This thread's purpose is to inform all the members of the forum about office development in the CBD and Brickell. With (hopefully) an office boom, on the way, lets hope we get a lot of updates.

MIKE :bowtie: , I think your right,
Check this one out, www.2121biscayne.com
:cheer: :applause:
Its a Hot office tower with huge billboard signs on the property off Biscayne Blvd and 21st Street :cheers:

Office buildings (or at least mostly office) planned in the area between Brickell and Midtown:

-600 Brickell (2 buidings): 68 stories, 903 feet tall and 40 stories, 485 feet tall. 952,030 sqft of office space total.

-Met 2: 46 stories, 617 feet tall. 700,000 sqft of office space.

-1450 Brickell: 32 stories, 527 feet tall. 508,900 sqft of office space.

-Max Tower (1600 NE 1st Ave): 30 stories, 400 feet tall. 254,280 sqft of office space.

-Bachelor Enterprises Tower (621 sw 3rd Ave, west of the big storage building on 6th street): 24 stories, 373 feet tall. 123,750 sqft of office space.

-Logik Tower: 30 stories, 368 feet tall. 105,106 sqft of office space.

-Latitude One: 23 stories, 305 feet tall. 225,000 sqft of office space.

-2121 Biscayne: 16 stories, 223 feet tall. 51,920 sqft of office space

-3301 Biscayne: 194 feet tall. 109,913 sqft of office space

-Overtown Transit Village: 17 stories. 340,722 sqft of office space.

-Brickell Village Corporate Office (1250 SW 2nd Ave, near the publix & blockbuster in West Brickell): 11 stories, 136 feet tall. 66,768 sqft of office space.

-Courthouse Garage (240 N Miami Ave): 8 stories. 32,500 sqft of office space.


There was also a 384 foot tall office building included as the last phase in the Riverfront project (Wind, Ivy..etc). We'll see if that ever gets built.

MIKE :bowtie: , I think your right,
Check this one out, www.2121biscayne.com
:cheer: :applause:
Its a Hot office tower with huge billboard signs on the property off Biscayne Blvd and 21st Street :cheers:

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/7905/2121biscayne4yk.jpg

pretty spiffy looking... office condos seem to be the main benefit from this boom... have yet to see much of anything else besides that one by four seasons... forget wat its called... this aint bad for a midrise right on biscayne... and its a green building! woopee! theyve got a whole thing about it on their website... check it out

We have a bit of an office condo boom going on in downtown Orlando already. Maybe Miami is next.

What about 1001 Park West, has construction started yet?

text (http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/040930/story1.shtml)

http://www.royalpalmhomes.com/images/park_west_04.jpg

That ones dead.......just like paramount park.

how do you know paramount park is dead? i was always under the impression it would get built as soon as they finished or were well under way with paramount bay.

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2006/08/21/story1.html

NCL will keep headquarters in South Florida
South Florida Business Journal - August 18, 2006by Darcie Lunsford

Despite concerns following Hurricane Wilma, Norwegian Cruise Line's parent company will not be sailing away from South Florida.

Instead, it appears as if the 1,200-employee firm, now based near Miami International Airport, is scouting for a local spot to anchor a new 200,000-square-foot headquarters, according to real estate sources familiar with the project.

Paramount Park was not dead as of a couple of months ago. It is to be 'launched before the end of the year' in an Ocean Drive interview with the CEO of Prodigy.

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2006/08/21/story1.html

Some of these approved office towers say there waiting for a major tenant before starting construction, well Merry X-mas. I would love to see some of these big companys headquarters like NCL move into downtown. Imagine if Downtown had NCL, Royal Carribbean, Carnival, Burger King etc. I will keep dreaming.

I really understand the frustration and disappointment when things get cancelled, especially good buildings but I wouldn't want to be throwing around "IT"S DEAD" unless I had it froma very particular source. Just because they may have nixed 1001 Park West doesn't mean they are dumping all their plans and bailing out of Miami. Even though Leviev/Boymelgreen may be selling off many parcels of land, that doesn't mean SOLEIL is "dead" It may be likely, but is it actually dead? Way behind schedule, or delayed, doesn't mean cancelled. So as per the Ocean Drive article, as far as I know Paramount Park is not dead it is pushed back and won't even be launched until the end of this year and they probably mean Jan 2007. I don't mean to nitpick, but there is to much tough news from the Beautiful BOOM to add conjecture. Thanks.

Some of these approved office towers say there waiting for a major tenant before starting construction, well Merry X-mas. I would love to see some of these big companys headquarters like NCL move into downtown. Imagine if Downtown had NCL, Royal Carribbean, Carnival, Burger King etc. I will keep dreaming.

I could see the cruise lines moving downtown. It would make sense for them to be close to the port. I couldn't see the more US centered corporations like BK, Lennar, Ryder or any of the Latin America HQ's that are in Coral Gables or Blue Lagoon moving downtown though anytime soon. The main offices downtown (other than Government which is by far downtown's biggest employer) are mostly lawyers and banks. The lawyers are there to be near the courthouses.

if we just get a few of the bk's, lennars, and ryders to move downtown, maybe more can follow... is there anything government can do to promote this? or any reason they would even give a shit?

if we just get a few of the bk's, lennars, and ryders to move downtown, maybe more can follow... is there anything government can do to promote this? or any reason they would even give a shit?Yeah...of course they care, and organizations like the Downtown Development Authority court them like crazy. The DDA, Beacon Council, and Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce work on this constantly.
The reason that you want major corporations, or any coroporatons in any CBD is for the economic development.

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/060831/story7.shtml

Office rents rising after years of flat-lining

By Marilyn Bowden
After several years of near-stagnation, office rental rates are on the rise, a trend likely to continue at least until new construction takes some of the pressure off tight vacancies, brokers say.
"The Miami-Dade submarket is seeing an incredible evaporation of available space in submarkets across the board," said Diana Parker, a director at Cushman & Wakefield of South Florida. "As a result, we have seen increases in rental rates of $1.50-$4.00 across the board since the beginning of this year, and there will be more appreciations."
According to Cushman & Wakefield's midyear market report, rates across all classes countywide now average $25.01 a square foot - a $1.35 increase from a year earlier.
In Airport West, overall vacancy is at 7%, 8.3% in Class A buildings, said Richard Schuchts, a vice president at Flagler Development who handles leasing at Westside Plaza
Asking rates are at $22.78 overall, he said, and $25.49 in Class A.
"Compared to the first quarter, that's about a 10% increase on paper," he said, "but because concessions were so high and landlords were doing deals well below their asking prices, it's more like a 25% increase."
Because current vacancy figures don't take into account several deals that are committed but not fully executed, Mr. Schuchts said, appreciation will continue.
"There are very few options for new buildings," he said, "and they will have rents in the range of $30 and up, because the cost of new construction has been driven by high land and constructions costs. That means that Class A in the rest of the Airport West market will probably rise to the high $20s."
Relocating tenants will also have to deal with those higher construction costs in building out their space, which today will cost 20 to 30% more than last year, Ms. Parker said - and most landlords aren't as willing to provide reasonable tenant improvement allowances.
"If the lease has a five-year term," she said, "it's going by the wayside. It would have to be for a minimum seven- to 10-year lease. Otherwise they can't justify it."
While it makes sense for tenants in this environment to renew early, Ms. Parker said, with lease rates slated to continue rising, most landlords aren't willing to lock in a deal at today's rates.
In most cases, rents aren't rising fast enough to balance out landlord expenses, said Eric Siegrist, vice president of leasing for Crescent Real Estate Equities Ltd. Partnership, whose Miami properties include The Miami Center downtown, The Alhambra and The Colonnade in Coral Gables and Datran Center in South Dade.
"Our net rents today, after you take out commissions, tenant improvement dollars and operating expenses, are less than a couple of years ago," he said. "Insurance is going up, and in any instance where the landlord is doing the work construction costs have gone up. Rents are not rising proportionally."
That equation will affect new buildings conceptualized, Mr. Siegrist said. "With operating costs increasing and construction costs in some cases 40% higher, developers are going to have an amazingly low threshold of return even if they get $40 a foot. This will be a major obstacle, because a lot of Miami's tenants are law firms, and they can't afford what Fortune 500 companies could pay."
A typical Fortune 500 company budgets $120 to $150 a square foot to build out new space and put in the technology and furniture, Mr. Siegrist said - so even if a tenant in a new building could get a landlord to agree to a $50 tenant improvement allowance, "they would have a $100 shortfall per square foot on top of paying the highest rent in the market."

WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN IS THOSE NEARING THERE LEASE WILL SIGN A CONTRACT FOR SPACE AT A NEWER TOWER.

WHY WOULD THEY MOVE?

THE ONLY WAY THEY WOULD MOVE IS BECAUSE THEY NEED MORE FLOOR SPACE TO GROW AS A COMPANY.

THEY CURRENTLY HAVE SPACE BUT ON DIFFERENT FLOORS LIKE FLOOR 26 AND 29 MOST PEOPLE LIKE TO BE ON FLOORS LIKE 26 AND 27 JUST TAKE A FLIGHT OF STAIRS OR SHORT ELEVATOR RIDE TO GET TO ANOTHER DEPT IN YOUR COMPANY.

THEY ARE LOOKING FOR A BETTER LOCATION IN A NEWER BUILDING

THESE THINGS WOULD JUSTIFY THEM MOVING AND BUILDING OUT THERE SPACE I WOULD ALSO WANT TO LOCK IN A 10 YEAR LEASE AGREEMENT BECAUSE RATES WILL CONTINUE TO RISE.... SO WHY NOT SECURE A SPACE EARLY ON AT A LOWER RATE....

http://www.biscaynecentre.com/images/renderings/exterior.jpg
check out this new office building being built at 11900 Biscayne Boulevard
website: www.biscaynecentre.com

I THINK THAT BUILDING IS ALLREADY BUILT BUDDY

ITS JUST OLD AND PROBABLY GOING TO OFFICE CONDO CONVERT

THERE ARE TWO TOWERS THIS ONE IS FURTHER SOUTHWEST ON THE LOT NEXT TO A CVS OR WALGREENS AND A POLLO TROPICAL

ACROSS THE STREET IS HOME DEPOT ON THE EAST SIDE....

8 FULLY REMODELED FLOORS

kinda looks like the PAC

Everyone, The Last House Mansion on the 1451 Brickell Office Tower property is FINALLY DOWN, Its Gone, MIAballinboi, Please take some Pics of that property this weekend after church.
There;'s also a Huge Crane on the corner of the Project,

LOOKS Like our 1451 Tower is Breaking Ground ???

P.S. That old Brickell Mansion Was the last single family House North of BROADWAY, S.E. 15th ROAD to the Miami River, Alll Gone now, All towers and empty properties now North of St.Jude Catholic Church.

Thanks for the news Chuck, good to see 1450 brickell start construction, too bad it is so short, only 35 stories:
http://www.rileagroup.com/fotos/1450%20Brickell/1.jpg
http://www.rileagroup.com/fotos/1450%20Brickell/2.jpg
http://www.rileagroup.com/fotos/1450%20Brickell/3.jpg

With 600 Brickell virtually guaranteed to start construction if Swire is backing it, that is a LOT of office space under construction in Miami. The nicest one IMO is met 2, but 1450 brickell is also designed by the same architect, Nichols (http://www.nbww.com/)

nice building matches well with four seasons

Once again Miami takes top honors with the strongest office market/lowest vacancy rate in the country for the third-quarter 2006, we need those new office buildings fast...


http://www.costar.com/News/Article.aspx?id=9D3BB5A7F8C49BE065D09AC4410C3035

That is probably why Met 2 is going up and Met 3 is not. Come on Shaq get a move on :)

THERE IS STILL ONE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE LEFT IN BRICKELL

BEHIND GREENBERG TAURIG/SOLARIS CONDOS BUILDING
ADDRESS IS 190 SE 12 TERRACE




THE ONE LITTLE HISTORIC HOUSE THERE WAS BUILT IN 1925

ITS A 3 BEDROOM 1 BATH HOUSE
WITH 1,457 SQ FEET
THE LOT SIZE IS 6000 SQ FEET

THE LAST TIME IT SOLD TO SOMEONE ELSE WAS 1973

The Dr. Jackson House? It's a Museum...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/miami17/jacksonoffice.jpg This is the Front of Dr. Jackson's Office

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v506/miami17/jackson_house.jpg This was Dr. Jackson's Home.

The Home was demolished to make way for Solaris.


Ironically, both of these buildings were almost lost back in the BOOM of the 1910-1920's. These structures were originally located on NE 2nd Ave just north of Flagler Street, 1/2 block from The Gusman Theatre. They were moved by barge to just off Brickell Avenue.

Below is information from the Dade Heritage Trust and City of Miami web sites:

"This one-story frame building served as the office and surgery for Dr. James M. Jackson, the leader of Miami's early medical community. Jackson, who moved to Miami in 1896, served for many years as City Physician. Upon his death in 1924, the Miami City Hospital was renamed in his honor. This building's wide porches, supported by Doric columns, exemplify the adaptation of the Neo-Classical style to Miami's climate. Jackson's office is currently the headquarters of the Dade Heritage Trust, Inc. The Dr. James M. Jackson Office was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1975."

"Built in 1905 as an office and surgery for the pioneer Doctor Jackson, this wood frame structure was moved to its present location in 1917. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it was restored by Dade Heritage Trust in 1976 and is maintained by the organization as its headquarters."

If you ever have a chance, stop by and go inside. It is really interesting!

I may have an old image showing the buildings at their original location. I will try to find it and post it tomorrow.

Enjoy our History.....:ancient:......It is fascinating!

http://www.3333biscayne.com/

http://www.3333biscayne.com/

nice design:
http://www.3333biscayne.com/images/head_2.jpg

I like that too, very nice.

1450 Brickell site

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k253/umiami305/DSC04729.jpg

http://i90.photobucket.com/albums/k253/umiami305/DSC04730.jpg

U MIAMI !!!,

all I have to say is,

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW !!!

Its about time,

1450 Brickell Office Tower is Real ~~~

Go Cranes !!!

Rendering I ran accross of a smaller (14 story) office project for West Brickell. Here is Brickell Village Corporate Office (from Dorsky Hodgson site):

To go on corner of SW 13th Street & SW 2nd Ave
http://www.dorskyhodgson.com/images/uploaded/large/Brickell%20Village%20Corportae%20Office.jpg

wimpy wimpy wimpy....

really cool offices towers proyects for miami

heres a rendering of Miami Green which is supposed to go near the Douglas Road metrorail station in Coral Gables. Rendering is from Miamigreenoffice.com
http://img120.imageshack.us/img120/4286/miamigreenmt3.png

I'm surprised with all the vertical construction in Miami and more people moving to urban areas of Miami that there hasn't been more taller office proposals especially for Brickell. BTW Happy Holidays everybody!

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/766/logik01eq6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/1044/logik02uq9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/962/logik03tn6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

http://img301.imageshack.us/img301/6071/logik04vn6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

The logik project is one of those dark horse kinda projects, when they went before comminsion, the developers claimed that logik1 was not a spec. tower, that this was being built by a company which needed office space, but they refused to state which company and why the company decided such a wierd location for the project...the developers of logik after seeing that there first tower was almost fully leased then decided to add a second tower...but still no mention of who is this main tenant which has the first tower, and no news when the development will move forward,looks suspicious to me....

Well hope it gets built, its not a bad looking tower and in an area that hasnt got much. Too bad they didnt go for a taller one rather than two. Is there something going on in the lot right across the metrorail from them? Looks like construction equipment there.

I'm a bit concerned about one thing... isn't that the lot that MLB is discussing putting a new Marlins Stadium? Would it be on the east or west side of the Metrorail tracks?

I'm a bit concerned about one thing... isn't that the lot that MLB is discussing putting a new Marlins Stadium? Would it be on the east or west side of the Metrorail tracks?
^^
Merry Christmas D Shoot88:) , East side of the FEC - MetroRail Tracks will be the New Marlins Stadium in 2012, IMD, ( In My Dreams ):cheers: .

It could never be built West of the Tracks because the African American community of Overtown would strongly protest with the Rev. Jesse Jackson:nuts:

^^
Merry Christmas D Shoot88:) , East side of the FEC - MetroRail Tracks will be the New Marlins Stadium in 2012, IMD, ( In My Dreams ):cheers: .

It could never be built West of the Tracks because the African American community of Overtown would strongly protest with the Rev. Jesse Jackson:nuts:

Chuck is something being built on the lot just to the east of this site? I see in the picture construction equipment there. I realize the picture is old as there isnt much progress on the Biscayne wall in the background though.

Chuck is something being built on the lot just to the east of this site? I see in the picture construction equipment there. I realize the picture is old as there isnt much progress on the Biscayne wall in the background though.
^^
Merry Christmas Rider of ROHAN :) !!!, Yes its the construction lot for the Biscayne Bvld Construction crews, there's been lots of empty lots around the old Miami Arena being used for Tower construction along the Miami Wall and U.S. 1 rebuilding .:lol:

P.S. Rider of ROHAN:banana: , check out the Four Seasons Tower Cam at www.herald.com register for free, !!! , there's a small tree on top the Latitude One Office tower in Brickell:) , topped off this past weekend, Its there, check it out , its on top the southeast corner of the unfinished all steel tower !!!:cheers:

oops

saw alot of action on met 2 today

did u take any pics of said action?

Not much to see yet. I think they're still piledriving and won't actually go vertical for several months from now. Mint, on the other hand is racing ahead and should be pooring its foundation soon.

Yea, im surprised by mint, last time i passed by i didn't see any action, now all of a sudden i see the base of a crane and the huge hole...The Whole riverfront development is speeding by after years of no action.

Yea, im surprised by mint, last time i passed by i didn't see any action, now all of a sudden i see the base of a crane and the huge hole...The Whole riverfront development is speeding by after years of no action. Oh yeah....great project, solid developers, waterfront in the CBD, no brainer.
Remember, it sat there as Tony Cabrerra tried to get the Marlins Stadium on that site...As soon as they named it Riverfront and Key International got involved, that site took off as fast as any development I've seen. Those are 4 tall buildings...4 and counting.
Since we're in the Miami=Office Development thread, we can mention that there is room for two tall office towers on the Riverfront site, and Key International looks like they are going forward with that plan.

Roark: Key International got approved for four phases: three residential buildings on their half of the riverfront property, of which phase I and II (mint, ivy) are under construction. Phase IV is an office building across 3rd street (also Revuelta). Will they be doing the office building before phase III, or converting phase III to office?

Here are the full approved plans:
http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/11484.pdf

Nice transition back on subject Roark. Btw, I posted a pic of Mint's construction from the Herald's webcam on the CDB thread where you can see that there is now a tower crane, with two smaller cranes as well as a pretty big hole.

Heres some shots of the Met 2 site from a few days ago. This is from 12.15.06 There was definite activity at the site. They were drilling this huge metal spike on the west side for the foundation im guessing. It was almost deafening!

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/4866/img2044fg3.jpg

http://img131.imageshack.us/img131/1460/img2045ut8.jpg

This building looks like it will be massive!

I think they are pile driving sheet piles. The sheets are basically just big interlocking pieces of steel which form a water retaining wall. Once this wall is complete they will probably start excavating so that the foundation can then be laid. Also, someone on this forum once said that the foundation of large buildings must cure for months before they can go vertical. I think this was in reference to Marquis and its slow construction. Maybe Chuck or one of the other guys in the know will be able to find out exactly how much longer it will be before this beauty will begin to rise. I’m personally anxious to find out.

Well it doesn't really need to cure for months....the thing is the larger the building the more the wieght..more weight equals larger foundation, and the whole time while thats going on, pile testing is going on to test and see if they can withstand the wieght...for a building the size of met2, foundation will take atleast 4months.

Will they be doing the office building before phase III, or converting phase III to office? It's my understanding that they always intended III to be office, they just got approval for III as residential so that they wouldn't be Miami 21'd out of the opportunity to do residential there if they wanted to in the future. You are correct, the site accross the street has to be office.

Here is another office building for the Merrick Park/Douglas Rd metrorail station area. This one is 3760 Bird Rd. It just got an exemption for the areas height limit from the zoning board to allow it to be built at 292 feet tall. Its to contain about 320,000 sqft of office space.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/31456.pdf

yo i hope some one can tell me if 600 Brickell is goign to be built, now that the office building there is about to be torn down. I just passed by and I saw that the whole building is being stripped apart. Hopefully they employed it soon. Can anyone confirm this?

Either way, the shorter building is supposed to be built before the giant transformer-bunny building.

yea the short building is probably the only one which will get built...

Well, the phase 1 "short" tower will make a nice 500 foot addition to the skyline:

Class A office building.

Architect: RTKL Associates Washington

Project Type: New Building - Commercial Office Building, Retail, Parking Garage, and Plaza Pavilions

Project Highlights:

* 532,000sf of office space
* Ground floor retail/restaurant
* Above and below ground parking
* LEEDTM Silver Rating

http://www.edzuck.com/files/project_images/600_brickell.jpg

"We have a truly unique building here, the first of its kind on Brickell Avenue that has a significant amount of public space with three quarters of an acre of public plaza."

Ron Henderer, architect with RTKL Architecture, said "600 Brickell draws a parallel with Rockefeller Center. This project will bring significant value to the city of Miami with a vital urban space that will be a magnet for people."

Well, the phase 1 "short" tower will make a nice 500 foot addition to the skyline:

Class A office building.

Architect: RTKL Associates Washington

Project Type: New Building - Commercial Office Building, Retail, Parking Garage, and Plaza Pavilions

Project Highlights:

* 532,000sf of office space
* Ground floor retail/restaurant
* Above and below ground parking
* LEEDTM Silver Rating

http://www.edzuck.com/files/project_images/600_brickell.jpg

"We have a truly unique building here, the first of its kind on Brickell Avenue that has a significant amount of public space with three quarters of an acre of public plaza."

Ron Henderer, architect with RTKL Architecture, said "600 Brickell draws a parallel with Rockefeller Center. This project will bring significant value to the city of Miami with a vital urban space that will be a magnet for people."

Hope it does happen.

That's a sweet rendering. It looks a lot higher than 500 feet. Where on Brickell would it go?

^^Between SW 6th Street and 7th Street on the west side of Brickell Ave.

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070125/fyi.shtml

DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT: Miami firm ICE Development Group announced that Soares Da Costa Construction Services, a Portuguese construction and engineering company, is in the pre-construction phase of Logik I, a 134,000-square-foot Class A office-condo tower at 530 NW First Court to be completed in winter 2008. There will be 10,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and 136 office-condo units with prices beginning around $350,000.

The 2222 Biscayne Office monstrosity got by the planning board this time (it had been "continued" in its previous attempts).

-Columbus Centre in brickell was "Continued" again for the 2nd time.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/meetings/2007/1/1400_M_Planning_Advisory_Board_07-01-17_Verbatim_Minutes_(Long).pdf

On 600 Brickell:

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/business/16602612.htm

REAL ESTATE
Builder unveils green tower plans
Developer Foram Group outlined plans to build the biggest energy-sustainable office tower on Brickell Avenue, with groundbreaking set for April and completion in 2009.

BY MATTHEW HAGGMAN
mhaggman@MiamiHerald.com

The largest green office building in Florida is set to go up on Miami's Brickell Avenue, adding momentum to the sustainable building movement in a state that has lagged far behind places like California, New York and Europe.

Developer Foram Group plans to demolish the office building at 600 Brickell Avenue by March and build in its place a 40-story, 601,000-square-foot office tower called Brickell Financial Centre. The privately held Miami builder is seeking LEED certification -- a designation issued by the U.S. Green Building Council -- for the structure.

Groundbreaking is set for April, with completion in 2009.

To date, not a single building in South Florida is certified LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. A handful of developers have announced plans to get green building certification, but none have earned it yet and none would be this big.

Across Florida, just 10 buildings are certified green, compared to more than 70 in California.

''I wish it was a noble cause, but building green was really a business decision,'' said Loretta H. Cockrum, Chairman and CEO of Foram Group. ``We didn't want to find ourselves 10 years from now with a building that was competing with all new buildings that would all be LEED certified.''

CUTTING COSTS

Green building significantly cuts energy and water usage, including reducing emissions that cause global warming. Private developers and financial institutions are increasingly embracing the concept because it can also increase the bottom line.

The upfront costs for green building are now virtually the same as for conventional construction, experts say. Also, green building reduces operating costs and is increasingly sought after by users. Studies have shown that elements like enhanced natural light and cleaner air result in reduced absenteeism in offices, better performance in schools and even better sales in stores.

Foram's announcement of a specific timeline to build not only gives a jolt to the green building movement locally but raises the stakes in the competition to construct office buildings in Miami's downtown area. Large-scale office development had taken a back seat to condominium building, but that is changing.

Developer Alan Ojeda has announced plans to build a 35-floor, 588,000-square-foot tower at 1450 Brickell Ave. and builder MDM Group plans a 47-floor, 712,000-square-foot tower called Met 2 in the heart of downtown. Some observers say three large office buildings would be way too much at once, transforming Miami's tight office market into one with an excess of office space.

The conventional wisdom is that one building will drop out. Yet all three builders continue to insist they are going forward.

Brickell Financial Centre is also slated to come with ground-floor restaurants and three-quarters of an acre of open space at its doorstep. The proportions of the outdoor plaza are comparable to Rockefeller Center in New York, Cockrum said. Plans also call for a second phase with a hotel and retail space.

Green building continues to gather steam in South Florida, despite a slow start. In December Miami Mayor Manny Diaz hosted U.S. Green Building Council CEO Richard Fedrizzi at a conference on sustainable building. Diaz held another forum on green building this week, and Pembroke Pines Mayor Frank Ortis has also been an outspoken advocate for sustainable construction.

MORE PROJECTS

Projects currently seeking LEED-certification status that are in the works or completed include a public library in Pembroke Pines by Broward County and Broward Community College, Florida Atlantic University's Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing in Boca Raton and Holly Real Estate's 130,000-square-foot office-condo in Miami called Miami Green.

Liberty Property Trust, a Philadelphia-based builder, plans a LEED-certified office park in Miramar that is to include two four-story, 110,000-square-foot buildings. The University of Miami has pledged that its hospital planned near Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami will be LEED certified.

^^Sounds great!! Hope to see a rendering very soon!:)

^^Sounds great!! Hope to see a rendering very soon!:)

The rendering is floating around this site somewhere (probably farther down the Brickell thread or maybe even this one). Or you can just look here:
http://www.edzuck.com/default.aspx?page=5&project=299

THE RENDERING IS RIGHT ABOVE THAT POST THERE IS A SHORT TOWER ALONG WITH A 900FT TOWER....

THE RENDERING IS AT POST#62 AND #63
THE QUESTION ABOUT THE RENDERING WAS POST #69 AND #70


THAT IS WHY THE NEWS WAS POSTED ON THIS THREAD

GOD YOU NEWBIES NEED TO START READING A LITTLE MORE OR DO YOU JUST COME HERE FOR PICTURES?

THE RENDERING IS RIGHT ABOVE THAT POST THERE IS A SHORT TOWER ALONG WITH A 900FT TOWER....

THE RENDERING IS AT POST#62 AND #63
THE QUESTION ABOUT THE RENDERING WAS POST #69 AND #70


THAT IS WHY THE NEWS WAS POSTED ON THIS THREAD

GOD YOU NEWBIES NEED TO START READING A LITTLE MORE OR DO YOU JUST COME HERE FOR PICTURES?

Two words..ANGER MANAGEMENT. Get some.

IM NOT ANGRY JUST POINTING OUT IGNORANCE....

STOP BEING IN DENIAL LIVE AND LEARN.. ACCEPT YOUR FAULTS AND YOU WILL BE A BIGGER AND BETTER MAN FOR IT...



"IT MUST BE REALLY COLD AND MISERABLE IN MINNESOTA" OTHER THEN THAT I DONT SEE WHY ALL THE AGGRESSION...
THATS THREE TIMES TODAY YOUVE PROVEN YOUR IGNORANCE ON LIFE...

IM NOT ANGRY JUST POINTING OUT IGNORANCE....

STOP BEING IN DENIAL LIVE AND LEARN.. ACCEPT YOUR FAULTS AND YOU WILL BE A BIGGER AND BETTER MAN FOR IT...



"IT MUST BE REALLY COLD AND MISERABLE IN MINNESOTA" OTHER THEN THAT I DONT SEE WHY ALL THE AGGRESSION...
THATS THREE TIMES TODAY YOUVE PROVEN YOUR IGNORANCE ON LIFE...


Interesting. It is you using the caps, which is shouting online. Also it is you with the personal insults. I just stated you appear to have an anger issue. You seem to be attacking everyone that posts. Are you having a personal issue? Do you need a hug? (this is not an offer, just a question)

WHY DONT YOU JUST GO BACK AND READ... ITS CALLED COMPREHENSION SKILLS... NO NEED TO APOLOGIZE IM NOT GOD BUT IM SURE HE FORGIVES YOU...

WHO SAID USING CAPS WAS SHOUTING... WHAT IDIOT DECIDED THAT... ALL OUT ADVERTISEMENTS ARE IN CAPS ALL OUR TITLES PAPER HEADINGS... IF ANYTHING ITS AN ATTENTION GRABBER ITS A BOLD AND ASSERTIVE STATEMENT... MAYBE YOU ARE JUST INTIMIDATED BY THE CAPITAL LETTERS..

THE RENDERING IS RIGHT ABOVE THAT POST THERE IS A SHORT TOWER ALONG WITH A 900FT TOWER....

THE RENDERING IS AT POST#62 AND #63
THE QUESTION ABOUT THE RENDERING WAS POST #69 AND #70


THAT IS WHY THE NEWS WAS POSTED ON THIS THREAD

GOD YOU NEWBIES NEED TO START READING A LITTLE MORE OR DO YOU JUST COME HERE FOR PICTURES?

Listen up, sweetycakes, I'm no "newbie", in fact, if you'll read my profile (since you're so big on reading) you'll see I've been a member longer than you! I saw the mentioned picture, but didn't realize that was the proposal mentioned in the above article because I don't come over here that often. I don't suppose you've ever made an unforgivable mistake like that, huh?

Thanks dave8721 for pointing me in the right direction.

The 2222 Biscayne office building goes before the commission for approval again on the 14th:

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/meetings/2007/2/1434_A_City_Commission_07-02-14_Meeting_Agenda_(Long).pdf

One Bayfront Plaza goes before the UDRB again on the 21st.

http://www.miamigov.com/planning/pages/Boards/UDRB022107.pdf

Listen up, sweetycakes, I'm no "newbie", in fact, if you'll read my profile (since you're so big on reading) you'll see I've been a member longer than you! I saw the mentioned picture, but didn't realize that was the proposal mentioned in the above article because I don't come over here that often. I don't suppose you've ever made an unforgivable mistake like that, huh?

Thanks dave8721 for pointing me in the right direction.

Sunstorm:) , my friend, DAVE:) has pointed many friends here in the right direction. Back almost 3 years ago , I was just like you and was pointed in the right direction by JASON:) , our adminstrator, I've learned and almost 2,300 Posts:cheers: later to stay alive and " pointed:ohno: " well, lol.:lol:

p.s. I still love using too many icons !!!

^^Exactly, Chuck! It's much better to help someone than berate them. Instead of making enemies, you make friends!:)

How many offfice buildings does this make for Miami area? Here is yet another, this one for the Miami/Coral Gables border (one block south of Coral Way on Douglas Rd):

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070215/story1.shtml

Gables to get new Class A office tower

By Marilyn Bowden
A new Class A office building could bring some relief to the tight Coral Gables market before the end of 2009.
Principal Henry Pino said Strategic Properties Group plans to build Andalusia Corporate Plaza, a 17-story, 170,000-square-foot office tower, at 2263 Douglas Road, at the corner of Andalusia Avenue.
Officially, that's in Miami a technicality that allows the group to bypass the height restrictions imposed by the City of Coral Gables. Practically, its competitors are Gables office towers, where direct vacancy is 5.78%, according to Jones Lang Lasalle's fourth quarter 2006 market report.
The site is "about 50 yards from Miracle Mile," Mr. Pino said. "It's our biggest amenity."
Site plans include 500 parking spaces.
Construction will begin as soon as financing and approvals are in place, he said — ideally by the end of 2007. Build-out would take 18-20 months.
Mr. Pino said rent per square foot would be in the range of $30-$32 triple net.
"We are still in the pre-leasing stage," he said. "We would like to get an anchor tenant with signage, but we will proceed with construction regardless of tenant commitments.
"There are a lot of companies looking for space in Coral Gables, but there's nothing available."
"Coral Gables is one of the tightest markets in South Florida," said Scott Strickland, a broker at Jones Lang LaSalle. "There is very little contiguous space available —— 2525 Ponce de Leon, the most recent to be built, has less than 7,000 square feet.
"The market is restricted in terms of new development possibilities, and demand is still strong. So the timing for this is great."
Strategic Properties Group previously developed Unika, an office condo at 4300 Biscayne Blvd. that's now 100% sold. Mr. Pino said he originally considered offering Andalusia Corporate Plaza as condos, but market conditions favor for-lease space.
Details: (305) 446-8330.

Here is two more office buildings for Coral Gables: the colorfully name "LeJeune Office Building" and 4535 Ponce. The LeJeune building is to go on the west side of LeJeune one block south of Coral Way and 4535 is yet another proposal for the Merrick Park area.

http://www.coralgables.com/CGWeb/documents/bnz_docs/agendas/devrevcomagenda20070223.pdf

I put together a list of all the new office projects going up in the Coral Gables area and the square feet of office space they are adding (I'll get to updating one for the Downtown Miami area a little later):

3760 Bird Rd: 12-stories 318,000 sqft
Burger King Building: 16-stories 250,000 sqft
Gables Station: 8-stories 206,000 sqft
Lancaster Plaza: 11-stories 185,000 sqft
396 Alhambra: 15-stories 174,000 sqft
Andalusia Corporate Plaza: 17-stories 170,000 sqft
Ponce Medical Plaza: 11-stories 165,000 sqft
Plaza San Remo: 7-stories 165,000 sqft
Miami Green: 13-stories 120,000 sqft
4535 Ponce: 8-stories 105,000 sqft
2020 Ponce: 14-stories 97,000 sqft
Merrick View: 7-stories, 92,000 sqft
1600 Ponce: 12-stories 80,000 sqft
Gables Waterway: 4-stories 80,000 sqft
LeJeune Office Building: 10-stories 62,500 sqft
1000 Ponce: 11-stories 62,000 sqft

for some reason i have my doubts about miami green passed by the site today and seemed a bit of a wierd site for such a building..

Here is 3760 Bird Rd a 292-foot tall office tower to go a block or so from the Miami Green site. It goes for approval from the commission on 7/22:

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/32525.PDF

Busy morning...
Here's "Red Rock" a new 11-story 120-foot tall office proposal for West Brickell at 296 sw 7th Street.

(rendering on page 6 of this doc)
http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/32609.pdf

http://www.miamisunpost.com/groundwork.htm

ICE Development Group, a privately held Miami-based development firm, broke ground on Logik Tower I, the first of a two-tower Class A office condo community at 530 NW First Court in Overtown. With 134,000 square feet of condominium office space within 136 units and 10,000 square feet of ground floor retail space accessible from the lobby and the building’s exterior, Logik Tower I should be good for Overtown and the area’s economy. Amenities include conference rooms with high-speed Internet connections, a fully equipped fitness center, concierge services, 24-hour security services and smart security systems. Prices for office condos start in the $350s; completion is expected in winter 2008.

http://www.miamisunpost.com/groundwork.htm

Dave I have Logik at 352 feet, is that correct?

Well, the phase 1 "short" tower will make a nice 500 foot addition to the skyline:

Class A office building.

Architect: RTKL Associates Washington

Project Type: New Building - Commercial Office Building, Retail, Parking Garage, and Plaza Pavilions

Project Highlights:

* 532,000sf of office space
* Ground floor retail/restaurant
* Above and below ground parking
* LEEDTM Silver Rating

http://www.edzuck.com/files/project_images/600_brickell.jpg

"We have a truly unique building here, the first of its kind on Brickell Avenue that has a significant amount of public space with three quarters of an acre of public plaza."

Ron Henderer, architect with RTKL Architecture, said "600 Brickell draws a parallel with Rockefeller Center. This project will bring significant value to the city of Miami with a vital urban space that will be a magnet for people."


Just from a first glance, this project is clearly one of my favorites of all the proposals for Miami. The rendering does appear to be significantly taller than 500 feet though. Are there any renderings available of the public plaza?

The shorter tower in the foreground is around 500 feet. The taller one behind it is somewhere between 800-900 feet and would be in the top 2-3 if not the tallest building in Miami if built. The shorter one will almost definitely get built and the other one is approved but will be built after the shorter one.

Dave I have Logik at 352 feet, is that correct?
^^


True, Rider of ROHAN:) , my friend,
at 352 feet, and 29 office floors,
this will be the tallest tower in Overtown !!!:cheers:
Its about _am time !!!:banana:

Tech: Building a Greener Miami
Money isn't all that will be green at Miami's newest financial center.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Arian Campo-Flores
Newsweek

Feb. 25, 2007 - The sketches of the new Brickell Financial Centre that will soon begin to rise in downtown Miami depict two fairly conventional-looking commercial towers. They have no avant-garde angles or sexy curves; they’re mostly just massive blocks of glass and steel. But their design is cutting-edge in countless other ways. The glass will have a “low-emissivity” coating that will allow light to filter through but will block out solar heat. So-called "punch" windows will be set in 12 inches from the exterior to provide physical shading. The cooling system will circulate chilled water through the building rather than more inefficient refrigerant. Low-flow urinals and dual-flush valves (one for solid waste, another for liquid) will cut down on potable-water use. And large cisterns will collect storm water for irrigation, with any excess pumped back into the aquifer. “One of our priorities was to design as efficient a building as possible,” says Loretta Cockrum, chairman and CEO of Foram Group, the project’s developer.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17317247/site/newsweek/
http://msnbcmedia.msn.com/j/msnbc/Sections/Newsweek/Components/Photos/070220_070226/070221_GreenFlorida_Vl.widec.jpg
http://msnbcmedia1.msn.com/j/msnbc/Sections/Newsweek/Components/Photos/070220_070226/070221_GreenFloridaPlaza_hsmall.standard.jpg

I don't know why everyone is so gung ho for this building, it looks like it was designed in 1982. The ignorance of dismissing excellence in design with the quip, 'avant garde angles and sexy curves' is such a testament to why the weeding out process for design approval should be done very carefully, by those who know something about design.

The design isn't spectacular, but I like it for two reasons:
1. It's height. The larger tower will be in the top few of the "tallest buildings in Miami" when finished. I always like a project like that.
2. The public plaza. No other building in Miami will have anything like it and it will be a great addition to the Brickell area.

We also need more office buildings in Miami with all the condos. This may not be the best in terms of overall design, but it looks better than something with balconies and will be a great addition to the Brickell skyline. I also don't think the design is all that bad, even know it's not the very best out there.

Brickell Financial Centre is at the forefront of a green-building movement that’s slowly gathering steam in Florida. It’s the state’s first building to be pre-certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, the industry’s de facto standard. What that means: that before any ground has been broken, the building has gotten a seal of approval for its expected efficiency and sustainability (formal certification comes when the project is completed). The LEED system takes into account everything from building materials to energy use to indoor environmental quality. Unlike some developers who worry that green buildings are too expensive, Cockrum sees plenty of advantages. They lower operating costs and create a healthier—and more productive—work environment. Moreover, tenants are increasingly clamoring for them. “I didn’t want a building that in 10 years would have to compete with will all the new buildings that are LEED-certified,” she says.

The Brickell project—which will include office space, a hotel, luxury condos and a public plaza—incorporates green elements throughout. Builders will rely on materials with high percentages of recycled content and will try to obtain as many of them as possible within a 500-mile radius to reduce transportation costs. They’ll avoid adhesives, sealants and paints with “volatile organic compounds,” or VOCs, that emit greenhouse gases. “You won’t smell much when people are painting in this building,” says Brenda Morawa of BVM Engineering, a consultant on the project. The planners also want to encourage tenants to behave like good green citizens—to use recycled carpeting, for instance, or to bike to work (special storage facilities will be provided). The goal of all this: to achieve a LEED gold rating, one rank below the highest designation of platinum, based on a complex point system.


Among the project’s most significant elements is the plaza. Though it too features green elements, it’s mainly a contribution to the public, an attempt to tie the complex to the surrounding area. It will be designed by Sasaki, a Boston-based landscape architecture firm that’s master planning the Olympic Green in Beijing for the 2008 Games. Featuring two zones—a hardscape comprising masonry and other non-plant elements, and a garden oasis divided by a curved wall of cascading water—the 30,000 square-foot space is envisioned as a place for performances, rotating art exhibits and just plain people-watching. “It’s about the scale of Rockefeller Plaza in New York,” says lead architect Rod Henderer of RTKL in Washington, D.C. “It’s being designed to create a meaningful public space on Brickell Avenue where there isn’t one now.”

I'm assuming that both the small tower and the very tall one are both included in the "Brickell Financial Centre"? This is a great center for the Brickell area, not just because it's certified green, but because of the public space and the incorporation into the surrounding areas. It actually could turn out to be one of the more exciting projects of this building boom.

chances for the two tall ones are quite low, and only if the office market is strong, and they are not the final design-there place holders.....and what happenend to the top of the smaller one....

Someone correct me if I'm Wrong, but did the design of the top portion of the short building change?

lol it got a haircut. the building finally realized it couldn't rock the flat-top look forever, so it went with a fade.

Logik is really going to be sweet. Im glad to see its getting started. This is going to be very close to the proposed Marlin's stadium location isn't it???

Ive always looked at Overtown with great disdain. You gotta start somewhere though, and where better than the SE section of Overtown?

Let people cry and complain, this is important development and it needs to be realized. By the way, is Crosswinds officially dead?

My cousin lives in the Detroit area, and in Detroit they built a really nice Crosswinds Community right in downtown Detroit by Comerica Park(Tiger Stadium). The area it was developed is very similar to Overtown (poverty, crack-infested, racial tension, etc.). As a matter of fact, most of Detroit is a lot like Overtown. Somehow they got everyone moved and built the thing though.

^^I just responded to one of your posts in the CBD thread about Crosswinds and Logik. I guess I really didn't say much that you didn't already know...

2020 Ponce office tower to commence shortly in Coral Gables:

http://img.travidia.com/rop-ad/4215795

Brickell Financial Centre (600 Brickell) has its "official" groundbreaking tomorrow 4/19 at 5 PM. 1450 Brickell "officially" broke ground last week.

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070419/fyi.shtml

EARTH DAY LINK: With Earth Day arriving Sunday, Foram Developers is to observe the occasion by breaking ground on the Brickell Financial Centre at 5 p.m. today (4/19) at 600 Brickell Ave. Foram recently demolished buildings on the site in preparation for the two-tower project. One will total 40 stories and provide 602,000 square feet of rentable Class A office space. The $245 million office tower is scheduled for a fall 2009 completion. The second tower will rise 68 stories and have 463,483 square feet of Class A office space, 3,917 square feet of ground-level retail, a 360-room hotel and 134 luxury condominiums.
NEW BRICKELL OFFICES: Miami developer Rilea Group broke ground last week on 1450 Brickell, the first purely office building under construction on Brickell Avenue since 1111 Brickell in 2001. The 35-story tower, to rise at Brickell Avenue and Broadway, formerly Southwest 15th Road, is to contain 585,000 square feet of Class A space. John Marshall, senior broker for Cushman & Wakefield, and Maggie Kurtz will handle leasing. The team is negotiating with potential users for 75% of the space, Mr. Marshall said Monday.

Nice to hear about the good progress on those projects. I'm really excited about Brickell Financial Centre.

I prefer 1450, alot more original and is sort of the complementary tower to espirito.

^ I thought that 1450 brickell started construction a few months ago. Did it get delayed or something?

well supposedly they altered the design a bit to go for green approval, probably silver rating.

1450 Brickell will be a nice addition to the lower Brickell area. It will add more density to that area, and is a very nice, green design. But I of course like 600 Brickell more because it's much taller, and the project has 3 towers compared to 1 for 1450 Brickell. It also will have that nice public plaza area, and I think it will impact the surrounding areas in a much greater way than 1450 Brickell.

1450 Brickell is taller than the 600 Brickell building that is breaking ground now at least.

1450 brickell will be SHORTER i dont know why you think it would be taller...

1450 Brickell was approved for 527 feet (I've seen it listed anywhere from 511 feet to 527 feet), 600 Brickell (the shorter building) was approved at 485 feet.

http://www.brickellfinancialcenter.net/


Brickell Financial Centre
680 Brickell Avenue
Miami, Florida 33131
Property Photo Gallery

Brickell Financial Centre is a mixed use project to be built in two phases
Phase I consists of a 602,000 rentable square feet Class A office space
18,030 square feet of ground level retail and restaurants 30,459 square feet of public space plaza (the “Plaza”).
Phase II consists of 463,483 usable square feet Class A office space
3,917 square feet of ground level retail
A 360 room first class hotel
134 residential units
Parking is provided on each building and below ground. The parking garage will feature a unique sleek, onyx-paneled grid on the façade that will be illuminated from behind to shine brilliantly at night.

Both phases will be Class A buildings.

The Development’s location next to the People Mover will also alleviate traffic congestion in the area by linking the Development to Downtown Miami, the Brickell Avenue area and through the Metro-Rail connection to Miami-Dade County in general.

Brickell Financial Centre is expected to attract the kinds of tenants who share Foram Group’s green values. This means that a company’s mindset, and not its industry, will draw them to BFC. A company’s decision to have their offices at BFC indicates that the CEOs and decision makers have an environmental awareness and are conscious of their responsibility to help prevent issues such as global warming through decisions involving even their business’ location.

The office and hotel component will become a primary source of employment in the area. And, once constructed Brickell Financial Centre will be a significant asset to the City of Miami and will be a major contributor to the local economy.

A Metrorail stop at the Seventh Street corner of the property makes public transportation a viable option for those who will work and patronize in the complex.

Pre-certified: LEED Pre-certified at “Certified” level – August, 2006.
Confident of silver, if not gold
Sustainable Design Consultant: BVM Engineering
Brenda V. Morawa, PE LEED AP QCxP
President
Atlanta, Ga

Brickell Financial Centre’s core and shell are LEED precertified, meaning the site development, design, resources and materials incorporate systems for sustainability and energy and water efficiency that complies with criteria developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC).

Expected completion: Phase I - Fall of 2009
Phase II - 20xx
Leasing Agent: CB Richard Ellis, Inc.
Randy J. Olen, Senior Vice President
Sim A. Wilson, III First Vice President

Phase I:
Floors 40 Stories
Lobby & Concierge Service 8,182 square feet
Retail & Restaurants 18,030
Ground level - along 7th Street
10 floors of parking space 868 cars
16 floors Mid-rise Office Space 356,653 square feet
10 floors High-rise Office Space 180,970 square feet
3 Floors Mechanical and Elevator Machine Room
Elevators 16 passenger, 1 frieght
The Plaza: 30,459 Square feet

Brickell Financial Centre’s unique ratio of plaza to building gives it proportions that are comparable to those of New York City’s Rockefeller Center.
Like the famed Rockefeller Center, Brickell Financial Centre is poised to become a coveted venue for public events, while its peaceful waterscape, oak trees and benches make it the ideal venue for a casual outdoor activity.
BFC’s ground-level retail and restaurants will also draw attention during the week and weekends.
The Plaza is located at ground level on the northeast corner of the Property at the intersection of Brickell Avenue and SE 6 Street.
The Plaza consists of a hardscape component and a lavishly landscape passive and active area with a restaurant, kiosk, tables and various water features including a water wall. The hardscape portion of the Plaza will be architecturally treated and provides a public open space for gatherings and functions.
The Plaza is pedestrian accessible from Brickell Avenue, which is a pedestrian designated street, SE 6 Street and from many of the retail and restaurant uses which activate the ground level throughout the Property.
Phase II:
Floors 70 Stories
Office Space 404,641 square feet
Retail 3,917 square feet
Hotel 269,230 square feet
360 Rooms
Condo 283,048 square feet
124 units
Parking Spaces 988



Design Team
Architect RTKL Associates Inc.
1250 Connecticut Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20036
202-833-4400
The firm also boasts prestigious projects around the world,
including the United States Capitol Visitor’s Center in Washington, D.C.
and National Museum of China in Beijing.


Landscape Sasaki Associates Inc.
64 Pleasant Street
Watertown, MA 02472
Structural Walter P. Moore
201 East Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 300
Tampa, FL 33602
MEP Edwards and Zuck
315 Park Avenue South, 17th Floor
New York, NY 10010
Life Safety/Code Thomas and Calzadilla
2401 NW 7th Street
Miami, FL 33125
Civil Engineer VSN
8550 West Flagler Street, Suite 113
Miami, FL 33144
Elevator Lerch, Bates & Associates Inc.
2300 Glades Road, Suite 230W
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Lighting Brandston Partnership Inc.
122 West 26th Street, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Curtain Wall Gordon H. Smith Corporation
200 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Foram Development & Construction Team:
President Keith Colgan
Managing Director Gene McGovern
Director Design & Construction Glenn Fidje
Construction Assistant Sonia Alfonso



777 Brickell Avenue, Suite 808, Miami, FL 33131
Tel 305.358.9807 Fax 305.377.1765

Thanks for posting that info, Rx.

Brickell Financial Center

(Sorry, I tried to upload a picture of all three towers in the Brickell Financial Center, but it was too large to be put on this page. Just go to the website below for a nice picture......Toucano wrote a nice article on Transitmiami.com recently about it as well.
http://bp2.blogger.com/_3vUVY5T6X_4/RieCWWAY4RI/AAAAAAAAAKM/gTgUvOUHLw4/s1600-h/600brickell1kd.jpg

600 Brickell will be incredible. I love it.

Is the bigger building with the twin peaks in the backround gonna be built with the rest of Brickell Financial Center?

Another article on the 3 office towers going up:

http://www.miamiherald.com/103/story/97442.html

Miami office market picks up
A RECORD NUMBER OF NEW OFFICE TOWERS ARE BEING PLANNED FOR MIAMI'S DOWNTOWN AND BRICKELL AREAS DESPITE WORRIES THAT THERE WON'T BE ENOUGH DEMAND

BY MATTHEW HAGGMAN
mhaggman@MiamiHerald.com

Just as a record condo building binge is playing out across Miami's skyline, a record office building binge is just about to start.

Developers want to add three giant office towers in Miami's downtown and Brickell areas, with workers preparing and marketing campaigns under way. Yet some wonder if it's not another case of developers responding to a market need with too much, too fast, just as many think they did with condos.

''There is definitely pent-up demand for new office space, but how much?'' said Peter Harrison, senior vice president at Transwestern Commercial Services. The veteran office broker said the current office proposals are more aggressive than anything he's seen in Miami in his three decades in the market.

For more than a year builders for each of the proposed towers -- called 1450 Brickell, Met 2 and Brickell Financial Centre -- touted their respective projects as the answer to a shrinking supply of office space. But many observers assumed one or two would ultimately back off.

Instead, work crews are now on each site. Each builder has renewed pledges that they have the financial backing and gumption to go forward, whether or not any companies sign leases to rent space before construction starts. All three are marching ahead without announcing a single signed lease.

Some equate the jockeying to a game of chicken.

''If so, it's a very serious game of chicken. There is a lot of money at stake,'' said Jack Lowell, an office broker who represents MDM Development Group, which is building Met 2.

Owning office space has become increasingly desirable, because a lack of recent office construction has driven up occupancy levels and rents. Last month Tishman Speyer of New York, one of the best-known commercial property owners in the world, bought an office complex on Miami's Brickell Key.

If built, the three new buildings would add about 1.9 million square feet of new space by 2010 to a downtown and Brickell area that has some 12 million square feet of office and a vacancy rate of about 10 percent.

So, is there enough demand?

South Florida has long been a home for regional headquarters, but not a magnet for big corporate tenants that gobble up lots of space in one swoop. The average annual absorption for office space in the area from 2003 to 2007 was 287,000 square feet annually, reports Jones Lang LaSalle.

''The talk has been that the office market will be fine if one building goes ahead and it will probably be OK if another is built a year later,'' said Steve Owens, president at Swire Properties, which has built offices, condos and a hotel on Brickell Key. ``But if all three go, we would be potentially challenged.''

Foram Group last month broke ground for Brickell Financial Centre, a planned 40 floors with 602,000 square feet at 600 Brickell Ave. Delivery is set for 2010. The firm, backed by a wealthy Malaysian family, has enough cash to build without a bank loan, said Foram CEO Loretta Cockrum.

''We just can't think about how many others are coming out of the ground,'' she said. ``We have decided the market is there and will compete for the best tenants.''

Similarly, work is already under way on the foundation of Met 2's office and hotel complex, slated to rise 47 stories with 750,000 square feet on Southeast Second Avenue. Insurance giant MetLife is a joint venture partner. Completion is slated for 2010.

1450 Brickell was the first to announce office building plans, with 35 floors and 585,056 square feet planned on Brickell Avenue. Alan Ojeda, CEO of the tower's builder, Rilea Group, said he wouldn't build three office buildings now if he had the land to do it.

Yet he said the coming surge in new office property may not create the glut some fear. For one, vacancy rates should continue shrinking through 2010, he said. And, all of the condo development downtown will bring more people, along with more need for office space.

Also, two of the projects -- Brickell Financial Centre and 1450 Brickell -- are looking to build structures certified green, which may draw tenants. ''If you look at the whole thing, it is adding about 10 percent more space to the market,'' Ojeda said. ``Ten percent doesn't break a market.''

Still, despite construction crews doing foundation work, there is still time to pull the plug.

''From what we see at the moment, it looks like all three are moving forward,'' Owens said. ``But the real truth comes when you come out of the ground. You can put foundations in and stop; cover them up and wait. Yet if you don't stop there, you must finish the building.''

Bacardi to leave its landmark Biscayne building and move to Coral Gables, and Burger King backs out of its Coral Gables project. Barardi to take over new BK building:

http://www.miamiherald.com/103/story/99393.html

CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
Bacardi heads to Coral Gables
Burger King has given up plans to move to Coral Gables, but Bacardi will take over the corporate headquarters now under construction.
BY ELAINE WALKER
ewalker@MiamiHerald.com

Burger King won't be moving its corporate headquarters to Coral Gables after all. But the city is getting a new resident with a brand name just as big: Bacardi.

The Home of the Whopper is staying put at the Waterford office complex in Blue Lagoon for at least another 15 years instead of relocating to the building developer Armando Codina has under construction in Coral Gables.

''It's simply pure economics,'' said John Chidsey, Burger King's chief executive.

Instead, Burger King's planned headquarters at 2701 Le Jeune Rd. will become the new home for Bacardi U.S.A., which has been based in the iconic building on Biscayne Boulevard for more than 40 years. Bacardi will have its name on the 15-story Mediterranean-style building in Coral Gables and take the entire 250,000 square feet except for the ground floor. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.

The move will allow the liquor company to consolidate its approximately 300 South Florida corporate employees in one building. The company's employees are scattered between seven offices on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami, Brickell Key and Miramar.

''Bacardi U.S.A. will continue to grow . . . making it critical we have one state-of-the-art facility as soon as possible where we all can work together, allowing us to better serve our great brands, loyal consumers and shareholders,'' said a statement from John P. Esposito, president and chief executive of Bacardi U.S.A., which handles importing, sales and marketing for the global spirits company.

The switcheroo all came together with Bacardi's signing of the new lease late Monday, but it's been a process orchestrated by Codina over the last six months.

Burger King's deal with Codina was heralded in May 2005 because it was going to keep the homegrown chain from leaving town. To make the deal happen, Miami-Dade County and the state of Florida had agreed to an $8.68 million incentive package.

But soon after, Burger King's landlord at Blue Lagoon started trying to induce the company to stay put. Finally the offers got so attractive that Chidsey asked Codina to see if there were any other potential tenants that could take the Coral Gables space.

WOOING TENANTS

''There are so few [large corporate] tenants in Miami that I assumed there was a 5 percent chance this would happen,'' Chidsey said. ``I want to be a good corporate citizen.''

That's why he and Codina agreed the deal wouldn't work unless there was another company who could take the whole space and someone the city of Coral Gables would welcome. Burger King had already created some bad blood with Coral Gables when it scuttled a deal to move to the city in 2000, before agreeing to a last-minute deal at Blue Lagoon.

''Burger King would have come to Coral Gables and initially their rent would have been higher,'' Codina said. ``But over the long-term they would have been very happy here.''

Codina had been talking to Bacardi on and off for several years about a potential new headquarters site. As the liquor company has acquired brands such as Grey Goose and Bombay Sapphire, it had simply outgrown its existing facilities and been forced to add new rental properties.

BACARDI BOOM

Bacardi ramped up its search last year after Esposito took over as the new chief executive of the U.S. operation.

''When Bacardi came into the marketplace, I jumped all over them,'' Codina said. ``It's not that often when it works out where everybody is happy.''

In the short-term, the decision will cost Burger King a $7 million charge against earnings in the fourth quarter, the bulk of which is a $5 million termination fee paid to Codina.

But Burger King expects to save $24 million in future rent over the first 10 years of the lease. Plus, the fast-food chain will save $23 million in tenant improvement and moving costs.

The fast-food chain will not receive any of the incentives that had been tied to the Coral Gables deal.

Burger King will be moving its employees at its Dadeland office to the Blue Lagoon building by the end of June. At that time, it will have about 700 employees at its corporate headquarters.

Bacardi currently owns four of its buildings on Biscayne Boulevard and rents one other space on Biscayne and the spaces in Miramar and Brickell Key. The company is evaluating what to do with its properties, but has no plans to sell the blue-and-white tiled building at 2100 Biscayne Blvd., said Patricia Neal, Bacardi spokeswoman.

The signature building was Bacardi's first headquarters building in Miami when it opened in 1964 and today houses corporate offices, a small museum and an executive dining room.

The company had looked for other properties in the downtown Miami area and throughout South Florida, but couldn't find one that met its specifications.

''We had to put our business first and this was the best fit for us,'' Neal said. ``We're a vital part of South Florida and that will continue.''

Odd on both counts.
No Bacardi in the Barcardi building? Don't they have some sort of musuem sculpture thing there?

solution: turn the soon to be former bacardi building into a full blown bacardi museum.

http://mms.businesswire.com/bwapps/mediaserver/ViewMedia?mgid=92790&vid=5

new UM building
http://www.mosscm.com/projects/images/um02.jpg
http://www.mosscm.com/projects/progress-photos/um-2007-02.jpg

Great picture of Met 2.

Didn't Met 2 have a kind of twisting elment to it? It looks very uncurvaceous in that rendering???

I believe the curvature was suppose to come from the other side, the four biggest disappointments from this rendering is that this is still in conceptual or at the time was, seeing by the lack of details in the rendering especially the hotel tower. Meaning there will probably be more changes and killing a good design by reducing the budget. Mdm is known for it,look at marriott hotel and the barclay center. Second disappointment is that god awful parking garage, it looks ugly and out of place and scale.... Third, they took away the diagonal bracings in the windows at the center, in exchange for horizontal mullions, how cheap. Lastly the lobby seemed more interesting in the first rendering,what happenend to it?

I was hoping we just couldn't see the diagonal bracing in this rendering:ohno:

The image on the website still shows several of the quality elements...is this image new or older or what??:nuts:

Is construction progressing at 1450 brickell?

The 7-story Ponce Professional Center for 4535 Ponce De Leon Blvd in Coral Gables. Looks decidely non-Meditteranean. LEED "green" certified:
http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/D/B/9/DB95EA82-3D09-4633-A3F6-A619AA4E16D3_or.JPG

DAVE:) , my friend,
Awesome,

Please more updates like this one,
You the man for Info,
Me, Johnny 5:nuts: , need input , info, pictures, updates, anything legal.

also, P.S. Dave:) , " the Green Office tower " across from the Douglas Road Metrorail station in Coral Gables next to the Miami-Dade water and sewer building on N.W. 37 th ave. is digging the land and starting crane movement on the property:cheers:

please update us on that project if you get details,
Thanks , :banana:

http://img385.imageshack.us/img385/1240/s1pix1273jm7.jpg

That is the site your talking about Chuck, ''Miami Green'' taken from the Douglas Road metrorail platform. That area has a few low and midrise buildings in the construction process. Oh yeah the picture is from mid June sometime.

BOA Tower hits its highest ever occupancy level:

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070712/fyi.shtml

TOWER HITS LANDMARK: A downtown Miami commercial tower has reached record occupancy, leasing officials say. The Bank of America Tower at International Place, a 600,000-square-foot Class A office tower at 100 SE Second St. with 21,000 square feet of ground-floor retail, is 97% occupied, highest in its 20-year existence. Newest tenants include Starbucks Coffee, insurance firm AXA Assistance of Florida, American International Investors and international money transmitter Money Express. Details: www.intlplacemiami.com.

^^ That is great news:banana:

Great news, woo!

97% occupancy rate is unheard of in an office building can only mean good things for the prospects of Met 2, the pointe and 600 brickell towers.

After they are done BOA will undoubtely see their occupancy rate sink back to 90% or less but that's not so bad.

Has anyone seen all those buildings beign demolished on the SE corner of where the Palmetto and 836 intersect, I don't know if that's going to be a new office park or what but it looks like it might be a pretty sizable project. Like 10 warehouses have already come down and there are a couple more to go before the whole parcel is cleared.

sorry if I posted this in the wrong place I didn't know where else to put it.

Has anyone seen all those buildings beign demolished on the SE corner of where the Palmetto and 836 intersect, I don't know if that's going to be a new office park or what but it looks like it might be a pretty sizable project. Like 10 warehouses have already come down and there are a couple more to go before the whole parcel is cleared.

sorry if I posted this in the wrong place I didn't know where else to put it.


I have seen that but have no idea what will be going there. Good question. What is going there?

The land was bought up by the DOT so I assume it has something to do with the 836/826 interchange reconfiguration/expasion.

FDOT in cooperation with MDX, is going to redo the entire 836/826 interchange. MDX is contributing $500 Million to the project (according to their website). some highlights from the whole project which is expected to last 5-6 years:
* Providing direct connector ramps - in all directions - between SR 826 and SR 836.
* Providing additional lanes to help reduce traffic congestion.
* Improving direct ramp exits to main streets.
* Providing corridors to accommodate proposed future transit route.
* Providing corridors for future connections of NW 7th Street under SR 826 and of NW 82nd Avenue under SR 836.

http://www.fdotpalmetto.com/images/p-826836/826836limits.jpg

http://www.fdotpalmetto.com/images/p-826836/826836render.jpg

http://www.fdotpalmetto.com/p-826836.html
http://www.mdxway.com/

Thanks so much Born and Dave it's guys like you and others who post facts figures maps and renderings that make this site a great resource. I posted a simple question with no expectations and just a couple of hours later you guys bust out with answers and awesome renderings!

After a season of many mediocre posts and infantile in-fighting by some, you guys have restored my faith in this site.

Thanks. Here's to you :cheers:

Is construction progressing at 1450 brickell?

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070719/fyi.shtml

BANKING ON INCENTIVES: Miami-Dade commissioners last week unanimously approved nearly $1.6 million in economic development incentives in hopes of luring an international bank headquarters to a new 35-story office tower to be built at 1450 Brickell Ave. Miami is competing with Atlanta and Brazil for the bank's $37.3 million headquarters. The bank, whose name is concealed in county documents, would employ more than 200, averaging $130,000 in individual yearly wages and a $32,500 annual employee benefit package.

I hope we get them, that'd be great for Brickell!

Brickell Financial Centre and Met 2 sites, from Miami_fever's flickr taken July 18:

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1100/848173069_eda7ae2d79_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1041/848112617_fe5629687e_b.jpg

Sources, other signs say UBS is headed to 1450 Brickell
South Florida Business Journal - July 20, 2007
by Stafff reports

UBS, the Swiss financial giant, appears to be the answer to the buzzing question: "Which bank will be anchor the proposed tower at 1450 Brickell Ave.?"

Several Miami real estate sources said they have heard that UBS is the company, adding that it has been seeking a high-profile Brickell site where it could consolidate some Miami operations.

http://southflorida.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2007/07/23/tidbits1.html

Potential for office space glut seen

Commercial developers and landlords will compete and sometimes struggle to fill buildings with nearly 3.9 million square feet of office space under construction, a new study concludes.

There aren't enough tenants expanding or moving into the region to meet the upcoming surge in office space, said Calum Weaver, marketing director in the Miami office of CB Richard Ellis and author of the study, titled "If you build it, will they come?" Historically, the region's new buildings have been filled by businesses trading up to new digs in what is called a "flight to quality."

That means a significant increase in relocations by new companies coming into the region would be needed to avoid growing vacancy rates.

The bad news for those leasing space: The record-high lease prices in many submarkets are not likely to drop as investors still insist on profits amid high building costs and increases in taxes after space is sold, Weaver said.

Instead, he expects landlords to offer concessions over rental reductions as the new supply is added to the market at the end of 2008 through 2010.

With the residential boom winding down, developers have turned to office construction, which has grown by 450 percent since the end of 2005 when 705,850 square feet was under way.

Only 15 percent of the 3.9 million square feet under construction has been pre-leased, the study found. Most are being built with less than half of the property signed by tenants.

CBRE projects that less than a third of the added space will be filled by new companies moving to South Florida.

South Florida, which ranks high nationally for small businesses, is not known as a haven for expansive corporate headquarters. A typical tenant takes up less than 5,000 square feet. Weaver said that most net absorption comes from organic growth due to expansions.

More than 75 percent of the new offices are likely to be consumed by companies that are already located in the area, the study forecasts. Several large leases in Miami that require 30,000 to 150,000 square feet are expiring in the next three years, according to Jones Lang LaSalle.

Vacancies could double
The study raises concerns as to whether the current flurry of office development will end up being too fast and too furious, like the recent residential boom.

Some South Florida submarkets are poised to suffer 100 percent or more increases in vacancy rates, the CBRE study warns.

At 6.5 percent, Miami-Dade has the lowest suburban office vacancy rate in the nation, according to CBRE's national figures for the second quarter. Fort Lauderdale follows with 7 percent.

But when it comes to downtown office markets, Charlotte, N.C. (3.1 percent), Manhattan (midtown is 4.8 percent and downtown is 7 percent) and Boston (7.1 percent) led as lowest.

Just as it was during the condo craze, Miami is the epicenter for much of the new commercial construction. The city's central business districts have three major office projects, all by Miami-area developers, totaling 1.8 million square feet:

The Rilea Group's 1450 Brickell Avenue building offers 580,000 square feet.
Foram Group's two-tower Brickell Financial Centre, at 680 Brickell Ave., will have about 605,000 square feet in its first phase.
MDM Development's 700,000-square-foot Met 2, part of Metropolitan Miami, is in the downtown area just north of the Miami River.
All three projects have had groundbreakings, but Cushman & Wakefield Director John Marshall, one of the brokers for 1450 Brickell, isn't confident all of them will get built.

"My gut tells me that one will bow out in the next six months. I know 1450 will be built. It will not be one of the ones," he said. "Pre-leasing just doesn't happen very often. You've got to commit to build to sign a lease."

Jones Lang LaSalle projects 1450 Brickell will be the first to rise among the three, for a mid-2009 delivery, according to the brokerage's Miami market report for the second quarter.

Lease rates may leap 25%
Demand quickly outstripped supply in the past three years when commercial developments were few and far between.

CBRE reports substantial spikes in the last 15 months for average asking rents among Class A properties - increases of up to $10 a square foot for the Wachovia Financial Centre, 701 Brickell and the Miami Center in Miami, as well as buildings along Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale.

It expects as much as a 25 percent rise in rents through 2008, CBRE said.

The only flexibility may be found in Class B and C buildings, Weaver said, where owners have been able to charge more because of the tight market.

http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/stories/2007/07/23/story1.html?t=printable

I hope we don't see an office space overbuild because that would be really bad for our economy probably worse than the condo market collapse, so i really hope that some of these smaller towers aren't built, and i still see 600 brickell as the long shot, 1450 is quite smaller and already has a prominent groundfloor tenant and now with UBS, it just solidified its chances and met2 has metlife on its corner and has a hotel anchor so it makes more sense,,,,600 brickell has nothing.

I also think that the smaller infill office buildings are a really good thing.

3333 Biscayne

2121 Biscayne

Logik

Personally i think that these are three very nice projects and that 2222 Biscayne is a hideous Behemoth.

I hope we don't see an office space overbuild because that would be really bad for our economy probably worse than the condo market collapse, so i really hope that some of these smaller towers aren't built, and i still see 600 brickell as the long shot, 1450 is quite smaller and already has a prominent groundfloor tenant and now with UBS, it just solidified its chances and met2 has metlife on its corner and has a hotel anchor so it makes more sense,,,,600 brickell has nothing.

I don't think there's going to be an "office craze" because the dynamics are very different from a housing boom. With offices, pretty much all that gets built is what the market can handle...rather than a condo boom where a bunch of units sit unoccupied for lengthy periods as a result of being sold to speculators, etc.

I guess the only potential problem with the smaller office projects is that they may well fill Miami's needs for the time being, which would obviously make it a lot tougher to get a big project like One Biscayne leased to the extent where it would be viable to build.

Miami's a unique market because while there's a lot of regional offices it's not a corporate headquarters city...there's very little of that. In fact, the last "signature" tower for a locally-based company went up a quarter-century ago (Southeast Building) and needless to say they don't even exist anymore. The lack of that corporate presence makes it hard to put up really big office towers without the major tenant already in place.

It's a weird quandry in any regard. Do you root for some of the smaller stuff to not happen in hopes of there being a greater likelihood of a signature tower like OBP? Hard question to answer, imo.

I guess I am just looking for revitalizaion of Edgewater and the Design district area too. It seems to me important as I think it would suck if after you pass the PAC driving up Biscayne there is just the same of down trodden blvd. Thes smaller places would support the restaurants and services as well as housing there.

Maybe focused in CBD is better for the city.??

Has anyone been by the Logik site lately? Are they truly moving forward?

One thing to take into consideration is that office space for lease and office condos (logik) will most likely be targeting 2 different demographics.

office condo is such a niche market though, its something that in the future won't survive in my opinion....and as much as i want a revitalized edgewater d district(i used to live there) i dont want to see abandoned derelict properties such as the region sbank building on biscayne or all the empty warehouses on 2nd ave. I'm already disapointed enough with all the failed projects and promises we've gotten over the years, so status quo wouldn't be such a bad compromise.

and obp seems in good shape since the current building onsite is 80% leased and has 700k sqft office it shouldn't be hard to sign a few companies.

Has anyone been by the Logik site lately? Are they truly moving forward?

One thing to take into consideration is that office space for lease and office condos (logik) will most likely be targeting 2 different demographics.


Yes they are moving forward. They have tore up the concrete and nocked down a building on the of the storage facility. Now they have to nock down this disgusting apartment complex on the corner of 6th and 2nd ave I think and tehn they can start ground work.

I'd rather have 600 Brickell and Met 2 over 1450 Brickell. The design for 1450 Brickell is nice but the plaza/pedestrian elements of 600 Brickell and its location are perfect for that area, considering all the condo towers on that corner. And Met 2, is just Met 2, the design is amazing, so of course it goes. Here's to hoping they all get built! :)

Swiss bank UBS eyeing Brickell HQ

By Wayne Tompkins
Swiss banking giant UBS appears to be the mystery international bank considering a headquarters on Brickell Avenue that would create 200 high-paying jobs, according to a review of county documents and the company's Web site.
Indications are that the bank is considering a 35-story high-rise scheduled for completion in 2009 at 1450 Brickell Ave. as one of three potential sites for a $37 million facility.
Atlanta and Brazil also are in the running.
"We have no comment," said Kris Kagel, a spokesman in New York for the Zurich global bank.
A description of the bank in its application for Miami-Dade County incentives closely matches information found on UBS' Web site.
For example, the application mentions the company donating "$31 million to charities and 3,800 employees volunteering 50,000 hours," which, after converting the $31 million figure from Swiss francs, matches a passage found on the bank's Web site.
UBS, which has two facilities in Miami and one in Coral Gables, also meets the application's description of three facilities distributed in those cities.
UBS is a leading global wealth manager, a top-tier investment-banking and securities firm and one of the largest global asset managers.
"If you can get a bank like UBS, that would be a real feather in the cap for Brickell and our international banking community," said Ken Thomas, an independent banking consultant in Miami. "With international banking, you really have to have a presence in Miami."
The Beacon Council, which has been working to recruit the company, had no comment.
The Miami-Dade County commission recently approved a $1.6 million incentive package for the bank, whose name is concealed in county documents.
The bank will provide $130,000 in average individual yearly wages and a $32,500 annual employee benefit package.

http://miamitodaynews.com/news/070726/story1.shtml

Wow Hia Leah JDM:) < my friend,
Brickell Area is " HOT " :banana:
this area in 5 years can be it's own City with just as much banking as New York City, and a population of over 50,000 easy in 10 years !!!:cheers: 2015 , maybe ???

Chuck, please let's not support any more cities in Miami-Dade County, we have enough lol. This is great news for Brickell and all of downtown, I really hope they take the chance and choose Miami. Now, what does this leave 600 Brickell?

I 'm in Miami for the weekend and i can't believe the little progress that has been made on all the office towers..

met2 has only finished about 10% of the caissons needed, they've been working on that foundation for more than 4 months yet not much has been done.

On the other hand I was very surprised with the progress at 600 brickell when i left miami they were still doing site prep, now they moved past site prep dug about 10ft down and are piledriving rebar mesh

1450 the site had two guys on it, one sitting in a pckup truck the other on a cell phone, no machinery on site, wtf?

I was expecting 1450 and met2 to have already poured foundation niether is even close.

oH AND BY THE WAY I HATE THE WAY AXIS,AVENUE,AND PLAZA LOOK...I like the riverview of epic but the backsite is hideous and 50biscayne looks nice.

oH AND BY THE WAY I HATE THE WAY AXIS,AVENUE,AND PLAZA LOOK...I like the riverview of epic but the backsite is hideous and 50biscayne looks nice.


Any chance of some pictures? Would like to see how Biscayne Blvd is looking.

:banana:

From the sounds of it 900, your little home strip is going to be the nicest in town.

GO MDC Wolfson.

Hi Everyone, well I've been visiting these boards for quite a while now and the beautiful Miami is the City that interests me the most...

Well, anyway it seems as if 600 Brickell started pourig a foundation for one of its tower cranes today, as seen from the Wachovia webcam. You can already see the first part of it lying in the back.

http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/6361/600brickell3nq8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

I hope you can see the picture.

NICE. One crane is up and ready to go at the 1450 site and Capital is getting going FINALLY with their pile driving.

GO MIAMI OFFICE DEVELOPMENT! Yes, I'm very happy to hear construction is going good at 1450 and 600 Brickell!! :)

there is no slowing Miami despite what everyone says...
great find Alex.. Welcome aboard..

Port lands new Cruise line HQ:

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/070927/story1.shtml

Port lands cruise line, will build $60M HQ

By Wayne Tompkins
The Port of Miami expects next month to announce a deal that will bring a new cruise line headquarters to the port as well as a new $60 million terminal to accommodate it.
Port Director Bill Johnson said the deal, if completed, would be in the range of 15 years and $60 million.
"We're getting very close to announcing jointly the actual cruise line and the parameters of the deal," Mr. Johnson said. "It represents a good deal for the port and the cruise line. We're excited."
The port, operated by Miami-Dade County, hopes to present the deal to the county commission's transit committee in November and to the full commission a month later, Mr. Johnson said.
The port already is home to most major cruise lines and is the world's busiest cruise facility, expecting nearly 3.75 million passengers this year. That's below its 2003 record of 3.96 million, but up substantially from 3.1 million passengers in 1999.
"We're projecting 3.95 million passengers in 2008," Mr. Johnson said.
The pending announcement comes as the port is opening two new cruise terminals for Carnival Cruise Lines.
"These are state-of-the art terminals that we built for $40 million each," Mr. Johnson said. "It continues the long legacy here where modern-day cruising was actually invented more than 40 years ago at the Port of Miami."
The port is home to 22 different vessels and seven different brands in the cruise industry. While the identity of the new cruise line has not been publicly disclosed, Disney Cruise Lines, now based at Port Canaveral, recently made it known it might be looking to move or expand elsewhere. European lines looking to expand East Coast operations might also be interested in giving the Port of Miami a look.
Mr. Johnson said he also is aggressively pursuing the growing "port of call" business of vessels that make mid-week stops.

600 brickell:

http://live6.truelook.com/timages/live6/ecodb/ecodb_wachovia_camera1/imgbuf/buf_11827/1192137308681640.jpg

Interesting to see what this ends up looking like. This is the Barcelona Cathedral that its supposed to be modeled after:
http://photos.igougo.com/photos/journal_photos/cath3.jpg


http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/272882.html

15-story office tower planned

A pricey office tower modeled after a Barcelona cathedral is slated for Coral Gables, continuing builders' push into commercial properties after a slowdown in the residential market.

Posted on Tue, Oct. 16, 2007

BY MATTHEW HAGGMAN
mhaggman@MiamiHerald.com

Developer Allen Morris, who sat out South Florida's building boom the last five years, now plans to build an office tower on Coral Gables land previously slated for condominiums.

Builders are increasingly focusing on commercial development amid a slumping housing market after a record spate of residential construction.

Morris plans to break ground next summer on Ponce de Leon Towers, a 15-story, 215,000-square-foot office building modeled after a 15th Century Gothic cathedral in Barcelona. Morris plans to seek LEED silver certification, the second highest level awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council.

Cisneros Group, a privately held media and telecommunications conglomerate headed by Venezuelan billionaire Gustavo Cisneros, has agreed to move into the building when it is completed, expected in 2010.

Morris is pushing the envelope in terms of construction costs and rents he's seeking from prospective tenants in the city.

Construction will cost $115 million, or $535 per square foot, ranking the project among the priciest built in Florida on a per-square-foot basis, Morris said. And he's seeking rents north of $50 a square foot. Coral Gables Class A office rents averaged $37.36 in the third quarter.

''We suspect it will be a very reasonable rental rate when the building comes online in 2010,'' said Morris.

Morris heads up the Allen Morris Co., a privately-held Coral Gables firm founded in 1958. Morris said Ponce de Leon Towers will be the firm's 79th project.

The office project's location, 2801 Ponce de Leon Blvd., is partly the result of the slowing residential market. Ponce de Leon Towers is going up on land previously slated for part of Old Spanish Village, a seven-acre condo development that launched sales earlier this year.

That project's developer, Coral Gables-based Ralph Sanchez, is now selling 1.5 acres to Morris. Neither party would disclose the price, but each said the office tower would be compatible with the remaining residential development.

I hope that it integrates with the Spanish Village's residential component. Interesting news. Can't wait to see some renderings.

Sounds interesting, very nice!

I hope that it integrates with the Spanish Village's residential component. Interesting news. Can't wait to see some renderings.

I found one very rudimentary rendering from the Miami Herald:
http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2007/10/16/17/707-Ponce_de_Leon_Towers.embedded.prod_affiliate.56.jpg

Also a better description of what the building will include:
http://cggazette.com/absolutenm/templates/indextemp.aspx?articleid=3306&zoneid=1
Among the new design components that the Allen Morris Company plans for the building are gothic arches, stain glass windows and steeple towers from the 15th century – all reinterpreted into a high-tech 21st century landmark.

isnt that building already built in the gables? (on alhambra)

isnt that building already built in the gables? (on alhambra)

No but it is the same developer & architect as the one you are thinking of. I think this one is going to be more square than the Alhambra one which is triangular. But they do look similar:
http://www.business-americas.com/CG%20Off2.jpg

So where is this new one going up?

Btw, the Ford Dealership site office project should spice things up there... That Dealership was so ugly.

Another 10-story office park to go up in the Blue Lagoon area:

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/071025/story5.shtml

1000 Waterford green office project set to break ground

By Marilyn Bowden
Waterford at Blue Lagoon's first green office building is scheduled to break ground tomorrow (10/26).
The 10-story, 260,000-square-foot 1000 Waterford is a joint development of Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association, College Retirement Equities Fund — known as TIAA-CREF — and The Hogan Group.
The partnership has been developing the 250-acre corporate park for more than a decade, with The Hogan Group acting as development manager for the owner, said Mike Hogan, Hogan Group's CEO.
"This is the first that will be LEED certified," he said. LEED, an acronym for Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, is a national rating system for green buildings. "What we're seeing in corporate American now is a much greater requirement for that kind of construction, and we as well as other developers are going in that direction."
Occupancy in the 1.1 million square feet of class A space Hogan manages at the park is at 94%, Mr. Hogan said, "so we are anxious to get this one out of the ground."
In its third-quarter report, CB Richard Ellis reported office vacancy across the Airport West area at 8.5%.
TIAA-CREF, which has a 60-year track record in commercial real estate, plans to continue building at Waterford, said Denise Maxwell, director of real estate asset management.
"We are looking at developing a number of medical condo units as well as other development," she said. "We're seeing increased demand from existing tenants due to the economic situation in Latin America."
Ms. Maxwell said TIAA-CREF owns more than 40 million square feet of office and retail space in the Miami area, including the recently acquired 701 and 801 Brickell buildings, and is looking at more acquisitions here.
"Miami is a targeted market," she said, "because of the strength of the local economy and a positive economy in Latin America, as well as an unemployment rate lower than the national average."
Richard Neve, Hogan's regional vice president and on-site manager at Waterford at Blue Lagoon, said 1000 Waterford is directly behind the Sofitel Hotel.
"We are doing site planning for our 20-acre core site," he said, "which will contain a hotel and three office buildings."
Those three office buildings and 1000 Waterford would add another million square feet of class A space.
Among the park's amenities Mr. Neve listed proximity to the airport, day care, an on-site post office and free parking.
"We are quoting in the mid-$30s," he said, "and we are already seeing tenants coming out of downtown and Coral Gables. Corporate America wants to maximize their rent dollars to get the most for their money in terms of densities and cutting costs."
Fortune 500 companies already at Waterford include Sony, FedEx, Hewlett-Packard and Caterpillar.

Good to see the progress on 600 Brickell. I'm really excited about this one.

Are the cranes fully up a 600 brickell or met 2 yet?

Are the cranes fully up a 600 brickell or met 2 yet?

Hello345:) , my friend,
Your AV , is that the State of MARYLAND flag ???,
I was born in Baltimore and raised there till I was 9, thru 1964 !!!:cheers:

The Tower Construction cranes Bases are in at the 600 Brickell Finnacial Centre site, but no Yellow cranes as of yet,
The same with MET 2,,. installing is happening,
But not up as of yet, Foundations on both towers are still being done,
1450 Brickell Office Tower is going Vertical and will be completed before MET 2 and 600 Brickell,.:cheers:

Does anyone know when 1450 Brickell will get topped off? Also, when should we expect 600 Brickell and Met 2 to start going vertical? Both of these projects should really be welcome additions to the area of downtown Miami around the river. 1450 will be a nice addition for middle and lower Brickell.

Cool. thanks chuck! Yep that's the state of maryland's flag, I was in baltimore on a trip recently, It's a wonerful city!

Met 2 is already starting to go vertical. Cranes are up.

Could someone please give me an update on Logik Towers?

A picture of the progress on the site would be greatly appreciated~!

I'll try to swing by Logik on Friday to get an update.

Thanks for the office construction updates.

the official logik website has construction photo updates every month:

http://logiktower.com/home.php

When should we start to see this Logik going vertical?

Here's the Andalusia Corporate Center to go at 2263 Douglas Road (Sw 37 Ave and SW 22nd Ter, on the City of Miami side of the street). Its to be 13-stories and 169 feet tall containing 153,000 sqft of office space:

(rendering on page 3)
http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/38488.PDF

the official logik website has construction photo updates every month:

http://logiktower.com/home.php


Thank you for that. They have definately updated this website, I was on it several months ago. Im excited about this project. It is west of the metrorail tracks.......and it looks great. This area needs stimulation. I hope this project inspires other development near by.

The next several years we will be watching Logik, 1450 Brickell, Met 2, 600 Brickell, Capital and maybe even Infinity 2 going up (in addition to others). All things considered, not too shabby!!!

Does anyone have an update of the status of the old Miami Arena? What is going to happen to that site?

I vaguely remember the rumors floating around over a year ago.

What is going to happen to this location???

A new office building to be developed at 1451 Brickell Ave is proposing a 2 level elevated walkway connecting it to the Four Seasons. The walkway goes before the commission for approval on the 9th. The new 1451 Brickell Tower is being developed by Millenium Partners, the same group that built the Four Seasons.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/38681.pdf

A new office building to be developed at 1451 Brickell Ave is proposing a 2 level elevated walkway connecting it to the Four Seasons. The walkway goes before the commission for approval on the 9th. The new 1451 Brickell Tower is being developed by Millenium Partners, the same group that built the Four Seasons.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/38681.pdf

That's interesting. Are there any renderings or more information on how tall it's to be?

A new office building to be developed at 1451 Brickell Ave is proposing a 2 level elevated walkway connecting it to the Four Seasons. The walkway goes before the commission for approval on the 9th. The new 1451 Brickell Tower is being developed by Millenium Partners, the same group that built the Four Seasons.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/38681.pdf

Are they still going with this design for 1451 brickell?

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=10566191&postcount=249

http://www.kobikarp.com/images/1451brickell002.jpg

Wow! I have totally missed this project. HEHE. I drive by there everyday nothing is going on. They are fixing up the building behind the lot. But there is no activity what so ever. Well, maybe the massive amount of taxi's that use that spot for parking and talking with each other.

Whoah! That would be a great project!! Specially if "the point" ever gets underway across the street. It will be the ultimate gateway into the financial district.

I walked past all the office construction sites today.

1450 Brickell: going vertical with cranes, it's very obvious (approx. about 20 feet high).
1451 Brickell: nothing
600 Brickell: going vertical with cranes (about 15-20 feet high).
Met 2: vertical with cranes (20+ feet high).

Overall, looking very good for Miami's office development!

Cool ! i'm glad the cranes are up at 600 brickell:banana::banana::banana:

I walked past all the office construction sites today.

1450 Brickell: going vertical with cranes, it's very obvious (approx. about 20 feet high).
1451 Brickell: nothing
600 Brickell: going vertical with cranes (about 15-20 feet high).
Met 2: vertical with cranes (20+ feet high).

Overall, looking very good for Miami's office development!

:banana: Yeah, 600 brickell is flying! I'm glad 1450 (The point) has finally started! All we need is 1451 to make that grand office entrance to financial brickell

I say build as many office buildings as they can, its the mark of a real metropolis. Even if they overbuild, alll it means rents will go down making it more attractive for businesses to move to brickell and the CBD. Got to look at the positives.

I wish it looked more office and less condo (1451 Brickell). Doesn't it look like a condo tower?

I wish it looked more office and less condo (1451 Brickell). Doesn't it look like a condo tower?

KEVIN Kagy:),
our friend,
Very true, But this is the future of condo designed towers turning into Office towers and designed taller and better,
IMO:nuts:, if MET 3 cancells as a condo:ohno:,
It will be an Office tower at the same location and maybe built Taller, I'm hoping another 1,000 footer like ONE BAYFRONT PLAZA , wow, this would be GREAT !!!!
or maybe the same way and height of 826 feet by 2015 !!!:cheers:

DAVE:), our Update Friend,
Thanks again:banana: for the Update Pictures of 1451 Brickell Office tower,
This Tower is seen in my Dreams of 2012 as Completed by the end of 2012 !!!:cheers:

The 1451 Renderings aren't for the office tower...those are the former proposed condos for the site...

The 1451 Renderings aren't for the office tower...those are the former proposed condos for the site...

That would make more sense and a sigh of relief.

That would make more sense and a sigh of relief.

Yes Kevin Kagy:),
our friend,
what a relief, and the office tower would be built taller as an office looking type tower in place of the condo tower rendering !!!:cheers:
I feel so much better about that , too.:lol:

Thanks for that important Info and correction update !!!
Toucano:), Our Master and friend :cheers:

That building looks so puny compared to the four seasons. hehehe.

It looks like Paramount Park has been reconfigured as an office tower:

http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/294093.html

COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE SPECIAL REPORT
Condo developers look to commercial uses

BY MATTHEW HAGGMAN
mhaggman@MiamiHerald.com

Plans called for six soaring condominium towers and more than 4,000 residential units with views of Biscayne Bay. But then the condo boom went bust.

Now it's not new condos that Argent Ventures wants to build on the 11-acre site of the shuttered Omni International Mall in Miami, but scads of offices, a renamed hotel, new shops and restaurants.

Such are the decisions South Florida developers continue to wrestle with as the housing downturn shows little sign of turning around. Many builders who hatched ambitious plans for new condos -- and often went through lengthy and expensive governmental approvals for them -- are now reconsidering. They're choosing instead to go commercial -- office, retail, hotel.

''You have to be able to twist and turn,'' said Mark Teitelbaum, chief operating officer of Argent Ventures in New York City, which owns the Omni. ``We went down that very tempting condo road, but then the road closed.''

Switching from residential to commercial is not new. In the last year, as the housing market slumped, more developers gradually have changed course to salvage their investment. But the trend continues to gather steam.

The Villa Magna condo planned for a swath of bayfront land near Miami's Brickell Avenue is now being reworked -- and renamed -- to incorporate more hotel and retail space. Paramount Park, a Biscayne Boulevard project destined for across the street from American Airlines Arena, is replacing planned condo space with office and hotel uses.

Earlier this month, builders of the proposed Spanish Village residential project in Coral Gables sold part of the land to an office developer.

The reason this approach is proving so popular is South Florida's commercial real estate market is going strong. Vacancy levels in office buildings remain low, and retailers and restaurateurs continue pouring into the region, as do hoteliers.

But successfully making the leap is no sure thing. The office market is an increasingly crowded field, with a host of projects already planned or under way.

PROJECTS UNDERWAY

Work has commenced, for instance, on three new office buildings in downtown Miami and Brickell totaling some 1.9 million square feet.

Hotels from the Shangri-La on Watson Island to the Viceroy on Brickell are planned. New and proposed retail destinations range from Mary Brickell Village and Midtown Miami to City Center, a big box mall slated for land adjacent to Argent's Omni Mall.

''Let's not all think we are going to build offices and hotels and it will be absorbed,'' said Dan Kodsi, the developer behind the proposed Paramount Park. ``You have to look at absorption rates and timing. We want to be more cautious and not let happen what happened with residential by oversupplying the market.''

Real estate analyst David Dabby said for many builders, changing won't be viable. Some, he said, will just have to hunker down and wait for the housing market to improve.

`ALL CAN'T SWITCH'

''They all can't switch,'' said Dabby. ``There is not enough demand for all of them. It's a few fortunate ones that can successfully find an alternative use.''

Argent Ventures is hoping to be one of those fortunate ones.

Instead of demolishing the gutted Omni mall and erecting new buildings for residents, Teitelbaum's Argent Ventures decided earlier this year to redo the current Biscayne Boulevard building a few blocks north of the Carnival Center to accommodate workers, shoppers, diners and overnight guests.

The Radisson hotel there is being reflagged as a Hilton, and renovations are underway for all 528 rooms. Construction workers recently started stripping off portions of the Omni's stark concrete facade to install windows. The hope is to to make the cement behemoth an inviting office destination.

Plans for structural modifications to attract retailers are supposed to start by the first quarter of next year.

HUGE ADDITIONS

Taken together, the sleepy former mall -- currently home to the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce and Miami International University of Art & Design, but not much else -- aims to add 300,000 square feet of offices and 275,000 square feet of retail area.

Along with the hotel changes, it's adding new parking -- namely, level parking floors so shoppers' carts will not roll away, as they would on the current slanted floor garage.

The price tag for the changes is roughly $150 million, Teitelbaum said.

Argent has struggled to find the right plan for the Omni since buying a portion of it in 2000 (the company gained full control in 2005.) The firm first proposed turning the building into a telecom hub. That plan crumbled. Then it proposed condos. That went nowhere.

Although it's not clear whether the surrounding neighborhoods can support retail and office, Argent thinks it has the right mix now to succeed. It is betting it can beat other commercial builders to the punch by completing its renovations before others finish newly built projects. It also hopes to win on price.

''We are in the $35 a square foot rent for office space while new buildings will be in the mid to upper $40s,'' said Teitelbaum.

FIRST SIGNER

So far, the builder has signed one office tenant: the U.S. Passport Agency agreed to take 35,000 square feet.

Argent has yet to announce a retail tenant; its hotel is set to become a Hilton at the start of next year.

''We think we're creating a combination where each piece feeds off the other,'' said Teitelbaum, who added that he doesn't rule out building some condos down the road.

``We believe long term that downtown Miami is a place that many want to work and live, and condos will be viable again. But right now we have a new plan, and are pulling the trigger.''

It looks like Paramount Park has been reconfigured as an office tower:

http://www.miamiherald.com/business/story/294093.html

We need an office building boom. With new jobs, comes more residents to populate Downtown. So build on! :cheers:

DAVE:),
Our greatest update friend,
I knew this would happen, sooner or later ,
Many condo towers will go Office Vertical:cheers:,
It's the Turning Point of the Still BOOM here in Miami,
the approved condo towers around the Omni will follow suit, all Office towers now
Is our next 5 year Boom till the end of 2012 !!!
To tell you the truth,
I see this happening now,
Tibro Hollo will start his ONE BAYFRONT PLAZA before anything starts at Villa Magna with a different name with offices IMO.:banana:
Infinity 2 might be an office tower in about 4 years,IMO :banana:
Flatiron Tower will be offices !!! IMO:banana:
Brickell Finnacial Centre will be offices IMO:banana:
Empire world will be all offices !!! IMO::cheers:

What about BrickellCiti Centre...haven't heard much at all!

What about BrickellCiti Centre...haven't heard much at all!

305 Lover:),
Our friend,
sorry , that's the one I was talking about,
I mixed Brickell Finnancial Centre with 600 Brickell ,
My mistake,
Brickell Citi Centre will start it's first tower as an office Tower on the proposed 3 tower site.
IMO, of course,
But I see this happening every where,
Capital 2 will probably be an office tower , too IMO,
and the tower site north of the Mary Brickell village will go offices , too IMO !!! over the next 5 years til the End of 2012 !!!,
An OFFICE Boom here in my dreams of 2012 !!!
Go Cranes !!!:cheers:

office boom it is ...once the condo towers fill up companies will sure have cheaper labour to work for them...

Did anyone track how many jobs have been created in Miami this year and what is the forecast for the next 3 years?

What about BrickellCiti Centre...haven't heard much at all!

Brickell CitiCentre was completely cancelled. The land is for sale now.

cool

305 Lover:),
Our friend,
sorry , that's the one I was talking about,
I mixed Brickell Finnancial Centre with 600 Brickell ,
My mistake,
Brickell Citi Centre will start it's first tower as an office Tower on the proposed 3 tower site.
IMO, of course,
But I see this happening every where,
Capital 2 will probably be an office tower , too IMO,
and the tower site north of the Mary Brickell village will go offices , too IMO !!! over the next 5 years til the End of 2012 !!!,
An OFFICE Boom here in my dreams of 2012 !!!
Go Cranes !!!:cheers:

So then does this mean The Height of the towers will increase since office towers have TALL FLOORS and not 9 foot SHORT floors like in the Condos being built all over the city?????????

How is 600 brickell coming along?

How is 600 brickell coming along?

Currently foundation work a couple feet above ground with pillings.

cool, have they put up the 2nd crane yet?

The have the base set up for the second crane but it is not fully up yet. I hope they build the second phase of 600 not just the hotel. I really like the office tower design.

Brickell CitiCentre was completely cancelled. The land is for sale now.

Don't believe that for sale sign. That's what somebody wants you to believe. Give it a little more time. Did you notice that the Brickell Flatiron for sale sign is gone though? It's taken down from both sides of the property. I'm telling you guys even though the "boom" is over and the market has flattened out, the "boom" was so big it has attracted those who can build whatever they want whenever they want. So hold on! There is no telling what we might see. Just be patient and see what goes up. There are those of you who talk what the market is doing when there are those who are beyond what the market is doing who have been drawn to what is happening here in Miami.

I'm telling you guys even though the "boom" is over and the market has flattened out, the "boom" was so big it has attracted those who can build whatever they want whenever they want. If you know of those the can build whatever they want, whenever they want please arrange a lunch or dinner meeting, I've got an incredible project for them!!

bring on Verticus!

bring on Verticus! :) Yes, from the man that posted Verticus!!!
This is another amazing one and, fortunately, is leaps and bounds more realistic!!

I've got an incredible project for them!!

drop us a hint roark

:) Yes, from the man that posted Verticus!!!
This is another amazing one and, fortunately, is leaps and bounds more realistic!!

How dare you suggest Verticus wasn't a realistic proposal! As soon as it passes my 94th floor aerie in Empire World Towers I'm moving over there! :cheers:

How dare you suggest Verticus wasn't a realistic proposal! As soon as it passes my 94th floor aerie in Empire World Towers I'm moving over there! :cheers: My apologies! Let me say that this project just doesn't need as much land acquisition!
The hint is that it isn't anything that we don't know about, it's in a thread elsewhere, but there is a good possibility that it will get done.
It will be the most amazing structure in Miami for sure, and quite possibly the US.

My apologies! Let me say that this project just doesn't need as much land acquisition!
The hint is that it isn't anything that we don't know about, it's in a thread elsewhere, but there is a good possibility that it will get done.
It will be the most amazing structure in Miami for sure, and quite possibly the US.

Talking about the Oppenheim MDC building?

http://www.logiktower.com/home.php

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/7769/logikyu7.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

up, up and away

That is AEWSOME news. A nice tower set back from THE WALL!!:banana:

I can't wait until they tare the other nasty building next to it.

Awesome! Logik is great for revilatization on the western fringes of the CBD.

Well my timing couldn't be more perfect. They are taring down that disgusting building next to Logik 1 today. I drove by and it is more than half gone. YEAH:banana:

http://www.globest.com/news/1062_1062/miami/167015-1.html

Experts Still Bullish on Miami Office Market
By Natalie Keith

MIAMI-Despite the declining housing market, Miami continues to grow and investment interest in office properties is still strong, according to industry watchers.
Vacancy rates are beneath the 10% threshold and rents are rising at a robust pace. The vacancy rate was forecast to end the year at 8.5% and asking and effective rents are projected to climb 8.7% to $28.88 per sf and $24.84 per sf respectively in 2007. During the year, the median price of office properties climbed 10% to $243 per sf, according to a Marcus & Millichap Real Estate Investment Services report.

DTZ Rockwood Miami office managing director John Bell is equally bullish on the Miami office market. “Despite the housing market headlines, South Florida continues to grow at roughly double the national pace and is forecast to do so in the foreseeable future,” Bell says. “While a slight housing-induced dip in growth is forecast in 2008, job growth is expected to accelerate over the next five years.”

Miami continues to lead Fort Lauderdale in low office vacancy rates. In addition, given the five-year forecast of 50,000 new office jobs, 12 million sf of demand will need to be met. The state of the residential housing market and an abundance of options near urban job hubs may support growth in key office submarkets, Bell says.
Bell also notes that, although residential condominium construction is challenging the region’s housing market, it has not yet impacted commercial market fundamentals.

Thank you Dave. I found this article particularly interesting.

The office tower portion of the Biscayne Park development (2450 Biscayne) goes before the Planning Board on the 20th. Its to be 155 feet "A.G.L." or 169 feet "NGVD" with 134,484 square feet of office space and 16,975 square feet of retail space.

Whats going on with Logik Towers?

allready on the 6th floor working on 7th

http://www.logiktower.com/home.php

Wow thats impressive, this project hasn't gotten much publicity...

great project for that location!

:banana2:

Wow thats impressive, this project hasn't gotten much publicity...
Some news station will probably do a story on the building right when its finished and say "hey, look what popped up next to overtown!"

It is going to be beautiful and I have always LOVED this project.

Article quotes "anonymous sources" saying Greenberg Taurig is planning on moving into 125,000 sqaure feet in Met2.

http://www.globest.com/news/1129_1129/miami/169630-1.html

Greenberg Traurig is considering proposals from two nearby buildings set to open in 2010 while negotiating a possible renewal of its current 160,000-sf space in 1221 Brickell, according to Hopkins. Last week, the Daily Business Review, a publication owned by ALM, parent organization of Real Estate Media, quoted anonymous sources as saying Greenberg Traurig has a “handshake deal” to prelease 125,000 sf in the 47-story Met 2 office building under construction on SE Second Avenue.

Jack Lowell, managing director of Flagler Real Estate Services/ONCOR International who is handling leasing at Met 2, would not comment about a possible lease deal with Greenberg Traurig. A spokeswoman for the law firm also declined to discuss current negotiations.

Even as Greenberg Traurig and other long-standing law firms in Downtown Miami weigh their options near the end of their leases, Hopkins emphasizes that it isn’t a given they will automatically jump to new office space. Although moving into smaller space helps offset higher-priced rents, and landlords are willing to offer incentives and breaks below the $40-per-sf asking threshold, he says the time and trouble of relocating must also be weighed.

“Law firms generally are reluctant to move because it is a costly process,” Hopkins says. “While there may be efficiencies gained, they don’t want to wait five or ten years for that payback.”

Met2 and 1450 Brickell working on new leases as well as BFC:

http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/080424/story5.shtml

Major leases pending, new office building reps say

By Marilyn Bowden
Brickell Financial Centre, the last of three new office buildings to break ground in the downtown-Brickell corridor, was the first to sign an anchor tenant, but landlord representatives at competing properties say they expect to follow with lease announcements of their own in the near future.
"Major leases are always complicated and take a long time," said Jack Lowell, vice chairman at Flagler Real Estate Services, who handles leasing at Met 2.
"We are still working on our first couple of deals and expect to do a couple of them very soon."
While the large prospects looking at the new buildings right now are already in the market, Mr. Lowell said he thinks as the credit crisis gets resolved more financial service firms will come back.
"Also," he said, "since rates in existing buildings in downtown and Brickell are so high, a tenant can move to a new building and have lower rent."
Cushman & Wakefield's Maggie Kurtz, who is a leasing representative at 1450 Brickell, said that in the past couple of weeks "we have been super busy, and the feeling is different. Prospects are not just asking for proposals but are actively negotiating."
She said she expects each of the new buildings "will land a decent-sized tenant sometime this year.
"If somebody is serious about moving, this is the time to do it. They may not want to be in the same building as a competitor, and that gives the other new buildings a chance to land other quality tenants.
"Only the earliest tenants get the better views, better incentives and better locations within the building."
The law firm Bilzin Sumberg last week signed a 10.5-year, $58-million lease for 115,000 square feet at Brickell Financial Centre, filling about 15% of the building, said Danet Linares, senior vice president and director of Real Estate Services for Foram Group.
The 601,379 square-foot, 40-story office tower is scheduled for completion in January 2010. Bilzin Sumberg will occupy the 24th through 28th floors.
"We are very committed to this development, and we are experienced," Ms. Linares said, "but until the first tenant signs nobody knows for sure whether a building is moving forward. So I think this will start the momentum."
In appreciation, Ms. Linares said, as soon as the deal was inked, Foram presented John Sumberg, Bilzin Sumberg's managing partner, with a smart car.
One of the two witnesses to the lease signing, she said, was Mayor Manny Diaz.
Representing Bilzin Sumberg in the transaction were Barbara Liberatore Black and Matthew Goodman of Cresa Partners. The new lease included a 30,000-square-foot expansion.
Mr. Sumberg said his firm had a preference for Brickell over downtown, where it's had offices for more than two decades at Wachovia Financial Center, for several reasons, one of which was ease of access.
"We think that the egress and access is much better," he said. "We also think that with Mary Brickell Village and other new developments Brickell has become a more interesting site."
Another deciding factor, Mr. Sumberg said, was Foram Group's commitment to holding the property for many years after completion.
"We think they are really committed to doing a landmark project," he said.
"They have held this property for 20 years waiting to build, and their national headquarters will be here. So they will not be selling it to somebody else. It is their legacy.
"Another thing we were very attracted to is their environmental commitment. They are precertified for LEED silver certification, and they are going for gold certification.
"We think this will be very important going forward. There are intangible but significant health benefits to green buildings, and according to studies people working in them are happier."
Developers of both Met 2 and 1450 Brickell have announced they will seek LEED silver certification.
Other factors for choosing Brickell Financial Centre, Mr. Sumberg said, were a gym in the building free to all employees and an efficient layout without columns.
"For a law firm, the layout works extremely well," he said, "because columns interrupt offices and take up space. We're able to have significantly more efficient use of space because of not having columns in the floor plate; the loss factor is below 10%."
Tim Prunka, long-time leasing agent for Wachovia Financial Center, said he recalls that Bilzin Sumberg moved into a partial floor as a subtenant for Southeast Bank more than 20 years ago, and grew to 86,000 square feet.
"Their lease isn't up for three years," he said, "so there is no impact for us yet. But when they do leave, it will be a huge opportunity for another tenant. They have added about $100 a foot in improvements."

Good news. Nice to hear Met 2 and 1450 Brickell are going for LEED certification. Let's hope BFC builds BFC II soon.

Logik specs:

31 floors (352 ft. height)
700,000 total sq. feet
130,000 sq. ft. for office tower suites
retail component

http://www.orangedevelopments.com/ProdImages/logik.jpg
http://www.richardpaz.com/RealProjects//project_images/294_20060923164656_0.JPG

lol, that east view is pretty deceiving....as in very old. That was before the Biscayne Wawll even got off the ground! that area looks practically suburban as of that picture, it's so different now!

Also, was Logik stalled or is it still undergoing construction as of now?

^^^^It's pretty much stalled. I go to the Wolfson campus at Miami-Dade and I drive by it 3 times a week. Nothing is going on at that site. However, there is some major activity going on right across the street, but I don't know what is going up there.

^^^^It's pretty much stalled. I go to the Wolfson campus at Miami-Dade and I drive by it 3 times a week. Nothing is going on at that site. However, there is some major activity going on right across the street, but I don't know what is going up there.

How far did they get? I'd like to think it's temporary, because an unfinished building is really bad.

They got up to around 5 or 6 floors.

They should at least put the finishing touches on the 5-6 floors that they have so that it doesn't just sit there! Hopefully it gets back on track though.

Here's met 2 progress from today....

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x312/coruna-miami/100_7837.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x312/coruna-miami/subalbum/100_7906.jpg

http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x312/coruna-miami/subalbum/100_7902.jpg

Whats up with Epic, how much more to go with that one?

A new proposal called Miracle Square which is to be an 11-story, 139 foot tall office building to go on the corner of Coral Way (Miracle Mile) and SW 37th Ave where the blockbuster video's currently is.

http://egov.ci.miami.fl.us/Legistarweb/Attachments/43290.PDF

Does anybody know what the height of the logik towers is gonna be when top off?

I think the two towers are supposed to topped out at 30 stories. Howver, the site is still abandoned. Nothing going on there. Not even homeless drug use.

Speaking of office development, 600 Brickell is going up real fast and is looking good. When will Met 2's construction start to accelerate? It's going up but seems to be slower than some others.

Speaking of office development, 600 Brickell is going up real fast and is looking good. When will Met 2's construction start to accelerate? It's going up but seems to be slower than some others.

I think Met 2 is going up slower because it's two separate buildings, but I might be wrong. It does have two cranes after all, so who knows. 1450 Brickell and BFC are going up really fast though! :banana:

Interesting article on the office market and 1450 Brickell, BFC and Met2.

http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2008/08/10/12/1QComRealPage4.source.prod_affiliate.56.pdf

Interesting article on the office market and 1450 Brickell, BFC and Met2.

http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2008/08/10/12/1QComRealPage4.source.prod_affiliate.56.pdf

Thanks for the link. I think once these three are finished, Miami's housing and office market will be good for a while. They're going to do wonders to balance out our skyline too with great height and give back our office looking skyline of pre-boom.

Here's a couple pictures I took of BFC I a couple days ago:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/kevinkagy/DSCN1455.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v96/kevinkagy/DSCN1460.jpg