Miami=South Beach Art Deco District

[SoBe99]

I found that 120 Ocean Drive picture on their engineer's website.

http://wai.com/project.aspx?id=2245&type=600&cat=600

I couldnt find an official website, but there is a brief summary on the developers webpage.

http://www.congressgroup.com/120Ocean.html

I hope they dont stick with all those colors on the exterior...

http://www.congressgroup.com/images/jpg2/120OceanDr.jpg

[logybogy]

Yes, I remember this. It went back to the early 90's. The developer sued for the grandfathered development rights and won.

Looks like it will be one of the most upscale buildings on south pointe. 1 floor per unit. 15 feet ceilings and 360 degree balcony views. That parking pedastal looks 50 feet or so? If it's less than maybe the ceilings in the units are more than 15 ft.

[MiamiMike]

If Vitri is history............you'd have to assume that prime piece of land will be developed in the next 3 years even in a slow market..............thoughts anyone???

[arch photographer]

I believe that all the piles are driven and the foundation is poured, so even if there is discussion of making it a boutique hotel or even offices, there is a good chance that they could use the same footprint for the building, or even a similar/ duplicate design. Of course they could demolish the foundation and start over?:ohno:

It wouldn't be the first stupid choice.

[SoBe99]

Office or retail would be the best alternative given the 7-story public parking garage going up across the street. Office demand with dedicated parking is high in miami beach.

[SoBe99]

South Pointe Park

South Pointe Park will close to the public on July 9, 2007 for construction.
The park will reopen in early 2009 with new amenities, including:

A redesigned park entrance with water features
New pavilion
Rebuilt maintenance building
New restrooms
New pedestrian walkways
New site lighting
New playground areas
New signage
New landscaping
South Pointe Park site plan

Smith and Wollensky Restaurant will remain open during construction. No other access to the park will be permitted.

Beach access is available at the eastern end of South Pointe Drive.

[rider_of_rohan]

Wow that is a long time to be closed, 2 years!!

[BornInTheGrove]

2 years sounds right... there's alot of shit their gonna have to go thru to get the area even prepared for landscaping and construction

[SoBe99]

Bijou has been cancelled as a condominium citing reasons such as unable to sell condo units and market conditions.

They are applying to change the use to a hotel with 130 rooms. The exterior design will look nearly identical to the previous rendernings. It will be late this year or early next year before they can begin construction.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2227/bijou001xl0.jpg

[dave8721]

Bijou has been cancelled as a condominium citing reasons such as unable to sell condo units and market conditions.

They are applying to change the use to a hotel with 130 rooms. The exterior design will look nearly identical to the previous rendernings. It will be late this year or early next year before they can begin construction.

http://img253.imageshack.us/img253/2227/bijou001xl0.jpg

Long article in the Sun Post on neighbors fighting the project saying its lounge area will be large enough to hold 1000 people. Basically they are saying the developer is trying to build a Nikki Beach-type of operation 15 feet from existing condo units.

http://www.miamisunpost.com/0719clubfeature.htm

[dave8721]

For 1681 West Ave here is Lincoln Square:

http://lincolnsquaremiami.com/images/g_day.jpg

Article on Lincoln Square:
http://www.miamisunpost.com/0719groundwork.htm

New on the South Beach scene: Lincoln Square Shops and Residences, a modern, mixed-use retail and residential development planned for 1681 West Ave. and the Venetian Causeway in South Beach.

The project includes 35 residences designed as flexible, open layouts with floor-to-ceiling hurricane-impact glass window walls and sliding glass doors to balconies. Garden level units have large landscaped terraces. Some units will offer a den/home office space. Kitchens feature innovative, fully integrated Blum cabinets with gray oak finishes and top of the line European appliances. Building amenities include a cardio fitness room, a shared rooftop deck and private garden courtyard. Each unit comes with its own parking spot; select units will have two spaces. Prices range from $320,000 for a 573-square-foot condominium to $775,000 for a 1,269-square-foot condominium.

The 6,000 square feet of retail space is offered for sale in units ranging from approximately 800 to 3,500 square feet, priced from the mid $700s. The developers, Alayo Building Company (a real estate development and construction company operating in Florida since 1974), together with Grupo San Jose (a European-based global construction and real estate investment company), are looking to attract both national and local retailers to the mostly double-height storefronts on the high-visibility corner. The contemporary-style Lincoln Square Shops and Residences are being designed by New York-based Alayo Architects, who worked on the Setai Hotel in South Beach. Gary Hennes Realtors in Miami Beach is the exclusive listing agent.

[ChuckScraperMiami#1]

DAVE:) , my friend,
have you notice the Last tallest Tower Construction Crane has come down this weekend on top of Continnum 2 tower,
I'll bet ROARK:) has seen the last one coming down this weekend and is sad to see this could be the Last Tallest tower construction crane on Miami Beach !!!:ohno: :ohno:
this could be the last tallest construction crane in Miami Beach after the tallest of the three Canyon Ranch Living Towers are completed soon, which those Tower construction cranes could be down by the end of this year !!!:nuts:

[BornInTheGrove]

i think this is pretty cool. it's a pdf that shows everything thats gonna be of the fountainebleau hotel at the beach when all the construction is done.

http://www.bleaumiamibeach.com/pdf/master_plan-5-14-07.pdf

[arch photographer]

I guess they scrapped the cool modern addition that had the glass bottom pool sticking out over collins Avenue. It may sound silly but people would flock to swim in that and look at others swimming in it.

[mileageman]

The implosion of New York-based Boymelgreen Developers has reached Miami Beach.

Deposits are being returned at its 66-unit Vitri project on South Beach. Contract holders are upset about getting back their deposits of the developer’s project north of downtown with only 1 percent interest after two years. And brokers are threatening to sue over unpaid commissions.

Until April, the developer was known as Leviev Boymelgreen, after Israeli diamond magnate Lev Leviev and New York developer Shaya Boymelgreen. But the partners split, leaving Boymelgreen with three unfinished Miami-area projects in a dire condo market.

Construction at the seven-story Vitri project at Fifth Street and West Avenue stopped weeks ago. The foundation work is not finished and the developer has begun returning some deposits.

Several sources, including Miami Beach city officials, have heard unofficially that the company is considering a hotel for the 1.5-acre site at the eastern end of MacArthur Causeway.

http://www.dailybusinessreview.com/news.html?news_id=44193

[SoBe99]

Thanks for the link mileageman.

That site would be great for office or retail. Bad for condo or hotel. Lets hope the owners will sell the land to someone more qualified and experienced.

[arch photographer]

I wish the city would do something to move the problem along. Have some time requirement. The lot at the GATEWAY TO MIAMI BEACH looks terrible as an abandoned construction site. It compounds all the bad news we have been hearing. Part of fleeing the market is doing so based on the visual cues of an unrealized promise. I think this bodes very badly for the dire straits arising. Part of the Miami madel was to deliver a vibrant new city, that fueled the boom, and they have in many ways and more to be revealed, but derelict sites hurts that progress.

Has construction started on 5th and Alton?

I really believe those two projects are as important to the perception as Towers on Biscayne.

[SoBe99]

I wish the city would take the land by eminent domain to fix that intersection and flyover bridge. They could really make a nice gateway, welcome to Miami Beach entrance at 5th and Alton and help eliminate that bottleneck of traffic every weekend.

The 5th and Alton project is underway. I see them every day out there moving dirt.

[arch photographer]

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/1179/mialighteningdl4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Shot with NIKON D80 (http://profile.imageshack.us/camerabuy.php?model=NIKON+D80&make=NIKON+CORPORATION) at 2007-07-25

I respect your opinion 99, that Vitri would not be a good site for a hotel , but disagree. This James Good shot, although not shot from the site of Vitri shows why I think it could be a good site for a hotel. Even with the flyover next to it, some would love the gritty industrial view juxtaposed to the natural beauty of the area. I think there are those who love more in the view than just ocean and sky. Many of the units/hotel rooms would have views kind of like this, bridge, the port and some downtown. The cranes in the port are like intergalactic dinosaurs. It is all very much what Lucas spent tens of millions on creating for the look in the last Star Wars. I would love to see the flyover lit like this bridge to unite the 2 ends of the causeway, the lights on Bentley Bay begin to address this idea. Those that don't would be less expensive rooms. Getting the Boffi kitchens out of those units will cut the price in half, but I LOVE boffi kitchens. The most beautiful part is that the most beautiful beach in the country is a couple of blocks away, unfettered natural beauty.

[BornInTheGrove]

this is pretty cool


Construction Workers Unearth Age Old Cannon

Tiffani Helberg
Reporting

(CBS4) MIAMI An historic discovery was made by construction workers digging up the pavement in front of the Lido Hotel and Spa on the Venetian Causeway in Miami Beach.

At first the workers thought they had hit a pipe, but as they kept digging, they realized the object they had hit was getting bigger.

According to Chris Ossman, an engineer supervising the project, what the workers discovered was a centuries old cannon. The armament was approximately 10 to 12 feet long, about 20 inches thick with a diameter of 10 inches. Ossman said the cannon, which was discovered about 3 feet under the pavement, could possibly be from the 1800's.

Historians have been called to view the cannon in hopes that they can tell how old it is, and where it may have come from.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

http://cbs4.com/local/local_story_205144057.html

there's also a video. sheck it out

[thetallerthebetter]

I don't know arch I do agree that a downtown view would be cool but you have to remember this is a low rise building not high up like in that mind bending photo. Also the sidewalk experience in that corner is non existent people who come to sobe from around the country and around the world come to see ocean drive not alton rd, they want to tell their friends they were right next to versace's mansion or the miami ink place, there's nothing touristy about that side of the island or that corner lot in particular. Nothing a short walk away except for the 7/11. Even after 5 alton shops are done I still see that side of the island more as the local scene (west ave has a lilttle neighborhood vibe going which is real nice but definitely not touristy.)

To me that lot screams office space or a taller residential building with smaller more affordable units, that would sell out in a jiffy.

[arch photographer]

Agreed local scene. How many people are always screaming they wish they could get away from tacky tourists and be part of the local scene even when they are staying in a hotel. With 5th and Alton, Icon, Bentley Bay. and if it were a cool hotel, GREAT NEW design ...Casa Vitri. I think it woul have many excited. I would rather stay across the street from J Lo and Mark's pad in Icon, with a version of that view...than having every goober from across America photographing the steps at Versace mansion. God rest his fabulous soul. I also love to stay in a hotel with a water view and a BALCONY, and get neither in dozens upon dozens of South beach hotels. Kent, Beachcomber Whitelaw etc etc. We stayed in the Chesterfield last year and it was kind of sh%tty. Not sophisticated and chic ...and cost $375/NIGHT. I think many cool people, with money who want local flavor, off the tourist beaten path, but still convenient to eberything... would stay at the Casa Vitri, their assistants would get the rooms with no view. Hey James Good?? What floor was that shot from???

That is not a high floor shot.

[ChuckScraperMiami#1]

ARCH Photo:) , my friend,
Thanks to you:banana: and " JAMES is Great:) " for that great picture Shot of Lightning,
gotta be the 12 th floor:lol: , He's got one of the Best Condo's in Miami !!!
Keep Flying men , and Biscayne Bay with the Neon Lighted Bridges Looks Fantastic,
More like that James !!!:cheers:

[Beach Bum]

The piece below is from the Herald.

If you haven't seen Marcel Wanders' work, check it out and the Mondrian; it looks to be a very cool project.

______

Moooi, 3438 N. Miami Ave., Miami, 305-573-4041, www.moooi.nl. If there was any question about Miami's status as a design destination, the debate is settled -- Moooi (''extra beautiful'' in Dutch) is in our midst. Midtown, to be exact, across the street from way mainstream West Elm. At the primarily black and cream space, dramatic lighting fixtures, curvaceous armoires and ornate chandeliers cost from $500 to $8,000. All have a sense of fun with a few helpings of European sophistication thrown in.

This is the first U.S. showroom for the Netherlands' Marcel Wanders, Elle Decor's 2006 Designer of the Year, who is currently working on David Caruso's pad at the soon-to-open Canyon Ranch condo in Miami Beach. Known for his iconic Knotted Chair, which he produced for the Droog collective in 1996, Wanders was also the creative force behind the fantasy-like Mondrian South Beach hotel residences

[jamesgood72]

Chuck, close, it is the 14th (really, 13th) floor! This building really does have some amazing views, especially higher up than I am...

Here's a view from the 30th floor of the Yacht Club condo south of 5th...

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1188/944438957_feaafd61e7_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1112/944381709_8c8b874c10_b.jpg

-James.

[ChuckScraperMiami#1]

WOW, James is great:) , our model plane friend,
You've done it again:banana: ,
Remember back in the early to late 80's, when the City of Miami beach wanted to Comdenned everything south of 5th Street in South Beach to build a waterway canal community of middle to high income highrises and townhown villas like the " Waterways " development in Aventura, but was knocked out by high Interest rates for mortagage payments as much as 17 % killed the Idea, and the area there in your pictures was almost a ghost town of immigrants living in bad conditions from the cuban boatlift of 1980.:ohno:

[arch photographer]

Never heard of that Chuck?? It would have been cool to have a canal community in Miami. Like las Olas canal section, but with Miami Modernism. Awesome.

James you are profoundly observant of Miami's most beautiful features and when and how to capture them to illustrate them at their peak. It's right on. The water is SURREAL in that photo. I would like to achieve something like that with a downtown shot for the banner.

[dave8721]

Carribean topped off:

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070809/fyi.shtml

BEACH TOWER RISES: Construction of one of two towers at Miami Beach oceanfront condo Caribbean topped off at 19 stories and renovations of the existing 35-condo tower have reached the sixth floor. Christa Development Corp. and Bluerock Real Estate spent $10 million to renovate the former Caribbean Hotel at 3737 Collins Ave. Several of the 103 condos remain, starting at $1 million. Work is to be completed next summer.

[Roark]

The City of Miami Beach presents a community workshop for the:
Atlantic Greenway Network Master Plan & Dade Boulevard Bike Path
Join us at this community workshop to learn about the Atlantic Greenway Network (AGN) Master Plan and the Dade Boulevard Bike Path Project.

The AGN Master Plan is being developed to promote alternative transportation and community enhancement in the North, Middle and South Beach neighborhoods of Miami Beach. The objectives are to increase safety for pedestrians and bicyclists, diminish gaps while improving network connectivity, and establish future bikeways.

The Dade Boulevard Bike Path project will run adjacent to Dade Boulevard from Bay Road to 23rd Street and will be designed to extend the existing Venetian Causeway bikeway to destination points within Miami Beach.

Thursday, August 30, 2007 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Police Department, Community Room, 1st Floor 1100 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach Contact: Christine Leduc, 305.673.7080 cleduc@miamibeachfl.gov

Be a part of the Solution!

[dave8721]

Pics of the topped off Caribbean from their website:

http://www.caribbeanmiamibeach.com/images/gallery/1186678449-CGO_May_Photo3.jpg

http://www.caribbeanmiamibeach.com/images/gallery/1186678427-CGO_May_Photo1.jpg

[kevinkagy]

Looks nice. Is the white building to the right the parking garage or an office building?

[arch photographer]

It's the art deco classic ---The Carribean.

[dave8721]

The parking is to be completely undergound. A first for Miami Beach I think. Others will have it (Capri for example) but Caribbean will be the first to open.

[kevinkagy]

Wow, underground parking, thank God, maybe Miami will learn and start going underground before going vertical! Death to the parking pedestal!

[southfloridamiamian]

Hey any news on 1111 Lincoln and lincoln square? Have they started construction or have they been canceled?

[Theme park nut]

Wow, underground parking, thank God, maybe Miami will learn and start going underground before going vertical! Death to the parking pedestal!
It's great when we have flooding rains

[kevinkagy]

It's great when we have flooding rains

Psh, no big, we can just be the new Venice of America.

[Theme park nut]

If you had your car flooded out, you wouldn't not say that.It's hard to pump water out ,if it's coming in fast then pump can handle it.If it's high tide when it happens, good luck trying to pumping any out it out.

[southfloridamiamian]

lol i thought fort lauderdale was already the venice of america...oh well let them hate well take that title from them..actually underground parking would be pretty cool...

[AddictedToSpace]

Necessity is the mother of invention. Build less parking and force people to find/use other options. If you build it they will park. :nuts:

[havok100]

I have a friend that lives in one of the Collins Ave towers near 25th street and they have one underground level of parking. He has yet to see it flood and trust me we have had some downpours this year.

[Theme park nut]

I seen a lot of foods in under ground Garages .It will happen.Just of matter of time.That why there are no basements here.When you have to walk there , to get you car you will not be a happy person.I know where that building is it's had floods .I live not far from it.For the last 20 years.

[BornInTheGrove]

there's a saying; build a basement in miami and you got a pool.

[ChuckScraperMiami#1]

Wow, underground parking, thank God, maybe Miami will learn and start going underground before going vertical! Death to the parking pedestal!

YES Kevin Kagy:) , my friend,

It's already done and completed Underground Parking at " Downtown Dadeland ":banana: , all parking for it's Condos are underground.

and now soon to start construction before going Vertical with it's two towers is " Capital Towers 1 and 2 :banana: " condo residents will be parking underground when completed in 2011 !!!:cheers:

[305Lover]

But when do they plan on starting the construction for Capital?

[kevinkagy]

But when do they plan on starting the construction for Capital?

Capital's currently undergoing groundwork.

[Roark]

The parking is to be completely undergound. A first for Miami Beach I think. Others will have it (Capri for example) but Caribbean will be the first to open.
Nope...the JW Marriot on Ocean Drive (3rd street I think) has underground parking.
The same developers of Ivy and Mint and the new Eden Roc.
The JW was finished about 5 years ago...for perspective long before my first post.

[Roark]

there's a saying; build a basement in miami and you got a pool.
No there isn't.

[BornInTheGrove]

my Methods and Materials of design professor at FIU told us so.... can't rule out the possibility of me sleeping though... but pretty sure he said it.

[Roark]

my Methods and Materials of design professor at FIU told us so.... can't rule out the possibility of me sleeping though... but pretty sure he said it.
Well, with 15 years in Miami Beach and a decade in the real estate business, I've never heard that "saying". But I have heard this one....
Those that can't do...teach.

[305Lover]

Well, with 15 years in Miami Beach and a decade in the real estate business, I've never heard that "saying". But I have heard this one....
Those that can't do...teach.

LMAO!!!!!

[dave8721]

Nope...the JW Marriot on Ocean Drive (3rd street I think) has underground parking.
The same developers of Ivy and Mint and the new Eden Roc.
The JW was finished about 5 years ago...for perspective long before my first post.

I'm sure you're right. I was just stating what the article said.

[dave8721]

Topped off Caribbean from Kobi Karp website:
http://www.kobikarp.com/images/caribaug03.jpg

http://www.kobikarp.com/images/caribaug01.jpg

[305Lover]

They do plan on doing something with the building next to it right...

[SoBe99]

Yes, the building next to it is currently gutted and to be renovated.

[305Lover]

Will it have the amount of glass on the outside like Caribbean?

[SoBe99]

The beach side appears to have lots of glass, but the sides facing collins appear to the original building with smaller windows.

[305Lover]

This tower reminds me so much of Apogee. They are both very nice and expensive, starting in the seven figures right?

[SoBe99]

I agree. Very much like Apogee from a quality/design standpoint. Although, units at Apogee are much larger, and thus a much higher price point for most of the units.

This stretch of Miami Beach is poised to be the next great area now that southpointe is built out. Mosaic looks really nice and the Ritz Carlton being built will add even more ultra luxury development.

[dave8721]

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/beaches/story/240981.html

MIAMI BEACH
Hotel project in South Pointe approved

By TANIA VALDEMORO
tvaldemoro@MiamiHerald.com

The Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board has approved the Hotel Bijou project at 315-321 Ocean Dr., despite heavy opposition from residents who fear the luxury hotel will bring more noise and traffic to their historic South Pointe neighborhood.

The seven-story boutique hotel will include 130 rooms, two meeting rooms, a gym, spa, cafe and a fine-dining restaurant.

Jean Pierre Rein, one of the principals of the developer, Zedek Associates, said he was pleased the board gave his firm a go-ahead to demolish the dilapidated Hotel Simone and build a new hotel on the site.

''This project is good for Miami Beach,'' Rein said.

But, noise activists, including Morris Sunshine, disagreed at the Sept. 11 meeting, saying residents would bear the negative effects of noise from more commercial development in South Pointe, a neighborhood located south of Fifth Street in South Beach.

''The board threw out every recommendation made in the Planning Department's report that would have protected the Bijou's neighbors against excessive noise, forcing them to depend entirely on the Code Compliance's uncertain determination to enforcing the city's noise law,'' Sunshine said.

[SoBe99]

South of Fifth will be just as noisy as north of fifth on ocean drive in a few years. Now with this hotel, the Vicory hotel that will eventually be built, the Marriott getting renovated, and Bentley Beach turning into a Hilton.

[Roark]

The JW Marriott is gettting renovated already?

[SoBe99]

The JW Marriott is gettting renovated already?

The pool deck is getting rebuilt. They tore down the entire pool deck to rebuild this summer. It is to reopen in December.

Also, its just a standard Marriott. (161 Ocean).

[brickell]

5th and Alton gets financing


A joint venture between the Berkowitz Development Group and the Potamkin Cos. closed on a $70 million construction and permanent financing loan fro a South Beach shopping center, the law firm that represented the venture said.

The Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. financed the loan and Bilzin Sumberg Baena Price & Axelrod's real estate group represented the companies in the closing and in leasing connected to the project.

The Shops at Fifth & Alton, at the northeast corner of Fifth Street and Alton Road, will include a Publix Super Market, Best Buy, Staples and other national retailers.

[dave8721]

Soho Beach House to start construction next door to the Fontainebleau. Also the article states the Ritz Carlton is to break ground in December:

http://www.globest.com/news/1005_1005/miami/164636-1.html

http://www.globest.com/newspics/mia_sohobeach4385collins.jpg

Construction Set to Begin on Soho Beach House
By Natalie Keith

MIAMI-Construction will begin this month on the 83,000-sf Soho Beach House condo hotel development at 4385 Collins Ave. The project includes renovation to the 44-room Sovereign Hotel, a 1940s-era Art Deco hotel, and construction of a new 15-story tower which will house 67 condominiums. Soho Beach House is the second US project by hotelier Nick Jones, the creator of Soho House in New York City, Soho House in London and Babington House in Somerset, England.

Fort Lauderdale-based Moss & Associates was awarded the $32-million construction management contract for the project, expected to be completed in 2008. The architect on the project is Allan T. Shulman. The building will be screened with wrapping balconies and perforated concrete panels. The project is located in mid Miami Beach, adjacent to the landmark Fontainebleau.

The condos will range in size from 400 sf to 1,000 sf and will sell for between $550,000 and $1.9 million. Rates for the hotel rooms will be in the $500-per-night range. Only members from the clubs’ New York and London locations will be able to buy units in the property although non-members will be able to book rooms for regular hotel stays.
This is the second project Moss & Associates will be constructing in Miami. The company is scheduled to begin work on the Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences, South Beach in December. The project is a joint venture of Lionstone Development LLC and Fortune International.

[arch photographer]

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/7582/con3ic2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/732/con2vb2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/4456/conwa7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[VisionMIA]

halfway there with those windows to peel off..

[mileageman]

Ross Dress for Less and TJ Maxx for 5th and Alton:

http://www.zilbertblog.com/miami_beach_archives/11

The following content comes from the South-of-Fifth Neighbors Association. This is an organization made up of condo owners from this part of South Beach.

Earlier today, Gerald Posner, SOFNA President, his wife Trisha, Bryant Kirkland, SOFNA’s Treasurer, and Miami Beach Commissioner Michael Gongora, met with Jeff and Michael Berkowitz, the President and Vice-President of the development company for the 185,000 square foot vertical retail complex planned for 5th and Alton. Also present, for the two-hour meeting, was Wayne Pathman, the Berkowtiz’s attorney.

The Miami Beach Design Review Board and the Historic Preservation Board approved the Fifth and Alton project, after extensive hearings, in August 2004, long before SOFNA existed. The artwork, to be done by Romero Britto, was also approved after several Art in Public Places committee hearings.

As a result, the 5th and Alton project is proceeding. Ground was broken in June without having to consult with SOFNA. But at our request, and that of Commissioner Gongora, the Berkowitzs were more than willing to meet.

Many of you had expressed concerns about the quality of the retail tenants, especially since this imposing complex would be the first site greeting every visitor to South Beach.

The city gave the green light to the project with the requirement that a needed neighborhood grocery store be built. The Berkowitzs tried to land Whole Foods, who passed in favor of downtown Miami. Publix will now take the entire ground floor. Small retail shops at the street level will also include a cellular company, Panera bread, and others to still be determined.

There is space for approximately 1,000 parking spaces (the city actually paid over $500,000 for the extra parking, in the hope it would relieve parking congestion on Ocean and Washington for weekend beach visitors).

The area of our focus, however, were the third and fourth floors, where there are spaces for 4 big box stores. The Berkowitzs methodically, and convincingly, showed us that for several years, they tried to attract premier retail tenants. Owning other such complexes (such as Dadeland) they know the decision makers at each of the major retailers. And it was to their benefit to have the very best names, since it only added allure to the project.

Barnes & Noble was heavily courted, but passed every time, including recently. If they ever open on the Beach, it will be Lincoln (despite 5th and AltonÕs rents being substantially less than Lincoln). Borders Books said no. As did Crate & Barrel, The Container Store, CB2, Abercrombie and Fitch, and all of the department stores. On the clothing front, Zara has already opened on Collins at Fifth. The Berkowitzs made a special presentation to the hip, young clothing retailer, H&M, which has been looking for a Beach location. They offered them the corner space, where their logo would greet everybody coming into South Beach. H&M instead wants Lincoln. Even Sports Authority passed. As did Bed Bath & Beyond and
Linens and Things. Target and West Elm were persistently courted, but both decided instead to open in Midtown.

Most of these national retailers stubbornly believe that South BeachÕs demographics include too many part time owners and that tourists wonÕt use 5th and Alton as a shopping center. They want a location with substantial foot traffic. SOFNA, Commissioner Gongora, and the Berkowitzs are convinced the retailers are wrong, but cannot convince them otherwise.

As of this time, although all the contracts have not been finalized, the third floor will include a large Best Buy, and a smaller Staples, and the fourth floor will have a large Ross Dress for Less, and a smaller TJ Max. Sure, all of us South of Fifth would prefer a Barnes & Noble and a Container Store, but, unfortunately, it is almost certain not to happen.

The Berkowtizs agreed to keep us informed of retail developments, and they are willing to meet again. If we bring them a higher quality tenant, they are more than willing to welcome them into the complex.

Commissioner Gongora generously spent nearly another two hours talking to the SOFNA reps. As he emphasized, only by being involved early in the approval process, could we have ever had an effect on the outcome. Since SOFNA’s formation this spring, we have done precisely that on a broad range of projects planned for our neighborhood. And we
will continue to do so. In the case of 5th & Alton, all we can do at this stage is to ask for what we want, but we have no way of forcing the issue. And realistically, from what we learned today, the developer tried, but failed, to accomplish the very same thing we wanted.

Gerald Posner, on behalf of the SOFNA Board of Directors

[SoBe99]

Ross Dress for Less and TJ Maxx for 5th and Alton:

http://www.zilbertblog.com/miami_beach_archives/11

Thats just awful. Welcome to South Beach...with Ross Dress for Less and TJ Max. :bash:
A larger, more experienced retail developer would have gotten the more desired tenants.

[dave8721]

Thats just awful. Welcome to South Beach...with Ross Dress for Less and TJ Max. :bash:
A larger, more experienced retail developer would have gotten the more desired tenants.

Too bad all these business passed on the project. Looks like none of them like the location and prefer Lincoln Road instead. I don't think it has anything do with the developer. They are probably the largest most experienced retail developers in town and they have no problems getting any of these companies to open up in their other developments:
Barnes & Noble was heavily courted, but passed every time, including recently. If they ever open on the Beach, it will be Lincoln (despite 5th and Alton's rents being substantially less than Lincoln). Borders Books said no. As did Crate & Barrel, The Container Store, CB2, Abercrombie and Fitch, and all of the department stores. On the clothing front, Zara has already opened on Collins at Fifth. The Berkowitzs made a special presentation to the hip, young clothing retailer, H&M, which has been looking for a Beach location. They offered them the corner space, where their logo would greet everybody coming into South Beach. H&M instead wants Lincoln. Even Sports Authority passed. As did Bed Bath & Beyond and
Linens and Things. Target and West Elm were persistently courted, but both decided instead to open in Midtown.

Most of these national retailers stubbornly believe that South Beach's demographics include too many part time owners and that tourists won't use 5th and Alton as a shopping center. They want a location with substantial foot traffic. SOFNA, Commissioner Gongora, and the Berkowitzs are convinced the retailers are wrong, but cannot convince them otherwise.

[305Lover]

Wow...thats embarrassing for the project.

[Roark]

A larger, more experienced retail developer would have gotten the more desired tenants.
More experienced than Berkowitz? C'mon. I disagree.
Berkowitz did a great job with Dadeland Station...he has vision enough to develop near transit.
Hmmmm.....500 excess parking places....right there at the entrance to the LINKage in the BAY that connects Miami Beach to Miami.

[SoBe99]

Take a peak Berkowitz history. Dadeland is really the only claim to fame. They are small, local players when it comes to retail development.

Someone like a Simon would probably have done better. They develop and lease to the big box retailers on a national platform. They can negotiate on a multi city program, and have more capital to run a property in the red a few years until it matures, which allows offer a much lower lease rate to lure the desired chains to their projects.

I can see an Abercrombie looking for a spot on Lincoln, but not one of these big box retailers. Not enough space and they would never meet the parking requirements with the current zoning requirements for new space.

[logybogy]

Hey, at least it wasn't a Wal-Mart. Imagine that as the gateway to Miami Beach. ;)

[dave8721]

Take a peak Berkowitz history. Dadeland is really the only claim to fame. They are small, local players when it comes to retail development.

Someone like a Simon would probably have done better. They develop and lease to the big box retailers on a national platform. They can negotiate on a multi city program, and have more capital to run a property in the red a few years until it matures, which allows offer a much lower lease rate to lure the desired chains to their projects.

I can see an Abercrombie looking for a spot on Lincoln, but not one of these big box retailers. Not enough space and they would never meet the parking requirements with the current zoning requirements for new space.

Berkowitz also did the huge development on Kendall Dr just west of the turnpike as well (which by the way does feature a Barnes & Noble). I agree Simon may have done better but I was referring to local companies (hence that they are the biggest "in town").

[SoBe99]

The W is up to the 2nd floor now.

[intresant]

Too bad all these business passed on the project. Looks like none of them like the location and prefer Lincoln Road instead. I don't think it has anything do with the developer. They are probably the largest most experienced retail developers in town and they have no problems getting any of these companies to open up in their other developments:

H&M Passed? That would have been PERFECT. Too bad... Well at least it's good to know they're looking into miami... FINALLY. Chicks love that store.

[VisionMIA]

Flickr
beautiful South Beach
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2047/1834703791_f494a06e8c_b.jpg

[Roark]

Great picture Vision, but that isn't South Beach.
Miami Beach on Collins Avenue North of 23rd isn't South Beach. Still pretty cool.

[dave8721]

Capri South Beach updates from Kobi Karp site:
http://www.kobikarp.com/images/caprioct01.jpg

http://www.kobikarp.com/images/caprioct02.jpg

http://www.kobikarp.com/images/caprioct03.jpg

[noland123]

Wow,how much South Beach has changed in looks and in demographics since 1976 is astounding. Ocean Drive was drab looking with its hotels catering to octagenerians sitting out in front of their hotel in rocking chairs and now today it is an art deco area with posh restaurants and swanky nightclubs.

[Vitruvius09]

http://img249.imageshack.us/img249/8867/apple2wmqs2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

[hello345]

Has Soho beach house started construction?

[SoBe99]

Prime 112 is going to be sandwiched in a few years next to Apple. That 18 story condo is going to be built on the the other side.

[Roark]

Wow,how much South Beach has changed in looks and in demographics since 1976 is astounding. Ocean Drive was drab looking with its hotels catering to octagenerians sitting out in front of their hotel in rocking chairs and now today it is an art deco area with posh restaurants and swanky nightclubs.Sooooo true. When I came to SoBe in 1992 the same could be said about he drab boarded up hotels and octagenerians. 10 years later, it looked amazing. 15 years later, it's astounding.
Imagine what Biscayne Boulevard south of the PAC looked like 3 years ago. Will there be as dramatic a change as SoBe experience in 7 years from now. I think yes. In 15 years. Absolutely.
If I had a nickel for every "almoster" that brags, "I almost bought a condo South of Fifth Street in Miami Beach for $35,000 back in the 90's" I'd buy a condo on Biscayne Boulevard South of the PAC right now. Then try to extract a dime for every almoster that "waited for the prices to go a little lower on Biscayne Boulevard"

[AddictedToSpace]

Sooooo true. When I came to SoBe in 1992 the same could be said about he drab boarded up hotels and octagenerians. 10 years later, it looked amazing. 15 years later, it's astounding.
Imagine what Biscayne Boulevard south of the PAC looked like 3 years ago. Will there be as dramatic a change as SoBe experience in 7 years from now. I think yes. In 15 years. Absolutely.
If I had a nickel for every "almoster" that brags, "I almost bought a condo South of Fifth Street in Miami Beach for $35,000 back in the 90's" I'd buy a condo on Biscayne Boulevard South of the PAC right now. Then try to extract a dime for every almoster that "waited for the prices to go a little lower on Biscayne Boulevard"

Funny, I have a friend whose step father was offered a little hotel on Ocean Drive in the late 80's for like 50K and said "that POS no thanks." Needless to say he kicked himself in the a$$! :bash:

[hello345]

have they prepared the ritz south beach or soho beach sites for construction yet?

[hello345]

When will cipriani start construction?

[hello345]

Anybody?

[Roark]

Gentleman, you are cordially invited to attend the Luminarium Levity III sculpture exhibit at Flamingo South Beach. There was a 2 1/2 hour wait at Sleepless Night in Miami Beach.
This is free and is much better in the daytime (11am to 5pm). ArchPhotographer and you other shutterbugs should bring cameras...it is very cool.
http://i113.photobucket.com/albums/n215/restainer/070927_Lum_blast_revised2.jpg

[SoBe99]

Ritz and Cipriani have not begun construction. I've seen a handful of people on both sites, but never a full work crew.

[hello345]

Do you think either of the projects will be built? I hope so....

[Roark]

Do you think either of the projects will be built? I hope so.... Ritz will likely break ground in Feb. John Lennon's son Julian Lennon is the latest high profile purchaser in the Ritz Carlton Residences.

[hello345]

cool! But I thought it was supposed to reak ground this month?

[SoBe99]

Remember lots of the work is demolition, gutting, site clearing etc. So they may already be under way inside. They just opened a new sales office this week at the corner of the existing building.

[hello345]

cool, so it is still still a go!

[Roark]

Full Story (http://www.esquire.com/bestbars/bb-MacsClubDeuce)
Esquire Magazine's Best Bar in America
Mac's Club Deuce
222 14th Street Miami Beach, Florida 305-531-6200 By Benjamin Alsup
Mac's Club Deuce Miami Beach
Presumably, you are in Miami because you are looking for trouble. At the Deuce, you will have a very good time finding it. If you've ever wanted to really feel the pulp, if you've ever wanted to get noir, like all night long, then you're going to want to get yourself Deuced. There is, of course, a pool table. It turns from friendly to sharkish depending on who and how you play. There's a jukebox, too. It's filled with all the up-to-no-good classics. Finally, though, there is the bar itself, a striking horseshoe design that allows you to keep one eye on your drink and one eye on everybody in the joint. That'll come in handy when Cameron Diaz comes in for a little late-night slumming. Or when trouble comes looking for you.

[havok100]

I love Deuce bar. Where else can all sobe types congregate and have a good time.
:cheers:

[Arkon]

its an ok bar, but looks like whoever wrote this article got slipped a little sumthin sumthin into his drink...lol...and the ugly girl across the bar started looking like cameron diaz :bash:

this bar is no way best of america, no way best of miami, or no way best of south beach...and i usually got a warm spot in my heart for those old dingy little bars... :nuts:

[Roark]

this bar is no way best of america, no way best of miami, or no way best of south beach...and i usually got a warm spot in my heart for those old dingy little bars... :nuts: Of course it's the best bar in South Beach...
Ted's lost the title when the new owner got all fancy by adding windows and, heaven forbid, a women's restroom.
Apart from Fox's, what else in Miami comes close?

[spellbound]

Of course it's the best bar in South Beach...
Ted's lost the title when the new owner got all fancy by adding windows and, heaven forbid, a women's restroom.
Apart from Fox's, what else in Miami comes close?

Wow...we have identical taste in bars. You just named my three favorite places down there!

(God, what a dive Ted's used to be...that's why I loved it. It was sort of the "anti" South Beach when the glitz and plastic just got to be a bit too much) :cheers:

[Arkon]

this is a very complex and debatable area of discussion, it may need its very own thread :banana:

[VisionMIA]

FLickr
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2030/2113662548_2652e1102d_b.jpg

[hello345]

when will 1111 lincoln start construction?

[southfloridamiamian]

^^
yes and licoln east....?

[hello345]

Is cipriani still a go?

[dave8721]

Carribean from Kobi Karp site:
http://www.kobikarp.com/images/caribdec1.jpg
http://www.kobikarp.com/images/caribdec2.jpg
http://www.kobikarp.com/images/caribdec3.jpg

[mileageman]

5th and Alton Construction Live Feed:

http://oxblue.com/archive/d1106a6adb4603c5cafab1fce593b4a4/800x600.jpg

[jamesgood72]

Nice link mileage man, thanks.

Doesn't look like it's live though, maybe updated periodically - once a day?

-James.

[jamesgood72]

Ah, I think it's hourly. Neat!

[mileageman]

James, here is the same image with a time stamp, seems to update a few times an hour:

http://oxblue.com/archive/d1106a6adb4603c5cafab1fce593b4a4/320x240.jpg

[intresant]

Awwwesome find!! Link? I would like to see that same pic friday night!

[ChuckScraperMiami#1]

Awwwesome find!! Link? I would like to see that same pic friday night!

YES , Please MileAge Man:), our Update CAM Friend,
can we have the link to this great website ???
Thanks Intresant:), Our Friend,
for bringing this up:banana:!!!

Fantastic views of South Beach too.:cheers:

[dave8721]

Capri South Beach about done(from Kobi Karp site):
http://www.kobikarp.com/images/Capri-02-26-08-aerial-a.jpg

http://www.kobikarp.com/images/Capri-02-26-08-aerial-b.jpg

Not a bad view from the roof top patio:
http://www.kobikarp.com/images/Capri-128.jpg

[SoBe99]

Will there be a pool at Capri? I bet those neighbors will be happy when the construction stops.

[305Lover]

What about Apogee, I noticed that there are plenty of units that closed... Are there any pictures of the lobby, units, views, landscape?

[SoBe99]

I think the girl looks better than the building.

http://www.kallistooceandrive.com/images/Kallisto2a.JPG

[brickell]

That pedestal is looks more like Biscayne Blvd than South Beach. I can't believe they'd allow that. Doesn't look like any retail or even windows to the street.

[thetallerthebetter]

A five story parking pedestal for only 10 units? even at 2 per unit thats still only 20 spaces... something doesn't add up.

[kevinkagy]

That pedestal is looks more like Biscayne Blvd than South Beach. I can't believe they'd allow that. Doesn't look like any retail or even windows to the street.

Yeah, it looks much more appropriate in the Design District than in South Beach. But that pedestal is hideous, besides its beautiful color motifs, it's so big for only 10 homes! :ohno:

[intresant]

Well, after looking at that horrible building let's look at something pleasant.

This from Julia Tuttle Causeway

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i102/stratoshpere/DSC08301.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i102/stratoshpere/DSC08303.jpg

[intresant]

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i102/stratoshpere/DSC08297.jpg

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i102/stratoshpere/DSC08294.jpg

[SoBe99]

Kallisto will have 39 garage spaces and some street level retail. Probably not much.

The site itself is only 17,250 sf. Talk about a very small footprint. It will sandwhich between Prime 112 and Devitos restaurant.

It will also be 200 feet tall. A rare structure of this height not along the waterfront.

[dave8721]

The reason this building is being allowed is because it was approved way back in the 90's before height restrictions in the area. The site was then caught up in lawsuits with the city for years before a deal was finally worked out with the city to approve the building last year.

[briboynyc]

I've always been bullish about real estate in South Beach. Unlike Miami, there is a finite number or units for sale and is the second most condensed city in the country; second only to Manhattan. This is the reason why I purchased a unit in South Beach rather than Miami.
With that said I'm still bullish and I've listed my apartment for sale because I think this is a great investment. If anyone is interested in purchasing an 1100sf HUGE 1/1.5 corner unit (Apt 540 at $590k) that's directly on the bay here is a virtual tour. http://www.visualtour.com/shownp.asp?T=1195882
I will also sell it turnkey/furnished for those who may want an investment rental property. The best part is unit 1540 sold for $595k without parking and without the upgraded bathroom. Unit 640 is also listed at $40k more than my unit without parking and the upgraded bathroom.

[intresant]

590k for that (which is nice) or a new 2 bedroom 2 bath penthouse and a posh car in OneMiami or in the Plaza on Brickell... Hope you find a buyer my friend

Anyways, took this pic of south pointe this week: http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i102/stratoshpere/Picture14.png

[briboynyc]

Unfortunately you can't compare Miami and Miami Beach. It's like comparing Manhattan and Hoboken. You have a glut of condos coming on the market in Miami which isn't as desireable as the beach where you have a finite number of buildings and very limited construction to those properties that were planned years ago. As the saying goes Location, Location, Location!!

[kevinkagy]

Unfortunately you can't compare Miami and Miami Beach. It's like comparing Manhattan and Hoboken. You have a glut of condos coming on the market in Miami which isn't as desireable as the beach where you have a finite number of buildings and very limited construction to those properties that were planned years ago. As the saying goes Location, Location, Location!!

Except people actually want to live in Downtown Miami. It's sort of a different clientèle really. There are a lot of people from big urban cities that are attracted to Downtown, people from Miami Beach that are moving to Downtown, people from the Miami suburbs moving to Downtown to leave the suburbs and its traffic, and then there are the young professionals and the retirees.

[havok100]

I know many people that have moved of the beach. A friend of Mine was renting for the past two years right on 25th and Collins and moved to Quantum last month (Downtown). I am moving off an island to another island in June- from Miami Beach to North Bay Village. I'll miss the urban experience, but I will get a huge condo with a huge balcony and if I need to go to south beach I know where to find parking. The only drawback is I won't be able to walk to Publix anymore and the Publix in North Beach is kind of ghetto. Hopefully with Canyon Ranch in that area they will update it.

[Arkon]

Unfortunately you can't compare Miami and Miami Beach. It's like comparing Manhattan and Hoboken. You have a glut of condos coming on the market in Miami which isn't as desireable as the beach where you have a finite number of buildings and very limited construction to those properties that were planned years ago. As the saying goes Location, Location, Location!!

i rather live downtown or brickell...dont get me wrong, a condo in apogee or the continuum would be amazing...but sobe is too much of a hassle.

like u said...location, location, location...downtown ure 5 min from everything, including sobe, the buildings are beautiful, its beginning to get that urban spark...

anyway, preaching to the choir here...in 5 years, downtown is gonna give sobe a run for its money...and it will come down to a matter of taste and preference...which i believe will be split around 50 / 50.

:)

[Roark]

Having lived in South Beach for 16 years, I've seen lots and lots of people people move off of the beach. Usually, those people were renting and wanted to buy the same lifestlyle and couldn't afford it and had to move to less desireable area (the market sets prices, and the most expensive is the most desirable to those that can afford anything).
I can't imagine any place that is LESS of a hassle than South Beach. In 10 minutes you can WALK to the beach. In less than 10 minutes you can WALK to the movie theatre, bar, restaurant, play, symphony, art gallery.
In about 30 minutes you can have any type of food delivered to your door. In that same period of time, you can have a 6 pack of beer or a bottle of your favorite potable delivered to your door. My dry cleaning is picked up from my doorknob and delivered back on that doorknob within 2 days. You can have your groceries delivered to your door. They wash my car in the building, the shoe repair guy is one block away, a picture framing store, a TMobile, a UPS package store, sporting goods store, all within ONE block.
If there is a cause to walk TWO or THREE blocks, there is the Pet Store, Kinko's, Gun Shop, 5 furniture stores....etc etc etc
Although I'll be moving from South Beach...it definitely won't be because it is a hassle. South Beach is beyond compare...Brickell and CBD will always be different and great in it's own right.

[PeterSmith]

anyway, preaching to the choir here...in 5 years, downtown is gonna give sobe a run for its money...and it will come down to a matter of taste and preference...which i believe will be split around 50 / 50.

:)

I think you're right, here. Downtown is on the verge of a cliff (or rather the opposite thereof, I guess it would be a spike? Anyway...) where I think it'll soon offer just about everything SoBe has for so long. When that happens, I think the choice will come down to - do you want to be able to walk to the beach or walk to work? It'll really be a matter of pure personal preference. And, if we ever get a transit line between the two, I think that'll be even more the case.

I'm more of a beach guy myself, though...

[AddictedToSpace]

Hey its good we have options. How many cities can say that?

[dave8721]

ArteCity in trouble:

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2008/06/02/story2.html

Miami Beach's Artécity asks Corus for loan extension

South Florida Business Journal - by Brian Bandell

The developer of the Artécity condo project, which seeks to transform a whole block on Miami Beach, said it is switching contractors and seeking a loan extension from Corus Bank.

Correspondence between attorneys indicate Corus sent a default letter to the developer, but a check of court records did not show any evidence of a foreclosure.

Construction on the 202-unit project - located just a few blocks from the beach along 21st Street - has been sparse since March, when developer Artécity Park dismissed the general contractor.

The only completed part is the 63-unit converted hotel Artécity Governor, which had 33 buyer deeds issued starting on Feb. 2, property records indicate.

The project has faced 12 lawsuits from buyers in that building, with most of them settling out of court.

Miami Beach-based attorney David A. Philips, who represents four buyers who sued for their deposits back, showed e-mails he exchanged with Jorge Guerra, the attorney representing Artécity, in which Guerra confirmed that a letter of default from Corus existed.

The Chicago-based bank, which has staked much of its future on $1.7 billion in outstanding mortgage balances and unfunded commitments to South Florida condo projects, gave Artécity a $60.3 million mortgage in 2005.

The bank's first quarter earnings report said four of its South Florida condo construction projects had $172.2 million in outstanding balances that were non-accrual. It noted that two of them had stopped construction and the developer might not be able to continue.

The Corus official servicing the Artécity loan did not respond to an e-mail requesting comment.

Guerra referred comment to Artécity corporate manager Alessandro Ferretti, who did not directly address the question of a default letter in an e-mail response.

"Our lender agreed with our decision to replace the contractor, and has not pursued any adverse action," Ferretti said. "More importantly, we are finalizing an extension of the loan."

Construction has begun, and will be complete this winter, he said. Ferretti declined to name the new general contractor.

However, Philips and other people who live and work nearby said recently they haven't seen more than two workers on the city block that encompasses the site. Two residential towers and ground-level retail space are partially completed. The $100 million-plus project is slated for six buildings, and units have been advertised as starting at $275,000.

"The project looks like a freaking mess," Phillips said, adding that he is afraid to take on more Artécity buyers in case the developer enters bankruptcy court to avoid a foreclosure.

Artécity needs an $8 million infusion to keep going, and it's not clear whether the developer can raise the money, Phillips said Guerra told him.

In his e-mail, Ferretti said two of the remaining buildings are 87 percent and 95 percent sold, and less than 4 percent of the buyers asked for a return of their deposits. He believes it is outperforming other South Florida projects.

Ray Breslin, president of the Collins Park Neighborhood Association around Artécity, said the developer ran into trouble when lenders wouldn't write mortgages for buyers trying to close on units. Breslin is frustrated that Artécity and several other redevelopment projects in his neighborhood remain construction zones.

"My whole problem with Collins Park is we were on the cusp of development coming along and all of a sudden the bottom falls out."

[SoBe99]

Caribbean Miami Beach.

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/4967/cardj3.jpg

http://img364.imageshack.us/img364/6451/car2ak1.jpg




Anyone know the story of the pool area? The brochures and renderings look much different than what was built. I have walked around the building and I didn't see a waterfall, shallow wading pool, or all the areas for the grass and day beds. Just 1 small pool with a small hot tub on the side. You can see the mound of shrubs and trees that were installed instead.

The pool area is behind this giant hill.

http://www.caribbeanmiamibeach.com/blog/images/photos/large/photos3.jpg
http://www.caribbeanmiamibeach.com/blog/images/photos/large/photos1.jpg

http://img386.imageshack.us/img386/51/car3uj9.jpg

[mileageman]

W Hotel South Beach topped off two weeks ago

[4mdtwnMIA]

I just received an email from Daily Businss Journal with a link to "Group gets loan for Lincoln Road Retail, Residential Space" ... unfortunately the article is only available to paying subscribers (me not being one of them) so I couldn't get the full article, but maybe this is for 1111 Lincoln Road (?)....

[Roark]

but maybe this is for 1111 Lincoln Road (?)....
Redevelopment
Group gets loan to develop Lincoln Road retail, residential space
July 01, 2008 By: Review staff

Beach1, headed by Robert Wennett, has obtained an $85 million construction loan to fund redevelopment of 11 11 Lincoln Road, a 300,000-square-foot, mixed-use center in Miami Beach.

The property, which will sit on the northeast corner of Lincoln and Alton roads, will include three buildings, a parking garage, an office building and the redevelopment of the current SunTrust bank building. It will have 40,000 square feet of retail space with two restaurants, a spa and four residential units above the SunTrust Bank building etc.....

[noland123]

What is the name of the project where the old Wolfie's Delicatessan at 21st and Collins Ave. once stood. I really miss that place it was a true Miami Beach landmark? I saw it on my Google street views and it had 6 floors that had been constructed at that time,but I couldn't see a banner or sign with the name.

[4mdtwnMIA]

The condo project is called Park Place, right across the street from The Setai. Its suppose to have a floor or two of high end retail and restaurants. I think its already tooked off, as well as the W Hotel as well.

[dave8721]

On Kallisto:
http://www.kallistosouthbeach.com/

Question from me, why does a 10 unit building in South Beach of all places need a 4-story parking garage?


http://www.globest.com/news/1201_1201/miami/172400-1.html

Ultra-Luxury Condos Planned for South Beach
By Crystal Proenza

MIAMI BEACH, FL-South of Fifth, an upscale neighborhood in the Art Deco district of South Beach, is about to see a large-scale change with the development of a tall, thin building. Kallisto, a 19-story, 110,000-sf structure planned for development at 120 Ocean Drive, will only house ten residences. The condos, which are being marketed as the most intimate residences in South Beach, are being developed by the Boston-based Congress Group.

Construction on the ultra luxury condo is set to begin late the this year and scheduled for completion by the end of 2010. The Congress Group has declined to give specifics on financing for the project. Unit prices will range from $4.8 million to $13.5 million for the eight single-floor residences spanning 4,399 sf and the two duplex penthouses, one of which features its own private swim spa and outdoor bar.

A lobby and business center will occupy the bottom floor, moving up into a four-floor parking deck and a sun deck featuring an infinity pool, spa, bar and lounge area on the sixth floor. The residences on the following floors will feature fingerprint access, floor-to-ceiling windows, wraparound terraces, personal exercise rooms and fine finishes. Other amenities include 24-hour valet and concierge and wireless Internet access.
“This kind of product is not affected by the real estate crisis,” says Fabiana A. Bosca, director of project sales for Kallisto, when asked about developing such a project during the multifamily sector slump.

“If you look at the statistics as to where sales are-and where sales are not-in this vast inventory of condominiums in Dade County, you will learn at the very high end of the market, units at $5 million plus, sales are moving along very briskly,” says Stephen Nostrand, executive vice president of Colliers Abood Wood-Fay in Miami. “The folks looking to buy those types of residences are typically insulated from most and any economic issues that the rest of the market is feeling.”

Marketing for Kallisto has not yet begun, but the sales gallery will formally open at 110 Washington Ave. on Oct. 1, says Bosca. Nostrand conjectures that more than 50% of the sales at Kallisto will involve international buyers.

“When you compare the per-sf prices for condominiums and homes that are available in South Florida to the same per-sf prices in Europe, you will see in many cases we’re not only well priced, but in some cases we’re a bargain, particularly in the high-end market,” he tells GlobeSt.com. “My prediction is they’ll be very successful.”

[kevinkagy]

Talk about ultra super exclusive. These people will be able to have 10 cars per family!

[spellbound]

Talk about ultra super exclusive. These people will be able to have 10 cars per family!

OR they can all parallel park their very own Greyhound bus.

(or 154 bikes per space if gas prices keep rising) :cheers:

[SoBe99]

It will have only 39 spaces. The entire site is only 17,250 square feet, so the garage floors are going to be very tight. Probably steep and narrow.

That is a very bullish price point for this parcel. Its not even waterfront, and the site sits behind the Marriott, Hilton, and new South of Fifth condo.

I think buyers would much rather be in Continuum or Apogee at those price points.

[mileageman]

looks like construction of the westward expansion of Lincoln Road has begun, along with 1111 lincoln

[Roark]

I know some of you will dig this opportunity to express opinions....
Help Create a Vision for the Alton Road Neighborhood!
Community Planning Workshop Wednesday, August 20, 6:30 PM
Miami Beach City Hall Commission Chambers, third floor
Discussion of issues and opportunities.
What should Alton Road between 5th Street and Michigan Avenue be like in the future?
Land use, zoning, business development, parking, and pedestrian amenities
This workshop is sponsored by the City of Miami Beach Planning Department.
It is not a review of the FDOT plan for roadway improvements.Contacts:
Joyce Meyers 305.673.7000 x6167 joycemeyers@miamibeachfl.gov Katia Hirsh 305.673.7000 x6302 katiahirsh@miamibeachfl.gov

[PeterSmith]

This may have been posted already, but 1111 Lincoln has a website up - www.1111lincolnroad.com

Rendering:
http://www.1111lincolnroad.com/images/vision_2.jpg

It's...uh...pretty disgustingly hideous.

[kevinkagy]

I actually really like this, I think it's very interesting and unique. But what exactly is on the top floors. The animation shows some type of nightclub but the website states residences, but I don't see where they'd go.

[PeterSmith]

The project is supposed to contain three buildings, so I think the residences are in another building. It looks as though the building pictured contains only retail and a garage.

I think the rendering looks good. My instincts tell me that this one is going to look less attractive in reality. It looks good for a garage, but parked cars, no matter how you slice it, are never attractive.

[305Lover]

The actual structure is gorgeous, very different from what the U.S. is used to. I love it and can't wait to be a part of the nightlife there! It looks so fun.

[Roark]

I actually really like this, I think it's very interesting and unique. But what exactly is on the top floors. An upscale restaurant.

[arch photographer]

http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/151/1500ocean136psforumrq4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/151/1500ocean136psforumrq4.62cc626716.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=522&i=1500ocean136psforumrq4.jpg)


http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/1536/1500ocean124forummz0.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img300.imageshack.us/img300/1536/1500ocean124forummz0.8180e4ba3d.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=300&i=1500ocean124forummz0.jpg)

[arch photographer]

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7148/1500ocean139forumia1.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/7148/1500ocean139forumia1.adeb46badc.jpg (http://g.imageshack.us/g.php?h=98&i=1500ocean139forumia1.jpg)

[trickykid]

Hey nice pcs there Arch! they make me appreciate the height limit on the beach put in a few years ago. Looks like a big dense neighborhood :)

[kevinkagy]

Fifth & Alton, the 6-story retail center is going really well. I passed by it yesterday and it looks as though they topped out and finished the skeleton of the building. Should be very nice for when it's finished, especially since it's an area that's less travelled.

There's a live construction webcam here, as well as more information on the project:
http://www.berkowitzdevelopment.com/southbeach.htm

[mileageman]

ABSOLUT ICEBAR, franchise of Sweden's Ice Hotel coming before the Miami Beach Planning board today for approval:

http://www.icehotel.com/Content/AbsolutIcebar/

http://web.miamibeachfl.gov/WorkArea/linkit.aspx?LinkIdentifier=id&ItemID=34174

A competing Ice Bar from New Zealand is also planning a Miami location:

http://www.minus5experience.com/

[kevinkagy]

They're opening up a Fresh Market in South Beach at 18th and West Av.

"The new grocery store will have 22,000-square-feet of retail space, a 133-space parking garage and a 20-seat outdoor cafe facing 18th Street."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/communities/story/663535.html

[ChuckScraperMiami#1]

They're opening up a Fresh Market in South Beach at 18th and West Av.

"The new grocery store will have 22,000-square-feet of retail space, a 133-space parking garage and a 20-seat outdoor cafe facing 18th Street."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/communities/story/663535.html


KEVIN Kagy:),.
my also Update friend,
I'm trying to locate this Fresh Market,. could it be accross the street from the Beach park , north of venetian causeway, just south of the Publix,. and across from the Sunset Towers Condos, I'm guessing the name of the two Identical towers on the west side there,. lol ,. :cheers:

[PeterSmith]

They're opening up a Fresh Market in South Beach at 18th and West Av.

"The new grocery store will have 22,000-square-feet of retail space, a 133-space parking garage and a 20-seat outdoor cafe facing 18th Street."

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/communities/story/663535.html

This will be a nice addition. I get the feeling that the retail amenities in this area of South Beach has not kept up with increasing residential density that the area has experienced. I usually travel down Alton towards Lincoln when I go to South Beach and I always see people doing what looks to be grocery shopping at gas station convenience stores and the like. I've been to the Fresh Market in Pembroke Pines a number of times and I like it a lot. I think it will be a big hit with the Sobe crowd.

Also, it seems work is progressing nicely on the Lincoln Mall extension to Alton. Any idea when that will be done?

[Roark]

This will be a nice addition. I get the feeling that the retail amenities in this area of South Beach has not kept up with increasing residential density that the area has experienced. Also, it seems work is progressing nicely on the Lincoln Mall extension to Alton. Any idea when that will be done? Yeah, it might do well, I would't bet the farm on it. 18th Street is north of the canal. That places the Fresh Market 2 blocks from the new Publix, about 2 blocks from the old Publix on Dade, 2 blocks from Epicure, and 8 blocks from Wild Oats. That is a large number of big grocery stores, and there are a miriad of mom & pop and speciality stores in that same area. They must do a great job to change buyer's habits.

[Roark]

The crane is going up today!

[SoBe99]

The new Publix under construction at 5th and Alton will have the biggest effect. Everyone south of fifth up to around 10th will probably all go there. I hope there are some road improvements planned. That intersection is already congested.

[PeterSmith]

The crane is going up today!

No kidding? Good news. I was just there on Sunday and thought it would be a while before they got it up. This project should move fast. There isn't much to it.

[Roark]

A little north of South Beach, but does anyone know what is happening with the Saxony/Cippriani??

[Exploratus]

They need a fresh market in Brickell. That would be a goldmine..

[mileageman]

A little north of South Beach, but does anyone know what is happening with the Saxony/Cippriani??

posted in the hotel thread... seems they got a construction loan last month

[kevinkagy]

They need a fresh market in Brickell. That would be a goldmine..

Amen to that! And while we're at, can we PLEASE get a freaking movie theater in Downtown? I love the Gusman Center on Flagler Street, but it's not a movie theater, and it's not like they have plays showing every night there either. Downtown needs a movie theater, please.

[Endeavor305]

Amen to that! And while we're at, can we PLEASE get a freaking movie theater in Downtown? I love the Gusman Center on Flagler Street, but it's not a movie theater, and it's not like they have plays showing every night there either. Downtown needs a movie theater, please.

That's amazing there isn't one yet. Maybe they should combine the theatre and freah mart haha.

[FIDEL CASTRO]

Amen to that! And while we're at, can we PLEASE get a freaking movie theater in Downtown? I love the Gusman Center on Flagler Street, but it's not a movie theater, and it's not like they have plays showing every night there either. Downtown needs a movie theater, please.

Met Square.

[mileageman]

The crane is going up today!

You can see the 1111 lincoln road crane in this Miami Fever pic:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3164/2981799489_6b9dd79d53_b.jpg

[Endeavor305]

^^What crane? :):banana::nuts:

[FIDEL CASTRO]

Who dresses like that in Miami?

Well,as for the crane, there is a blue crane behind the sexy brunnette.

[Endeavor305]

Who dresses like that in Miami?

Well,as for the crane, there is a blue crane behind the sexy brunnette.

That looked like my crane when I saw the photo. :nuts::banana::cheers:

[FIDEL CASTRO]

Your crane? You have a building under construction in Mimi Beach?

[Endeavor305]

Your crane? You have a building under construction in Mimi Beach?

It's more like a demolition crane. It has a pair of wrecking balls at one end. Sometimes it's in Miami Beach, but it goes wherever it's needed. :)

[FIDEL CASTRO]

Hahahhahaha, I totally get it now. You are lucky to find a job anywhere then.

[Endeavor305]

Hahahhahaha, I totally get it now. You are lucky to find a job anywhere then.

I never turn down a job if u know what I mean hahahahahaa

[FIDEL CASTRO]

Unless it's a holyday.

[Endeavor305]

Unless it's a holyday.

Actually, sometimes I work overtime on those days. It can be more rewarding since you are not supposed to.

[FIDEL CASTRO]

You know, you can go to hell.:(

You are supposed to sleep.

[Endeavor305]

You know, you can go to hell.:(

You are supposed to sleep.

What if your religion worships Eros (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eros_(mythology))?

[FIDEL CASTRO]

Ok, that's different. Are you Greek?

[Endeavor305]

^^No

[FIDEL CASTRO]

Then, when did you converted to Erosism(?)?

[Endeavor305]

Then, when did you converted to Erosism(?)?

It's not so much a conversion. I always was inside, I just didn't know it until recently. Nice avatar btw.

[mileageman]

A hostile credit market killed a planned Ritz-Carlton timeshare and condominium resort slated for Miami Beach, developers said Wednesday.

Lowenstein, CEO of Lionstone Development, which owns South Beach's Ritz-Carlton hotel, said sales were strong enough to support the project. But he and partner Fortune International couldn't find a lender willing to back the $200 million construction tab.

As they unravel plans for the Ritz-Carlton Club, the partners will be pursuing a new hotel there, Lowenstein said.

''The numbers work for a hotel,'' he said. ``It's the last remaining large property in South Beach.''

Lowenstein said there are no lenders willing to back a hotel venture on the property, either. He's counting on the credit crisis easing in the first half of 2009 to allow for the development process to begin again.

http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/808035.html

[dave8721]

The next big development coming in the pipeline for South Beach:

http://www.miamisunpost.com/archives/2008/12-18/121808newssouthshore.htm

Filling in the Gaps

City Hears Plans for South Shore Hospital Site

By Lee Molloy

At last Monday’s meeting of the Land Use and Development Committee, commissioners entertained a discussion on the future of the former South Shore Hospital site, located between Sixth and Eighth streets on both the east and west side of Alton Road.

Representatives for Crescent Heights, the company that owns the site, came before the committee to vet ideas for a full presentation to the City Commission in January.

Architect Jonathan Cardello of ADD, Inc., presented three different designs for the proposed “retail destination spot,” or mall.

“When can you start building?” Mayor Matti Bower asked.

“That’s up to the city,” answered Crescent Heights Managing Principal Russell Galbut.

The plans call for roughly 700,000 square feet of retail space on the site, which is currently zoned for mixed-use residential and commercial buildings. Galbut says the owners seek to make the project a purely commercial development for retail purposes; however, a change in the zoning of the hospital site may require a voter referendum.

Commissioner Saul Gross also had doubts about a plan to connect the buildings across Sixth Street by a third-story footbridge.

“I believe they should respect the urban grid and make it more pedestrian-friendly,” Gross later told The SunPost, and “make it as little like a suburban mall as possible.”

Gross used the movie theater on the corner of Lincoln and Alton roads as an example of a building that works with the urban nature of South Beach — patrons can’t just arrive in a car, park, watch a movie and then leave without ever hitting the streets of the city. Instead, the configuration of the parking garage demands that visitors actually walk on the sidewalk and interact with the urban environment.

Commissioner Deede Weithorn, however, told the committee that she works in a building with a bridge and didn’t have an issue with it.

Local activist Frank Del Vecchio was on hand to offer his well-considered opinion. “The key to this is the vehicular traffic it’s going to introduce,” Del Vecchio said.

Traffic, zoning requirements and the footbridge will all have to be considered next month when the refined proposal is brought back before the commission.

One commissioner remains optimistic.

“I think this could be a great project,” Gross said.

[SoBe99]

Thats almost a million square feet of big box retail at one street corner (with the under construction Publix/Best Buy center). Even today without those stores the current roads are at full capacity at this interesection at 395. I hope the city has a plan for all those streets.

[305Lover]

If they only do something with the Vitri site. Talk about an eyesore for everyone that drives into the beach!

[SoBe99]

If the City or State was smart, they would acquire the Vitri site through eminent domain so they could rework the I-395 entrance into South Beach. It would allow them take down the fly over and make that area much more easy to navigate.

[Exploratus]

The last thing Miamior MB needs is more streets. If anything, build the streetcar to MB, which I know MB doesnt want. Still, I am throwing it out there..

[nmk2600]

Guys it is UNACCEPTABLE that we have a Miami forum and nobody post pictures of current developments in perhaps one of miami's most important areas, Miami Beach..

Please if anybody can post pictures of 1111 lincoln road i would really appreciate. I've been away from hom for 6 months and I would really like to see the progress of this project.

Thanks!!

[305Lover]

I was there Tuesday, they just finished the first floor of the garage and are working on the second floor.

[mileageman]

Guys it is UNACCEPTABLE that we have a Miami forum and nobody post pictures of current developments in perhaps one of miami's most important areas, Miami Beach..

Please if anybody can post pictures of 1111 lincoln road i would really appreciate. I've been away from hom for 6 months and I would really like to see the progress of this project.

Thanks!!

they are building the angled columns on the second floor.

Also Books & Books has moved into their new location. Miami Today says that all Lincoln Road retail locations either have signed leases or are in negotiation, and that the asking price on some properties have reached new records.

in other news:

Hospital law may limit future South Beach project
http://sf.therealdeal.com/articles/hospital-law-may-limit-future-south-beach-project

[Endeavor305]

Guys it is UNACCEPTABLE that we have a Miami forum and nobody post pictures of current developments in perhaps one of miami's most important areas, Miami Beach..

Please if anybody can post pictures of 1111 lincoln road i would really appreciate. I've been away from hom for 6 months and I would really like to see the progress of this project.

Thanks!!

I'll do it if you pay me...I'm just joking. If I'm in the area I'll get some photos for ya. I'm sure somebody here will get some photos on here soon if I don't anytime soon. I'll keep it in mind though. Good luck.

[QuantumX]

Guys it is UNACCEPTABLE that we have a Miami forum and nobody post pictures of current developments in perhaps one of miami's most important areas, Miami Beach..

Please if anybody can post pictures of 1111 lincoln road i would really appreciate. I've been away from hom for 6 months and I would really like to see the progress of this project.

Thanks!!

Well, first of all, it's not one of Miami's most important areas being Miami Beach is it's own independent city. It is one of Miami-Dade county's most important areas.

Secondly, I'm into photographing skyscrapers and not short buildings, but I'll see what I can do. There is something else over there that I've been thinking about photographing for a while now that isn't even a building. Plus, it's about time I visited mom again at Oceanside Extended Care.

[nmk2600]

Thank you quantumX for explaining the technical details of miami-dade county, I believe we all know here the distinction though..

[QuantumX]

Thank you quantumX for explaining the technical details of miami-dade county, I believe we all know here the distinction though..

Just making sure in case we all don't. Have to get dressed now to go out and take some pictures. Your request is on the list.

[QuantumX]

Guys it is UNACCEPTABLE that we have a Miami forum and nobody post pictures of current developments in perhaps one of miami's most important areas, Miami Beach..

Please if anybody can post pictures of 1111 lincoln road i would really appreciate. I've been away from hom for 6 months and I would really like to see the progress of this project.

Thanks!!

Does anybody know why I-195 is shut down? As I was leaving home, I saw the detour signs on Biscayne Blvd all the way up into my neighborhood, and traffic was backed up in the northbound lanes. I detoured over to I-95 on NW 62nd Street. but then I-395 was a big mess because of all this, so I turned around at Watson Island. I considered going over to the Venetian Causeway, but I could see it was a mess from the MacArthur Causeway heading back toward I-95, so I went back to I-95 and came back home. Sorry, but no pictures from the Beach from me today.

[Endeavor305]

Does anybody know why I-195 is shut down? As I was leaving home, I saw the detour signs on Biscayne Blvd all the way up into my neighborhood, and traffic was backed up in the northbound lanes. I detoured over to I-95 on NW 62nd Street. but then I-395 was a big mess because of all this, so I turned around at Watson Island. I considered going over to the Venetian Causeway, but I could see it was a mess from the MacArthur Causeway heading back toward I-95, so I went back to I-95 and came back home. Sorry, but no pictures from the Beach from me today.

I know they had the I-195 ramp from I-95 closed for construction last night.

[QuantumX]

Guys, this is just for starters. Check my QuantumPx thread for the remains of the day.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3122/3207089657_fa81f1f5e4_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3122/3207089657_fa81f1f5e4_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3207089647_949f747e36_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3207089647_949f747e36_b.jpg

[DJ88]

Does anybody know why I-195 is shut down? As I was leaving home, I saw the detour signs on Biscayne Blvd all the way up into my neighborhood, and traffic was backed up in the northbound lanes. I detoured over to I-95 on NW 62nd Street. but then I-395 was a big mess because of all this, so I turned around at Watson Island. I considered going over to the Venetian Causeway, but I could see it was a mess from the MacArthur Causeway heading back toward I-95, so I went back to I-95 and came back home. Sorry, but no pictures from the Beach from me today.


MPORTANT NOTICE
I-95 (State Road 9A) and State Road 112 Upcoming Closures for January 2009
Contractors for the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) District Six will close ramps and travel lanes through the I-95 / State Road (S.R.) 112 Interchange during weekends throughout January 2009 to perform demolition work on the 95 Express Project. Closures for Friday, January 9 through Sunday, January 11 are scheduled to occur as follows (please note that this schedule is tentative and could change because of bad weather or other unforeseen circumstances):

http://www.examiner.com/x-1010-Miami-Nightlife-Events-Examiner~y2009m1d13-Important-I95-Closures-For-January-2009

[305Lover]

Guys, this is just for starters. Check my QuantumPx thread for the remains of the day.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3122/3207089657_fa81f1f5e4_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3122/3207089657_fa81f1f5e4_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3207089647_949f747e36_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3459/3207089647_949f747e36_b.jpg

I cannot wait for this project to be completed. It is going to look great!!

[QuantumX]

I cannot wait for this project to be completed. It is going to look great!!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3479/3207160989_273a294f27_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3479/3207160989_273a294f27_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3465/3210575358_d9cf6efcde_b.jpg
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3465/3210575358_d9cf6efcde_b.jpg

[nmk2600]

Thank you QuantumX!!! I almost cried. I feel even more homesick now lol

[QuantumX]

Thank you QuantumX!!! I almost cried. I feel even more homesick now lol

You are welcome. I've been known to go out and get photos upon request because I live right within the city of Miami. Anyway, I'm sure you know that Miami Beach is a city in Miami-Dade county and in the state of Florida. It's just the it's a common misperception of a lot of people who don't live here or have never visited here who think Miami is on a beach and South Beach is a district of Miami. I'm just trying to keep from spreading the misconception. It's like people who think there is a Hollywood, California when there isn't. There is a Hollywood, Florida that we all know, but Hollywood in California is a district in L.A.

West Hollywood was unincorporated L.A. county for many years then became a city in 1984. Except for where Beverly Hills and West Hollywood border on each other, they are completely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles.

Back in 1994, when California had the Northridge quake, everybody kept saying it happened in Northridge, California when, in fact, Northridge is a district of Los Angeles in the San Fernando Valley. One of the reasons they kept referring to it as the Northridge, California quake is to keep people from thinking all of L.A. had been destroyed when L.A. is huge and Northridge is as far north in L.A. as you can go.

When people ask me why is South Beach called South Beach, I tell them it is because Miami Beach has three distinct districts divided by their zip codes. South Beach- 33139 (roughly from South Pointe to 23rd Street), then Mid-Beach is 33140 (which extends up to 63rd Street), and 33141 is North Beach (which extends up to 87th Street). I'm not sure where I got that from, but I think it was from a mail carrier when I still lived there many years ago. It wasn't even called South Beach when I first moved there back in 1984, and I'm not even sure where the name came from. As I've said before, when people started calling it South Beach, I thought they were talking about some place else and not where I lived. I think it had to do with the popularity of the Miami Vice televsions series.

Oh, here it is off Wikipedia. I never knew this until now:

South Beach started as farmland. In 1870, Henry and Charles Lum purchased 165 acres (668,000 m²) for coconut farming, and his daughter Taylor named it "South Beach".

[dave8721]

15 story Soho Beach House tops off

http://www.globest.com/news/1349_1349/florida/176956-1.html

$33M Hotel Project Tops Off

By Crystal Proenza

MIAMI BEACH, FL-Soho House Limited has topped off its $33 million renovation to a local hotel site that will be known as Soho Beach House when it opens in early 2010. The UK-based private members’ club and hotel operator purchased the hotel that was formerly located on the property for $39 million in November 2008 while it was undergoing renovations. The developer was not available for comment by deadline.

The former Sovereign Hotel was purchased from New York-based Ryder Properties and will be relaunched as Soho Beach House with 120 rooms, a rooftop bar, pool, cabanas, spa and a movie-screening room. Major renovations include the addition of a 15-story tower, which construction manager, Fort Lauderdale-based Moss & Associates, topped out this week. “The capacity of the beach is increasing, which is a good thing for this project,” hotel consultant Guy Trusty, president of Lodging and Hospitality Realty, told the Daily Business Review, an Incisive Media publication based in Miami, last November. “And they might be opening at the right time, as 2010 will probably be past the current period of [economic] uncertainty.”

According to a press release by Withers Bergman LLP, which acted as counsel to Soho House Limited in the acquisition of the property last year, a NYC-based corporate financing firm owns half the project. However, Soho House Beach House LLC is the ultimate tenant of the property and will operate the property formerly known as the Sovereign Hotel and the newly constructed tower as a single club/hotel.

The project sits on Collins Avenue, adjacent to the recently reopened 1,500-room Fontainebleau Miami Beach resort, which completed a $500 million renovation in 2008. Early reports by GlobeSt.com indicate that the tenant was originally planning to house 67 condominiums in the 15-story tower.

[mileageman]

More local businesses priced off of Lincoln RD - latest batch is Fritz's/En Avance/Books and Books being replaced by Skechers/J.Crew/Diesel

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami_dade/beaches/story/922176.html

[Roark]

More local businesses priced off of Lincoln RD - latest batch is Fritz's/En Avance/Books and Books being replaced by Skechers/J.Crew/Diesel
Thanks for the post MM, but the Herald continues to aggravate me. Leave it up to the them for the tragic spin.
For instance, "Books & Books....has been forced from its showcase storefront"

No they haven't been forced, they chose not to pay the rent at their lease renewal for that space. They chose another space. In the last 5 paragraphs, on the second page (if anyone reads that far into a Herald article), the B&B owner says, ''I feel very good about this move,'' Kaplan said. ``I think it's a success story.''

Paragraph two of the article you get the, "the latest victim of skyrocketing rents and changing retail economics on Lincoln Road."

Victim? Why is the focus always on a victim?

[mileageman]

Thanks for the post MM, but the Herald continues to aggravate me. Leave it up to the them for the tragic spin.
For instance, "Books & Books....has been forced from its showcase storefront"



Even worse is how the Herald has been reduced to rewriting articles that appeared weeks or months ago in Miami Today, SF Biz journal, or Daily Business Review. The Sun-Sentinel is in even worse shape.

On another note, have you seen the renderings for the stainless steel Gehry garage next to the NWS in MB, supposed to go for Design Review this month?

[Roark]

On another note, have you seen the renderings for the stainless steel Gehry garage next to the NWS in MB, supposed to go for Design Review this month?No, but I'd love to! There will be a presentation March 31, but are they available in jpg now?

[mileageman]

No, but I'd love to! There will be a presentation March 31, but are they available in jpg now?

video of the design review board meeting yesterday:

http://www.miamibeachfl.gov/video/video_archive.asp#drb

NWS cannot get their CO without this garage in place, as the parking spaces are a requirement.

[MAH45462]

Books & Books was offered a very good lease rate to stay, roughly half-way between what it was and what Diesel paying. They declined.

However, I really don't think the new B&B location is bad at all. In fact, I think it's better for the store, which relies mainly on locals in the first place, who aren't going to stop going because it is tucked into the courtyard.

And the Miami Herald spelled "Herzberg" wrong. South Florida journalism at its best.

[mileageman]

Multi-Million Dollar Park Makeover Complete
Miami Beach plans to open South Pointe Park to the public on Sunday.

After two years and a $22.4 million renovation, South Pointe Park in Miami Beach promises to be one of the country's world-renowned public parks.

http://cbs4.com/local/south.pointe.miami.2.960235.html

pictures:
http://thesouthbeachbum.blogspot.com/2009/03/south-pointe-park-grand-re-opening_7475.html



And the Miami Herald spelled "Herzberg" wrong. South Florida journalism at its best.

I wouldn't be insulted, last week the NY Post misspelled Jorge 'George' Perez.

[spellbound]

Good article in today's Herald detailing how South Beach was---quite literally---saved by preservationists (and gay investers from New York) 30 years ago.

Those that weren't around may not know that the entire area was once viewed as an economic drag and a virtual beachside slum (which it somewhat was) and that the VERY few people back then arguing for preservation and restoration instead of shiny, new condo towers were seen as nutty.

Time tells us who was right. The South Beach that brings millions of tourist dollars and is the single biggest defining facet of Greater Miami would NOT exist today without those "think small" pioneers that saw what was already there and didn't buy into the false premise that bigger and newer is always better.

Check it out:

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/front-page/v-fullstory/story/1049328.html

[PeterSmith]

Cool article. I wonder how many other cities have similar stories about preservationists who fought off urban renewal developers who wanted to demolish what would become the city's greatest neighborhoods. I know Baltimore had a similar experience, whereby the city wanted to connect I-83 to I-95, which would have required the destruction of the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Fells Point and Canton - all of which are today the city's most desirable neighborhoods.

What are the exact boundaries of the historic district? There are some art deco buildings north of the Bass Museum that are currently being gutted and rehabbed. There is also some new construction there too, but I don't know if they demolished anything to make way for it.

Speaking of that area, the public parking lot on Collins and 21st St. across from the Bass is now completely fenced off. Anybody know what they're doing there?

[Roark]

It is a fantastic story. Like most redevelopment stories, they don't happen overnight. The preservationists laid the groundwork in 1979, Tony Goldman opened his first three hotels in 1986/87, by the time that I moved to South Beach in 1992, the majority of the buildings on Ocean Drive were still in shambles.
My first job on South Beach was working for Tony Goldman and admiring his vision. Implementing a special tax on Ocean Drive business owners to provide more services for the area were also great ideas implemented by Mr. South Beach.
Tony was also responsible for saving the facades of the crumbling deco buildings on Washington and building the Chia Garage in partnership with the city.
Once protecting the largest collection of Art Deco ever built in one area was the norm, shifting the street to the east had phenomenal impact on the growth and energy of Ocean Drive...it effectively increased the sidewalk width to make the Hotels with little restaurants below transform to restaurants with little Hotels on top.

By the way Spell, although South Beach has always been gay friendly, the biggest investors from NY were not. Tony Goldman, Mark Soyka, Marlo Courtney, to name a few. But as European fashion companies did photo shoots on Ocean Drive and were exposed to the beauty, many Italians like Gianni Versace, the Deisel Jeans started buying Ocean Drive hotels. There was a very large contingent of French hotel owners as well.
The next wave of development came at the announcement of the Loewe's convention hotel. That announcement green-lighted Ian Shrager's Delano Hotel which opened in 1995, a full 16 years after Barbara Capitman's initial success.

It is a good article. It also shows how community development is a work in progress. No one saves a building and has a thriving community within one, five, or ten years. No one builds a skyscraper or three and has a thriving community with one, five, or ten years.

[Roark]

What are the exact boundaries of the historic district? There are some art deco buildings north of the Bass Museum that are currently being gutted and rehabbed. There is also some new construction there too, but I don't know if they demolished anything to make way for it.
There are about a dozen or so historic districts, but there are 4 in South Beach (33139) that make up the National Register Art Deco District. That area is roughly from Ocean Drive west to Alton Road, and from 5th Street North to 17th Street. The actual border is not really a box, and you could look it up, but that is the idea.
The area around the Bass Musuem is also a district. The protected districts are determined by the local municipality, not the Federal Government.

[spellbound]

Cool article. I wonder how many other cities have similar stories about preservationists who fought off urban renewal developers who wanted to demolish what would become the city's greatest neighborhoods. I know Baltimore had a similar experience, whereby the city wanted to connect I-83 to I-95, which would have required the destruction of the Inner Harbor, Federal Hill, Fells Point and Canton - all of which are today the city's most desirable neighborhoods.


I think Society Hill here in Philly was once slated for massive redevelopment decades ago, as well. What a tragedy that would have been. Thankfully, it remains today as a beautiful and historic urban neighborhood (with prices to match!)

By the way, when I once considered a move to Baltimore I was looking all over Canton...really cool area.

[PeterSmith]

I think Society Hill here in Philly was once slated for massive redevelopment decades ago, as well. What a tragedy that would have been. Thankfully, it remains today as a beautiful and historic urban neighborhood (with prices to match!)

By the way, when I once considered a move to Baltimore I was looking all over Canton...really cool area.

My brother lives in Canton now. It's a really interesting area. There are no other areas that I can think of that contain the huge swaths of rowhomes that Canton does. It is truly one of the most massive neighborhoods in the country, and for that reason gentrification has taken the last twenty years more or less. I think it's fair to say that it is completely gentrified at this point, though.

Anyone who has read Jane Jacobs's The Death and Life of Great American Cities knows that the inspiration for her community involvement that led to the book was a plan to put a freeway straight through Greenwich Village. Now THAT would have been a crime.

It would be interesting for someone to write a book on all the great neighborhoods that were saved by preservationists from urban renewal. Unfortunately, for all the neighborhoods we saved, so many were lost as well (And I say "we" because I was a toddler at the time and learned of these instances many years after they happened, and thus I feel entitled to include myself amongst the preservationists who worked so hard for so many years).

[kevinkagy]

Maybe we can hope that 10-20 years down the line, the same will be said about neighborhoods like Little Havana, Liberty City, Wynwood, and the MiMo District (Upper East Side). It looks the MiMo District has started to head in that direction. If I'm not mistaken, I believe it was made into a historic-designated neighborhood not too long ago. And on a similar note, anyone else find the houses in Liberty City (despite its crime) actually being nice. I've driven through Liberty City a couple times and I find a lot of charm and character in the homes there. Are the majority of the homes there from the 1920s and 30s?

[spellbound]

Anyone who has read Jane Jacobs's The Death and Life of Great American Cities knows that the inspiration for her community involvement that led to the book was a plan to put a freeway straight through Greenwich Village. Now THAT would have been a crime.

It would be interesting for someone to write a book on all the great neighborhoods that were saved by preservationists from urban renewal. Unfortunately, for all the neighborhoods we saved, so many were lost as well (And I say "we" because I was a toddler at the time and learned of these instances many years after they happened, and thus I feel entitled to include myself amongst the preservationists who worked so hard for so many years).

LOL..and that truly is a great idea for a book.

Robert Moses is a fascinating character in regards to this topic. For decades, he was lionized as New York City's "uberplanner" but for all his supposed genius he also proposed insane schemes such as running that mega-expressway right through the heart of lower Manhattan---and was absolutely livid it (thankfully) never happened. There was a lot of that type of thinking in post-war America---everything ultimately revolving around the car and a negative view of older, denser urban neighborhoods in favor of massive redevelopment.

[spellbound]

Maybe we can hope that 10-20 years down the line, the same will be said about neighborhoods like Little Havana, Liberty City, Wynwood, and the MiMo District (Upper East Side). It looks the MiMo District has started to head in that direction. If I'm not mistaken, I believe it was made into a historic-designated neighborhood not too long ago. And on a similar note, anyone else find the houses in Liberty City (despite its crime) actually being nice. I've driven through Liberty City a couple times and I find a lot of charm and character in the homes there. Are the majority of the homes there from the 1920s and 30s?

The MiMo District is a perfect example of what can happen, and I think those other areas can enjoy something similar with varying degrees of success---particularly Wynwood.

Liberty City probably has a long, long wait before it ever truly regenerates into a pleasant, economically vibrant area to live but agreed there is some fine housing stock there. Not much of it would date to the 20s or 30s, I believe...the vast majority went up post WW2 except for some isolated pockets.

[QuantumX]

I've driven through Liberty City a couple times and I find a lot of charm and character in the homes there. Are the majority of the homes there from the 1920s and 30s?

My oldest aunt, who is the matriarch of my mother's side of the family, still lives there. Two of my cousins, who grew up there with her as their mother, have a Batchlor's and a Master's Degree. The area also produced a recent Olympic bronze medalist in track.

When I moved to South Beach in 1984, having lived in California where I knew what property values were near the ocean, I knew something was wrong with that picture. Then, I migrated to Mimo in 1999.

[305Lover]

I was driving around SoBe this morning, and saw that there was major progress on some of the projects. 5th and Alton looks like it is nearing completion, NWS already has some of the classic Gehry features showing, and 1111 Lincoln Rd has already reached the height of the theater next door (maybe passed it?). I didn't take my camera, sorry! Maybe that can your project for the week Q?!

I tried looking around online for some of the updates, but this is the only that is most recent.
http://oxblue.com/archive/d1106a6adb4603c5cafab1fce593b4a4/800x600.jpg

[jesus2000]

Allow me to back that up with a pic from the NWS site

http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h172/Jbonds84/Picture-1.jpg

[dave8721]

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/090604/story5.shtml

Hotel could be in plan for Miami Beach Convention Center revamp, possibly with private sector help


By Risa Polansky

The Miami Beach Convention Center could be revamped and expanded to include a hotel — potentially with the help of private partners — depending on the results of a study Miami-Dade Commissioner Rebeca Sosa is pushing.
She's to propose at a Recreation, Culture & Tourism Committee on Monday that county officials prepare a feasibility study and funding options for retrofitting and expanding the center, including developing an on-site hotel.
"I sincerely believe that it's time to pay attention to our convention center," Ms. Sosa said Tuesday. "It's old, it's in need of an incredible improvement, and we can make it state of the art if we decide to do so."
Updating the aging center has been a hot topic among tourism and hotel players for years.
The last major revamp was in 1989.
In 2004, voters agreed to allot $55 million in general obligation bond dollars for upgrades — but it's yet to be spent.
"This is a long overdue improvement," said William Talbert III, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau. "Most of the cities in the world have improved, enhanced, expanded their convention centers, and we haven't."
He endorsed the commissioner's measure, saying it "may very well move this whole project along."
Ms. Sosa gave Mr. Talbert credit for helping review the proposed legislation.
Part of the study would include exploring public-private partnership options for the hotel component — and Mr. Talbert said he sees potential.
"We've already had meetings with the private sector, and there are opportunities on the hotel side to partner with the private sector," he said.
He could not share who, "but there is interest out there, and there are financing mechanisms out there, even today," Mr. Talbert said, adding that he's talked "with folks who say these are doable deeds."
Ms. Sosa said she hopes also Convention Development Tax revenues could support center improvements, though millions in tourist tax revenue is lined up to back a new Marlins stadium.
"The idea is that if we are approving other items using convention development taxes, we need to make sure that we allocate the funds that are needed to improve, retrofit and be able to do what is necessary on the convention center… We need to attract big conventions," Ms. Sosa said.
Mr. Talbert agreed that "convention facilities are part of what great global destinations do," and noted that "at the end of the day, there's a lot of competition in the world."
Stuart Blumberg, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Miami & The Beaches Hotel Association, has long been vocal about the need to upgrade the center.
He said he was unaware of Ms. Sosa's upcoming proposal and questioned whether her efforts would duplicate those of a recent study.
In her legislation, Ms. Sosa acknowledges the Conventions Sports & Leisure study, which recommends a new ballroom, more meeting and exhibit space and, eventually, a convention center hotel.
The commissioner's measure would serve to plan for the retrofit, including timelines and funding options.
If commissioners OK it, the study would be due in 90 days.

[Aceventura]

^^ I can't imagine the hotels in South Beach liking the idea of a hotel attached to the convention center. But I don't know if they can get the Greater Miami and Beaches Hotel association to lobby on their behalf.

[Roark]

^^ I can't imagine the hotels in South Beach liking the idea of a hotel attached to the convention center. But I don't know if they can get the Greater Miami and Beaches Hotel association to lobby on their behalf.I'll bet you that they do!
A convention center without its own hotel misses out on numerous conventions. Meaning, the center will not operate to capacity, and neighboring hotels won't have as much convention business.
Add a 300 room hotel at the convention center, and the result will be more conventions, more people and much more than 300 new room nights. The 125 room Delano will be thrilled.
Economic development of the Convention Center brings more business to the beach.

[Aceventura]

The Loews, Royal Palm, FB, and Eden Roc would prefer to have a great big convention center with no hotel attached. They want to gobble up as many rooms as they can. Is the hotel set to be around 300 rooms? Most major convention hotels I know of are much larger, like the 1,600 room Hilton in New Orleans.

[Roark]

The Loews, Royal Palm, FB, and Eden Roc would prefer to have a great big convention center with no hotel attached. They want to gobble up as many rooms as they can. Is the hotel set to be around 300 rooms? Most major convention hotels I know of are much larger, like the 1,600 room Hilton in New Orleans.300 rooms was hypothetical but probably about right. 1,600 keys won't happen there though. I'm still sticking with the bet that Loews, Royal Palm, etc. would prefer to have a convention hotel in the center rather than lose convention business, and it isn't likely that little hotels will lobby against it either. Overall, improved facilities (including a hotel) will bring more conventions and more visitors. More than the convention center can accommodate.

This may sound counterintuitive to some, but even when the City of Miami Beach and the Loew's formed the partnership to develop their 800 room hotel, it added more business for smaller hotels. Schrager's Delano development was predicated on the 800 room Loew's deal.

All of the hotels you mentioned are on the beach...they aren't worried about losing business to a convention center hotel.

[mileageman]

New Hotel approved at 1255 West Avenue:
http://therealdeal.com/miami/articles/west-avenue-plan-raises-hotelier-hopes-michael-muskat-phillip-muscat-itecdesign-south-beach

Architect:
http://www.itecdesign.net/main.html

http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/8598/hote1.jpg

[dave8721]

Cool design but is that really a good location for a hotel? Especially one that would require the rates that would be needed to finance such a building? A non-waterfront lot on the west side of South Beach? At least the Mondrian is waterfront.

[Roark]

Cool design but is that really a good location for a hotel? Especially one that would require the rates that would be needed to finance such a building? A non-waterfront lot on the west side of South Beach? At least the Mondrian is waterfront.Good question...one thing that is for sure, the land cost on the East side of West Avenue is much much cheaper than Mondrian's cost. This site was originally pegged for a condo that bombed, you can bet their land cost was cheap.

[PeterSmith]

Really great design. It's one of the best I've seen in Miami, in my opinion. I agree that the location is questionable though. While I don't think being adjacent to the water in Mami Beach is as important as it once was, that assumes that you're near some of the other amenities like Lincoln Mall or the symphony once it's finished. This site, however, is not in one of those locations. Still, really cool design.

[spellbound]

LOVE the design...agreed the site is a bit odd for a hotel.

[kevinkagy]

Beautiful design!

[Roark]

While I don't think being adjacent to the water in Mami Beach is as important as it once was, that assumes that you're near some of the other amenities like Lincoln Mall or the symphony once it's finished. This site, however, is not in one of those locations. Six blocks from Lincoln Road Mall, accross the street from Asia de Cuba, a world class spa, and about 10 blocks to the Ocean. Easy to walk anywhere, and a $5 cab ride to anything, and $25 to the Airport. I'd say it is a great location.

Locals argued this same point 3 years ago when the Mondrian located accross the street from this proposed hotel. The argument has been settled.
If I remember correctly, this vacant lot was a successful Bed & Breakfast about 7 years ago.

[PeterSmith]

I'm not impressed by your list of all the things you can walk to, Roark. The fact is, give me any location in Miami Beach and I can probably make a similar list that is of equal length and magnificence as the one you just made. Relative to most other hotels in Miami Beach, this location is not spectacular. Lucky for it, all of South Beach is a great location, and it would do well no matter where you put it. The truth is, I just wanted to say something negative because I'm a very negative person :hi:

[spellbound]

I can see it both ways (maybe I'm dyslexic).

The location certainly isn't 'bad'---especially if you know the area---but it's also a safe bet that most visitors to South Beach likely want the action (and the beach itself) right outside the hotel door, or as close as possible. Just the nature of the beast. Even if this property has all the bells and whistles (and it certainly looks gorgeous) it would probably be difficult to charge primo rates in comparison to hotels right in the thick of it.

I would stay there...but I'm not a tourist. Different mindset. It'll be interesting to see their price structure.

Speaking of which, I'm in the process of helping some Philly friends put together an October trip to South Beach. The deals right now are absolutely unbelievable---even given that October would still be the offseason. I'm talking PRIMO hotels at probably the lowest rates they've ever offered (and even lower when you call them directly).

Something to think about and maybe take advantage of, fellas. The economy has made South Beach pretty damn affordable right now and there's no law that says locals can't take advantage of those bargains. Why not treat a girlfriend or partner to a cool 'vacation at home' weekend? :cheers:

[Roark]

The fact is, give me any location in Miami Beach and I can probably make a similar list that is of equal length and magnificence as the one you just made.
Yahtzee!!!!!
Nicely done sir...you got my point.
Lucky for it, all of South Beach is a great location, and it would do well no matter where you put it. The truth is, I just wanted to say something negative because I'm a very negative person :hi:
Great..so we can agree to agree. Managed correcty, this hotel should do just as well as the Greenview, the St. Augustine, or the hotel accross the street.

[mileageman]

W South Beach opens:

“W South Beach will serve as a flagship hotel for the W brand globally,” said Eva Ziegler, Global Brand Leader, W Hotels Worldwide and Le Méridien.

http://www.oceandrive.com/OD_SM09_096_WHI.html

An army of planners and designers was employed to devise the new hotel, including architects John Nichols in Miami and New York’s Costas Kondylis (which oversaw the renovation of The Plaza in Manhattan). Paula Hayes was tapped for the landscape design, and Anna Busta, of Studio B Design, the public spaces. Rooms were designed by Yabu Pushelberg.

They literally traveled the world to outfit the hotel. Giant slabs of marble in the lobby were handpicked by Edelstein during a week-long trip to Bergamo, Italy. The lobby’s wood floors were obtained in Sweden, but installed only after a piece was first auditioned at the Miracle Mile Shops in Las Vegas: “We wanted to see if it could stand 55,000 people a day of foot traffic. It can,” says Edelstein.

The hotel’s outdoor garden was inspired—and supplied—by the boutique hotels of Provence. Gumbo-limbo trees, bougainvillea and gardenias were planted around tables and benches built in France in the 1920s and 1930s.

From lobby chairs to light fixtures, items originate from London to Bali. Meanwhile, Aby Rosen is hanging pieces of his personal art collection in the hotel, including works by Andy Warhol, Kenny Scharf, Jean-Michel Basquiat and George Condo.

[mileageman]

http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/1223/ls2nz3.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img465.imageshack.us/img465/1108/ls3an7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)


http://img219.imageshack.us/img219/2581/ls1wg6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I have to laugh when I think of people saying Miami condos are boring and all look the same. Check out this hot little project on west ave. This with Herzog and De parking garage and Norten's Lincoln east and Gehry's NWS South Beach is gonna be untouchable as to level of design.


Norten's Lincoln East is coming back. Will be built with no residential as a 500 space parking garage lined with retail. 175 spots are designated for the New World Symphony. Developer is Ambassador Paul Cejas. Frank Gehry Garage recently started groundwork.

[kevinkagy]

Norten's Lincoln East is coming back. Will be built with no residential as a 500 space parking garage lined with retail. 175 spots are designated for the New World Symphony. Developer is Ambassador Paul Cejas. Frank Gehry Garage recently started groundwork.

Random little fact, but Paul Cejas is the name of the FIU School of Architecture building, it's the Paul Cejas School of Architecture Building. There's also a scholarship in the SoA under his name, and funds from it are used to bring different speakers and lecture series to the FIU SoA.

[Roark]

The 5th and Alton project is ready to receive cars in 2 weeks and the commerical spaces are being built out as we speak.
Months ahead of schedule, this is another good example of what a great job the City of Miami Beach does when they enter into public/private partnerships.

[Södermalm]

The 5th and Alton project is ready to receive cars in 2 weeks and the commerical spaces are being built out as we speak.
Months ahead of schedule, this is another good example of what a great job the City of Miami Beach does when they enter into public/private partnerships.


disagree, imo the overbearing boards of mb destroyed this project. see comments:

http://forums.miamibeach411.com/index.php?/forums/viewthread/5027/

[Roark]

disagree, imo the overbearing boards of mb destroyed this project. see comments:
Destroyed the project? Can you explain what you mean specifically? I just saw it with my own eyes today.

Objectively, it will open ahead of schedule, it is nearly leased up with tenants that will definitely serve needs for the community.
These tennants will pay more rent in this project than just about any of their other properties nationwide. When businesses pay very high rent it is becuase they have justified that the location is worth that amount.
The structure was built with the forward thinking that will allow a park and ride facility for a possible Baylink transit hub.

Subjectively, I like the design, but you may disagree.

As for the comments that were linked to, what does that have to do with anything.

[Södermalm]

Destroyed the project? Can you explain what you mean specifically? I just saw it with my own eyes today.

Objectively, it will open ahead of schedule, it is nearly leased up with tenants that will definitely serve needs for the community.
These tennants will pay more rent in this project than just about any of their other properties nationwide. When businesses pay very high rent it is becuase they have justified that the location is worth that amount.
The structure was built with the forward thinking that will allow a park and ride facility for a possible Baylink transit hub.

Subjectively, I like the design, but you may disagree.

As for the comments that were linked to, what does that have to do with anything.

the developer originally came to the city with a cutting edge glass design. they had to run back and forth for years between all the different mb boards trying to get this approved. the boards eventually whittled it down to the current boring design, since they thought the original design screamed too loudly.

since the developers were delayed by the city they had to wait to sign leases, and ended up signing them in a bad economy leading to tj maxx and dress for less. it will be truly embarrassing to see a sign for tj maxx right at the entrance to miami beach, and some of the most expensive and sought after real estate in the world.

[Roark]

the developer originally came to the city with a cutting edge glass design. they had to run back and forth for years between all the different mb boards trying to get this approved. the boards eventually whittled it down to the current boring design, since they thought the original design screamed too loudly.
When you say the project was destroyed, what you meant was the design doesn't suit your personal preference.

since the developers were delayed by the city they had to wait to sign leases, and ended up signing them in a bad economy leading to tj maxx and dress for less.But the building was not delayed. This is not true.
Berkowitz and the City engaged in a typical design process. The project is ahead of schedule.
Furthermore, the tenants are exceptional. Any landlord in their right mind would love to have Publix, Staples, TJ Maxx, and Best Buy as tennants.

[Södermalm]

When you say the project was destroyed, what you meant was the design doesn't suit your personal preference.

But the building was not delayed. This is not true.
Berkowitz and the City engaged in a typical design process. The project is ahead of schedule.
Furthermore, the tenants are exceptional. Any landlord in their right mind would love to have Publix, Staples, TJ Maxx, and Best Buy as tennants.

yes, it does not suit my preference, and probably the majority of people as seen in the link posted above. you may like the design, but do you prefer this design to the original that the city rejected?

as far as delayed, i never said construction was unacceptably delayed. the approval process was though, it took years