a temporary easement of 12,560 square feet of city-owned property in Brickell Park for developers of Icon Brickell at 501 Brickell Ave.
The Related Group requested the temporary easement to house its sales office as it begins to build the third tower of the project on the site of the former Sheraton Biscayne Bay hotel.
The three-tower project is to have 1,705 condo units, 95 hotel rooms, 25,000 square feet of retail space and 2,085 parking spaces.
According to city planning records, the cost to build Icon Brickell is estimated at $1.2 billion. The Related Group bought the 598-room hotel in December 2004 for $94 million.
Letters from the Brickell Homeowners Association and the Brickell Area Association were submitted to the city backing the easement, said Lori Billberry, Miami's director of public facilities.
"The sales office would be in the way of them constructing the third tower," said Gloria Konsler, executive administrator for the Brickell Area Association. "In exchange for the easement, developers would be out of that space a year earlier than they expected. One reason we are in favor of the easement is that the land will be back to normal and usable by the public one year sooner."
The original agreement, filed in November, had the Related Group on the land for five years with construction ending in 2010. But with the easement, the developer should be out of Brickell Park by 2009.
"This is not a gift to them," said Tory "Sinclair" Jacobs, president of the Brickell Homeowners Association. "It does make it easier for them to do their construction. Part of the deal with Icon is they are going to leave the park beautifully landscaped and manicured once they are done."
A member of the Brickell Area Association, Ms. Konsler said, will sit on a commission overseeing a redesign of the park once construction is completed.

dave8721

May 22nd, 2006, 07:58 PM

Look who is starting sales soon and advertising in the Herald now:

http://img.travidia.com/rop-ad/3005455

Dale

May 22nd, 2006, 08:12 PM

Icon speeding up and Infinity II and Villa Magna's relative sucess takes some of the sting out of recent cancellations.

rider_of_rohan

May 22nd, 2006, 09:36 PM

Sweeeeet! :)

ChuckScraperMiami#1

May 23rd, 2006, 12:42 AM

Rider of ROHAN :rock: !!!,
DALE :hi: !!!,
DAVE :righton: !!!,

I say it again :applause: ,
:speech:
GO CRANES !!! :banana: :cheer: :pepper:

Dale

May 23rd, 2006, 05:08 AM

I like Infinity II so much it might take the sting out of losing Premeire Towers, which were one of my favorites.

So, Infinity II, Capital Towers, Villa Magna, along with Met 3, and I'm one happy Cuban.

And I'm not even Cuban !

rider_of_rohan

May 23rd, 2006, 06:09 AM

I will be a happy non-Cuban Cuban too if Met 3 is built :)

dave8721

May 23rd, 2006, 03:08 PM

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14647172.htm

Vote tonight could settle debate over Key Biscayne's Sonesta Hotel

BY DAVID SMILEY
dsmiley@MiamiHerald.com

The debate over whether the Sonesta Hotel and Resort on Key Biscayne should redevelop its waterfront property to include six towers will come to a head when the village council meets tonight.

Plans for the complex -- which include 277 units in six 15-story buildings -- have already drawn widespread opposition in Key Biscayne. Homeowners say the towers would set a bad precedent on an island that incorporated in part to avoid more large scale projects.

''The amount of e-mails, phone calls and faxes I've received are more numerous on this issue than on any other issue in my eight years on council,'' said Mayor Robert Oldakowski, who added that most of those who reached out were against the scale of the project.

Tuesday's vote centers on a zoning issue. Council members will be asked to evaluate whether the village should weigh plans for ''planned unit developments'' that are five acres or more.

The village already has some such developments -- the Grand Bay, Key Colony and the Ocean Club -- which were granted permits by Miami-Dade County before the village incorporated in 1991. But Key Biscayne currently doesn't have the criteria in its zoning code to evaluate those types of projects -- like the one the Sonesta is proposing -- because it didn't expect anymore when it incorporated, said Jud Kurlancheek, the village's building, zoning and planning director.

Though the measure being evaluated Tuesday does not mention the Sonesta project by name, the only parcel of five-plus acres on the Key belongs to the hotel.

The village staff is recommending that the council vote against it.

Village residents have been buzzing about the project even before the Sonnabend family, principal owners of the Sonesta, and Edgardo Defortuna, CEO of Fortune International Realty and developer for the hotel, presented plans at the March 14 council meeting.

The plans call for structures that rise higher than the allowed 150 feet and come closer to residents' homes -- some 50 feet away -- than allowed under the current zoning.

In total, there would be 277 units -- 240 hotel and 37 condo. That's 15 fewer than currently in the Sonesta building, though some residents fear the new complex would generate more traffic and visits because the units are larger and some are condos.

Defortuna, a Key resident, said he understood that the Sonesta's redevelopment is a sensitive subject and that people are passionate about it.

But he said there has been too much focus on the negative.

He acknowledged that while during construction, houses in adjacent Holiday Colony would be harder to sell, once people start paying $2 to $3 million for a condo unit property, values will rise.

''Certainly, I have heard the negatives,'' Defortuna said. 'But people have stopped me in the streets and said, `Don't forget me, I want a unit.' ''

The 52 homeowners in Holiday Colony have galvanized their homeowners group and hired a lawyer. An online petition against the project has gathered about 730 signatures, including that of former Mayor John Festa.

Carlos DesChapelles, who lives in Holiday Colony, said the homeowners in the complex say it doesn't fit with the village.

''It's not in the spirit of Key Biscayne,'' DesChapelles said. ``Key Biscayne is a small village of tranquility, not one clogged with traffic.

rider_of_rohan

May 23rd, 2006, 06:33 PM

Im against that project myself. I think Key Biscayne is urban enough as it is. Dont mess with paradise.

dave8721

May 23rd, 2006, 07:27 PM

brickell

May 23rd, 2006, 09:16 PM

I have a hard time seeing that side of Key Biscayne as "paradise" nor a "small village of tranquillity". I'd rather have more mixed use or commercial buildings on the island but I don't see anything overly wrong with these.

DGM

May 23rd, 2006, 09:36 PM

They could certainly use a wider selection of restaurants over there.

rider_of_rohan

May 23rd, 2006, 10:50 PM

Thats what Miami is for DGM. Key biscayne is where they go home to get away from the city.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

May 23rd, 2006, 11:22 PM

Im against that project myself. I think Key Biscayne is urban enough as it is. Dont mess with paradise.

Rider of ROHAN :) is right, I have to agree here,
Enough is Enough !!!

Leave Key Biscayne alone now,, It surely is an " Island Paradise "

the Sonesta Beach hotel is large enough, Renovate it and leave it alone as is !!! :cheers:

Roark

May 24th, 2006, 09:27 PM

I'd like to see how 6 15-story hotels can add up to only 277 units (240 hotel rooms, 37 condos). Those must be some big hotel rooms. Thats 46 units per building (40 hotel rooms, 6 condos). Maybe it will be like 6 stacked 2-story condos and 3 floors of hotel rooms with ~14 rooms on a floor?Yeah, but not very dense when you consider that the parcel is about 10 acres. I'd like to see it too! Chad Oppenheim does some really cool work, six 15 story towers with that much land to play with, has got to be the recipe for some nice grounds!

fairweatherfriend

May 28th, 2006, 02:09 AM

Dale - What "relative success" has Villa Magna realized? I heard a rumor that they may be sucking wind????

archifreese

May 28th, 2006, 02:24 AM

I believe this is the Key biscayne project, i got it off chads website www.oppenoffice.com but its just a slideshow and doesnt give text or data.
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/archifreese/chad2.jpg
http://i65.photobucket.com/albums/h228/archifreese/chad1.jpg

Paul305

May 28th, 2006, 07:49 AM

Sorry guys but I gotta say that I really hope this project fails. Not because I think that the buildings will cause traffic or anthing like that but because these buildings will block out the sun for anyone who wants to tan in the afternoon. The beaches on this part of Key Biscayne are really narrow. Even if the buildings are only 15 floors tall, they will block out all of the sun after two or three in the afternoon. On Miami Beach, towers can go really tall because they are set back really far but Key Biscayne is a much different story. Here's a comparison of Miami Beach (8th Street) and the Sonesta site from a 3000' elevation on Google Earth:
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f125/paulmoor/MiamiBeachKeyBiscayne.jpg
I'm sure this project will fail because a lot of local residents use this part of the beach to tan and they have more power than any other NIMBY group in Miami. Plus they've been dealing with construction from their road improvement projects for the past year and are getting pretty fed up.

ChuckScraperMiami#1

May 28th, 2006, 03:00 PM

Dale - What "relative success" has Villa Magna realized? I heard a rumor that they may be sucking wind????
:nono: :speech:
My Fairweather " Friend " :hi: , why are you so against this beautiful tall twin " Last 5 star Luxary prime Bayfront " condo towers to buy on beautiful Biscayne Bay, when in the sales office there, the sales ladies told me their at a 35 % selloff already and Will start on tower one in December, this year :applause: .

As long as Tibor Hollo :bow: :angel1: lives, It will be built as is, and that's no lie.
Only a " Sucking Wind " of a " Bad Andrew Type :bash: " of Hurricane will this project fail :fiddle: .

I say , I see these two towers built in my dreams of 2012,
and My Fairweather " Friend ", :cheers2:

Go Cranes !!! :banana: :cheer: :pepper:

Dale

May 28th, 2006, 06:59 PM

Dale - What "relative success" has Villa Magna realized? I heard a rumor that they may be sucking wind????

You have to understand that Hollo has sold, in a short time, approx 200 units, against a constant drumbeat of 'This project is sucking wind.'

And it is also transparently obvious that you are rooting for this project to fail because you don't like the people behind it.

The rest of us are not quite so emotionally involved.

fairweatherfriend

May 28th, 2006, 11:32 PM

Dale

May 29th, 2006, 12:45 AM

Dale -

Absolutely, but I truly doubt he is at 200. Everything I have heard would indicate sales are nowhere near that level. Where did you get your info? Anyone out there have any idea where sales stand at Villa Magna?

On the Villa Magna thread on the Miami forum, mieageman linked an article from the NY Times indicating 167 sold. The article was dated 5/15 I believe.

Rx727sfl2002

May 29th, 2006, 04:10 AM

SORRY BUT HAVE TO DISAGREE ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO TAN ON KEY BISCAYNE BEACH

THE BEACHES THERE RUN EAST-WEST ON THE SIDE WHERE THE CONDOS ARE
THERE IS NEVER A SHADOW ON THAT BEACH FROM ANY BUILDING AND EVEN IF YOU HAD A 1000FT TOWER THERE IT WOULDNT EVEN CAST A HINT OF A SHADOW ON THE BEACH....

THE BEACHES IN SOUTHBEACH RUN SOUTH-NORTH

SUN RISES IN EAST SETS IN THE WEST THE SHADOWS WOULD ALWAYS BE EITHER ON THE EAST OR WEST OF THAT ISLAND CUASING A SHADOW ON THE SAND DUNES AND TREES IN THAT AREA BUT NEVER THE BEACH....

THE PROJECT WILL LOOK GREAT ON THAT SITE AND THE SPEED LIMIT THERE IS USUALLY 10-15 MILES ON THAT WHOLE STRIP SO IF THEY WANT BETTER TRAFFIC MAYBE THEY CAN INCREASE IT TO 20-25 OR 30 LIKE REGULAR RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.

I DONT THINK THEY CAN ARGUE ABOUT TRAFFIC WHEN THERE IS A STATE PARK LOCATED AT THE TIP OF KEYBISCYANE NEXT TO THESE CONDOS THEY SEE 1000S OF CARS EACH DAY THAT DONT EVEN BELONG TO PEOPLE THAT LIVE THERE...

WHY THE CONCERN BECUASE IT WOULD BLOCK THE VIEWS OF SOME OF THOSE OTHER TOWERS BECUASE THEY HAVE A CHUNK OF EMPTY LAND IN BETWEEN THEM...

TOUGH LUCK

DGM

May 29th, 2006, 05:31 AM

What's up with the caps? Is this Rxsfl's evil twin again? The beach does run north/south. I have been to that beach a billion times so you can trust me that the beach runs this way, or you can view this google earth map (the beach is on the east coast):
http://i29.photobucket.com/albums/c275/dmoore305/Keybiscayne2.jpg

Dale

May 29th, 2006, 06:21 AM

^ I still get freaked out about how you can see the bottom of Biscayne Bay.

*shudders*

miamicanes

May 29th, 2006, 08:17 AM

I still get freaked out about how you can see the bottom of Biscayne Bay.

Sigh. It's not that deep. If it weren't for the Nature Nazis, Miami's island coastline would extend all the way south to Key Largo, probably with Kendall Drive, SR878, 152nd street, and a few more major roads having causeways at their eastern ends to another ~25 miles of premium beachfront real estate. Cutler Ridge residents would be a 10-15 minute drive from the beach, as would Falls, Homestead, and Florida City residents. Engineering wise, it wouldn't even be a challenge. The Army Corps of Engineers could turn those sandbars into billions of dollars worth of prime real estate in a matter of weeks, and sell the new island land to pay off the national debt... if only they were allowed to...

Hell, they could even build 2000-foot skyscrapers on 'em, since they'd be totally out of MIA's flight path, and probably be annexed instantly by Coral Gables... which would feel no particularly compelling need to stop developers from building skyscrapers there, and be absolutely drooling over the tax revenue... :cheer:

logybogy

May 29th, 2006, 11:22 AM

They tried. But failed back in the 60's. It's how we got the city of Islandia with a population of 6. It was supposed to be the next Miami Beach. That's why it was incorporated.

There is no city like Islandia. Leading the way in the class of Florida's smallest town, the population according to 2000 census is six.

Many have described Islandia as Dade's missing municipality. Islandia is rare because there are no landfills, no schools and no traffic. That is because there are no roads on or leading to the Islandia – the only way to access the city is by boat.

Boat rides are provided to visitors but mostly during the wintertime since mosquitoes usually swarm the island in the summertime.

Born from a dream, Islandia incorporated on December 6, 1960, and the City Council ruled over 33 islands.

Early inhabitants wanted to create a vacation wonderland stretching from Key Largo to Key Biscayne, interconnected with oceanfront highways and toll roads to the mainland. However, no one could afford to build a causeway across shallow Biscayne Bay.

In 1968, President Lyndon Johnson authorized $25 million to convert Islandia into the Biscayne National Monument. All but five of the 33 islands were purchased by federal government and are now known as Biscayne National Park, the biggest estuary in the federal system.

miamicanes

May 29th, 2006, 05:36 PM

Yeah, but they "failed" for political reasons, not due to engineering impossibility. As a civil engineering matter, transforming the scattered tiny islands into big, prime, canal-laced developable land would be so trivially easy as to be almost a joke. The hardest part of the whole thing would be fighting the NIMBYs to build new freeways from the Turnpike to the islands.

OK, hardcore fantasy time --

the current last half-mile of I-95 (south of Rickenbacker) is reclassified as the "US-1/Coconut Grove" Exit, and the Rickenbacker Causeway officially becomes I-95. The causeway gets widened by about 100 feet to make room for 10 lanes of I-95 (the existing high bridge becomes southbound I-95, and a more or less identical bridge gets built to the north to become northbound I-95). Just before the Key Biscayne village limits, I-95 goes underground for a mile or so, before resurfacing in Bill Baggs park. From that point south to Key Largo, it runs as a causeway with high bridges between islands, and a heavily-landscaped open cut (like the Central Expressway in Dallas) within the new urban islands. I-95's new end would be just north of Key Largo.

As a nod to the lower keys' determination to avoid becoming suburbs of Miami, Monroe County would be allowed to put a toll booth on US-1 somewhere south of Islamorada that charged utterly obscene tolls (say, $25) to northbound cars between 6am and 10am Monday through Friday (to make it painfully expensive for anyone who commuted to Miami to live south of that point).

To make the Transit and New Urbanist people happy, Liz herself would be given a blank check to write the new island cities' zoning codes and locate one or more light rail lines for each island, each of which had at least one stop for a BRT station above I-95 (planned for replacement by Metrorail once the population in the new islands reached a million).

Of course, the environmentalists would be foaming at the mouth and recruiting suicide bombers at Sierra Club conventions...

Sadly, now that it's National Park, there's a greater likelihood of Madonna getting elected to the Senate as a conservative Republican from North Carolina than of this ever happening. Sigh.

Paul305

May 30th, 2006, 02:05 AM

The hardest part of the whole thing would be fighting the NIMBYs to build new freeways from the Turnpike to the islands.Or the fact that everything between Key Biscayne and Key Largo is part of the Biscayne National Park, America's only National Park with coral reefs. I don’t think a National Park has ever been turned over to the Army Corps to turn it into a huge real estate development and I don’t think this park will be the exception. Developing the land in the park would not only destroy the unique ecosystems on the islands but would destroy all of the neighboring marine ecosystems. And just like that, America would have not a single National Park with a coral reef. I know you weren't seriously considering that such a thing would actually happen but I think what we have now is far better than anything that could be built in its place.

TOUGH LUCK
Rx, how many times must we tell you that posting in all caps makes you look like a punk before you start believing us? You don’t bother fact checking anything and you are horrible at making convincing arguments. Also, why would having a park that draws thousands of cars every day keep a group of active homeowners from complaining about traffic? And trust me, the Village has very active homeowners. Having gone to school on Virginia Key I have personally interacted with many of their organizations including the Key Biscayne Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce and the Virginia Key Beach Park Trust.

The problem with traffic on the Key isn’t that development is getting too big, but because they have been improving their roads for the past year, like I stated in my previous post. I never implied that the traffic on the Key would physically impede its growth but that its residents are about ready to go to war with anyone who wants to allow more construction trucks into their expensive little village.

Also, I have been to the Sonesta Hotel dozens of times for Rotary Club meetings and know exactly which way it is oriented. I have also been to the beach fronting the Key Biscayne condos many times and can tell you that shade is an issue after about 3:00 PM in many places. If the developers decide to set the new hotels back from the water far enough, then I wouldn’t care at all but I would still bet money that the Key rats will fight this one to the death.

Rx727sfl2002

May 30th, 2006, 09:34 PM

Paul305

May 30th, 2006, 09:44 PM

They're planning on building hotel rooms, not condos. Also, why don't you scroll up and look at DGM's post above. He provided a nice little map that might help you out a bit. The Sonesta is located right under the word "Biscayne" in the map.

Miami as in Perfect

May 30th, 2006, 11:18 PM

THAT BEACH RUNS EAST TO WEST
YOU CAN SEE THE PORT OF MIAMI AND SOUTHPOINT (SOUTHBEACH) FROM THAT BEACH... ALSO THE CONDOS ARE GOING SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF EXISTING CONDOS AND THAT IS THE ISSUE HERE NOT SHADE ON THE BEACH.

IF IT WAS FACING NORTH TO SOUTH YOU WOULD SEE NOTHING BUT OCEAN FROM THE BEACH....

PAUL IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU STILL LIVE SOMEWHERE NEAR THESE CONDOS
FLORIDA DOESNT PROTECT VIEW CORRIDORS SO LIKE I SAID BEFORE

TOUGH LUCK

Dude, are you serious? Take a geography class; seriously. Look at a damn map; THE DAMN BEACH RUNS NORTH TO SOUTH! North, to south. Dude, seriously. And especially in relation to the rest of Miami; whether it is due north and due south - it is NOT east to west. DAYTONA in relation to TAMPA is a relative east to west. Los Angeles to New York, relative east/west. NORTH AMERICA TO SOUTH AMERICA, SOUTH TO NORTH. Go look at a map or something. Those are those diagrams of where things in this world are located, in relation to the other things in the world. People piss me off. Sorry.