Colombian Interest In Miami Real Estate Holds Steady Into 2018

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Colombians continued searching for Miami homes in January, according to a new report from the Miami Association of Realtors.

Potential buyers from Colombia again led a ranking of foreign nationals searching for South Florida homes using the association’s website, with 12.6 percent of the total, up from 10.5 percent the previous month. The list also includes Venezuela with 9.5 percent and Canada with 7 percent.

Foreign investment in residential real estate in South Florida totaled $7.1 billion last year, up nearly 15 percent from the previous year’s $6.2 billion. Colombian and Canadian home buyers tied for the third-most international home purchases in South Florida last year with 9 percent, each.

Check out the full list for January:

  1. Colombia: 12.6%
  2. Venezuela 9.5%
  3. Canada 7.0%
  4. Brazil 5.8%
  5. Argentina: 5.0%
  6. India: 4.1%
  7. Peru: 3.9%
  8. Spain: 3.2%
  9. Philippines: 3.1%
  10. Dominican Republic: 2.7%

Within the U.S., those most interested in buying residential real estate in South Florida were from Texas, North Carolina, California, New York and Georgia, according to the report.

 

Source: The Real Deal

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For High-End Branded Buildings, Miami Reigns

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Real estate developers, increasingly faced with a bevy of competition, are choosing well-known luxury lifestyle brands to entice buyers with more than just bricks and mortar.

With five luxury brand-affiliated buildings set to open in South Florida by 2021, the sunny region has seemingly become the unofficial home of the branded building, helped in large part by its international buying demographic. The trend is not quite so en vogue in long-established luxury markets. In London and New York City, for example, branding partnerships lean soundly toward hotels as opposed to luxury fashion and automobile brands. But London’s first fashion-brand partnership, a collaboration between Versace Home and the AYKON London One tower in the city’s Nine Elms regeneration zone, is headed to the capital in 2020.

Meanwhile, newer markets like Dubai and Beijing have long been the targets for luxury-branded developments. Dubai’s Armani hotel opened in 2010; last year, Armani’s eco-friendly complex with Smart Hero Group in Beijing was completed. The fashion house is also working on the interiors at Century Spire in Manila, Philippines, set to be completed this year. Meanwhile, Fendi partnered with DAMAC Properties for the interiors of Dubai’s DAMAC Residenze, which opened in 2017.

Miami Likes The Flash

The popularity of the branded-building in the Sunshine State though, boils down to one simple thing, according to one developer.

“Miami is more of a flashier type of city, than other areas like New York or Chicago that are a little more conservative,”  said Jon Paul Perez, vice president of Related Group, one of the developers behind Residences by Armani/Casa, set to open in the city in 2019.

The Porsche Design Tower may be one of the most well-known projects to emerge onto the Florida market. The building on Sunny Isles Beach, a barrier island north of Miami, is a collaboration between Dezer Development and high-performance German car manufacturer Porsche.

The 60-story building—designed by Sieger Suarez Architects—was completed last year and comes with a high-powered automobile elevator that transports drivers and their cars from street level to parking at their apartments. Only six of the tower’s 132 residences remain unsold, according to Gil Dezer, president of Dezer Development. Sales launched in 2012.

The automobile collaborations don’t end there. In downtown Miami, British luxury vehicle company Aston Martin has partnered with Argentinian developer G&G Business Developments for their own tower. The 66-story building, set for completion in 2021, will be topped with a triplex penthouse and have amenities like a fitness center and spa, a pool deck and a marina.

But it’s the fashion-conscious buyer that’s really being catered to in the sunshine state. Italian fashion house Fendi paired with developers Château Group for the Fendi Château Residences, the inaugural Fendi-branded residential project. The 12-story building in Surfside was completed in 2016 and houses 58 units, including three penthouses with private rooftop sundecks and swimming pools.

Armani is set to hit the South Florida residential scene in summer 2019 with their Residences by Armani/Casa project. Roughly five blocks away from the Porsche Design Tower in Sunny Isles Beach, the 56-story building is over 75% sold. It’s expected to be finished in the summer of 2019 and the tower will have over 35,000-square-feet of amenities, including a wine cellar and cigar room.

Missoni Baia, in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood, is a partnership between the fashion house known for its colorful style and developer OKO Group. Designed by Hani Rashid of Asymptote Architecture, the 57-story building is slated for completion in the fall of 2020. It will have 229 residences, ranging in size from 776 to 3,788 square feet.

Why South Florida?

A branded building in South Florida “is a sign of distinction,” said Edgardo Defortuna, the president and CEO of Fortune International Group, the exclusive broker of Missoni Baia.

With so many high-end new buildings from which to choose, being able to distinguish a building is important for developers. And in Miami, where many developers don’t even begin construction until they’ve hit 50% in pre-sales to secure funding and guarantee interest, branding becomes even more important, according to Mr. Defortuna.

“In New York City, you build and then you sell. In Miami, we sell before the building becomes a reality,” Mr. Defortuna said. “To be able to ‘sell the dream,’ so to speak, it’s important to have something to point to.”

Those well-known—and well-respected—brands can theoretically get those buildings built more quickly.

Recipe For Success

Partnership conditions vary from deal to deal, but typically the developer will pay the brand a percentage of sales, typically 2% to 5%, which is paid at the closing of each unit in the building, according to Mr. Defortuna.

“For that fee, the developer has the right to use the name—subject to brand standards—and the brand provides either design or management services, according to the agreement worked out between the parties,” Mr. Defortuna said.

“But for a brand to make a successful foray into real estate, it has to be one that people associate with not only luxury but a certain type of lifestyle that people can relate and aspire to,” Mr. Perez said. “At the same time, it has to be a brand the developer can work with. The brand and designer can have amazing ideas but you have to be able to build those and make them a reality.”

Not only does a partnership have to be chosen with care, but the brand must translate clearly and recognizably into the project.

“In the Aston Martin Residences, it’s not as if the place is emblazoned with wings,” said Marek Reichman, Aston Martin’s chief creative officer and the lead designer on the Aston Martin Residences project, referring to the sports car’s logo. “It’s much more subtle than that.”

Signature materials from the brand’s cars are found in the tower’s interiors, common areas and amenity spaces, like the hand-stitched leather door tabs—sourced from a Scottish village—and  the carbon fiber lobby furniture.

“Obviously there’s a design aesthetic,” Mr. Reichman said. “The units remain more neutral. If a customer comes along and is buying, they can make a choice to create their own environment or talk to us and we can advise them or create for them. However much of Aston Martin you want, you can have.”

Not only does the aesthetic matter for the brand itself, but it’s crucial to brand loyalists too, who inevitably become an important section of buyers.

“There’s a real sense of connection with the brand and for our traditionalists that’s brilliant,” Mr. Reichman said. “Buyers so far have been a 50/50 split between customers that know the brand and those who have just come to the showroom regardless of the connection. The real estate venture allows Aston Martin to secure “those new and different customers that we haven’t looked to talk to before because they haven’t come from the traditional automotive channels.”

Who’s Buying?

Foreign buyers purchased $7.1 billion of South Florida residential properties last year, up from $6.2 billion a year ago, according to a recent report by the Miami Association of Realtors. In Miami alone, foreign buyers accounted for 35% of closed sales and purchased 15,400 properties last year, a 41.3% surge from the year before (10,900).

Argentinian buyers led the way, accounting for 15% of South Florida foreign purchases, followed by Venezuela (11%), Canada and Colombia (9% each). It’s for this reason that internationally recognized brands are key.

“Your buyers a lot of the time are from out of the country and associate a lot with these brands,” Mr. Perez said. “They know Armani, even from just going to the stores, they can feel how that is going to transition into the building they’re buying in.”

Of the sales to date at Residences by Armani/Casa, Mr. Perez said 80% have been from international buyers. Robert Thorne, CEO and founder of Miami-based The Wellness Habitat Co., is one of the other 20%. He bought a two-bedroom unit on the 25th floor at Residences by Armani/Casa about two years ago for $1.4 million, as soon as sales launched at the building. The apartment will be Mr. Thorne’s Miami base, he told Mansion Global, now that he primarily lives in Mexico City.

“An important factor in his purchase was the developer,” Mr. Thorne said. “But the brand was the main thing. We had seen the Armani building in Dubai and were convinced by the style. I’m not 100% Armani, but I follow the brand, we have stuff at home from Armani, I wear Armani suits. Just knowing that the brand is behind it, it makes sure that everything else is going to be of quality. We knew our investment was going to be secure.”

 

Source: Mansion Global

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Worldcenter Gets FAA Approval For A Second 40-Story Apartment Tower

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Miami Worldcenter has been granted FAA approval to build another 40-story tower.

The Federal Aviation Administration just ruled that the proposal to build a second tower at 7th Street apartments does not pose a hazard to air navigation. The application was submitted September 29, 2017 and took five months to review.

The east tower, known as Caoba, is already topped off, with 43 stories and 444 units.

The west tower is not yet under construction and hasn’t been named, but will include 40-story and 429-unit.

According to the FAA application, the west tower will top off at 485 feet above ground and 496 feet above sea level, identical in height to the eastern Caoba tower.

Photos of East Caoba Tower from mid January:

 

Source: The Next Miami

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North Miami Beach Dean’s Gold Site Will Become A Massive Mixed-Use Project

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What was once Dean’s Gold, a Miami Vice-era North Miami Beach strip club that the Miami Herald dubbed a “historical landmark,” will one day be the site of a one million-square-foot mixed used development.

CK Privé Group’s Uptown Biscayne project just received City Council approval to build a complex, the South Florida Business Journal reported. The project includes a 16-story residential tower, 35,000 square feet of offices, more than 170,000 square feet of retail spanning a grocery store, restaurant and fitness club, and more than 1,000 parking spaces — along with a pedestrian Main Street and 40,00-square-foot garden.

Arquitectonica is behind the design of the mixed-use center, which will span nearly five acres of highly visible intersections. Construction is expected to kick off this year.

 

Source: Curbed Miami

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Skyscrapers Face The Apocalypse

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On an ordinary day, George Dotzler may deal with wind speeds equivalent to a Category 5 hurricane, torrential rains akin to a monsoon and seismic shifts that feel like an earthquake. Rounding out the day could involve a heat wave and an arctic blast.

Mr. Dotzler, 58, is the director of operations for the Construction Research Laboratory, where builders, developers and architects go to test the durability and stability of glass building facades, called curtain walls. Located at what looks like an abandoned airfield in Miami, the lab has 38 sealed test chambers and all the equipment to replicate the forces of nature.

“It’s like ‘Mad Max’ here,” Dotzler said, referencing the 1979 movie’s dystopian landscape.

A mock-up of a facade at the testing lab.(Photo Credit: Scott McIntyre for The Wall Street Journal)

With skyscrapers sprouting up around the world, demand for structural testing is strong. Big-name architects are increasingly designing towers with quirky shapes, and developers must go to greater lengths to ensure that the unusual curves and crannies can withstand even the harshest conditions. While some testing is required by municipal law, most developers are going the extra mile, since they can’t afford to start mending ruptures and leaks once their buildings are up. Only three or four facilities in the U.S. have experience testing super-tall structures, Mr. Dotzler estimated.

In recent years, the company has been testing 53W53, a 1,050-foot-tall tower designed by architect Jean Nouvel that is under construction adjacent to the Museum of Modern Art in midtown Manhattan. Scheduled for completion in 2019, the 82-story building will have 145 luxury condominiums. The developers—a partnership between Houston-based Hines, Singapore-based Pontiac Land Group and Goldman Sachs —decided on a tapered structure with criss-cross structural framing on the exterior.

“Everything in this curtain wall is bespoke, custom-made for this building,” said David Penick, managing director at Hines. “Every piece of aluminum. Nothing is off the shelf.”

The developers had 6,000 panels of triple-paned glass custom-made by German manufacturer Interpane. Some were incorporated into two mock-ups, which typically include the trickiest, most vulnerable elements of the building, such as the corners, joints and vents, what Mr. Dotzler calls a “Frankenstein arrangement.”

“It’s like a doctor wanting to test a human being by putting together a mock-up with one ear, one nose and one elbow,” Dotzler said.

The mock-up went through a litany of tests. In one of the chambers, both inward and outward pressure was exerted on the glass as part of a water-infiltration test to see how much the design could sustain without cracking or leaking. The pressure was equivalent to about 77.5 mph winds.

Later, a Pratt & Whitney R-2800 aircraft engine with 13-foot propellers was positioned in front of the mock-up. Mr. Dotzler turned on the water spray rack and cranked up the speed of the generator to simulate a dynamic wind load—an effect that’s similar to a hurricane. Researchers then attached a hydraulics system to the structure of the building and shoved segments right and left in an attempt to determine whether they’d be secure in case of an earthquake or wind drift.

“Some of the pressures exerted on these facades far exceed what is likely to occur naturally,” Dotzler said. “If the facade survives these loads, it’s been well-designed and is sufficiently strong. The testing took several weeks and cost about $150,000. No major changes to the facade were made as a result.”

National Certified Testing Laboratories, based in York, Pa., tested a mock-up of an 88-story luxury condo tower scheduled for completion next year in downtown Manhattan. The building, called 125 Greenwich Street, was designed by Rafael Viñoly and features rounded corners.

Steven Della Salla, a managing partner at Bizzi & Partners Development, said his company paid about $210,000 to create the mock-up of 125 Greenwich Street, and another $163,000 for the tests themselves.

Mr. Dotzler said his company also is popular with Hollywood filmmakers, who like to shoot the facility’s post-apocalyptic aesthetic.

“We’ve hosted a couple of episodes of ‘Graceland’ and ‘Burn Notice,’ ” Dotzler said. “But we try to have them only after hours or on weekends.”

 

Source: Wall Street Journal

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Transit-Oriented Magic City Innovation District Submitted, Includes 2,500 Residential Units

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The Magic City Innovation District Special Area Plan was submitted to the city of Miami for review last month.

According to the documents, the developers are proposing to build:

  • 2,490 residential units
  • 1,763,820 office square feet (net)
  • 432 hotel rooms
  • 313,165 retail square feet (net)
  • 5,547 parking spaces in garages

In total, 17 buildings with the tallest at 27 stories are planned. Completion of the entire conccpt will take 10-15 years, with construction to begin in 2020, according to the project website (although existing buildings will be rehabilitated before then).

In a letter, the developer says they intend to build a Transit Oriented Development, with a stop to be built on the Brightline/Tri-Rail Coastal Link track.

Cirque Du Soleil Billionaire Guy Laliberté is listed as having a stake on an ownership statement submitted with the proposal.

Arquitectonica is the architect.

Source: The Next Miami

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The North Miami Beach Renaissance Rising Strong

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Developer EDEN Multifamily topped off construction of NOMA, an eight-story, 347-unit apartment building at 2145 Northeast 164th Street in the heart of North Miami Beach.

Scheduled to be completed in fall 2018, NOMA is EDEN’s first development in North Miami Beach and represents a significant milestone for the city, which is experiencing a renaissance following the 2015 completion of the City’s Mixed Use Town Center zoning district. The multifamily project is located in the emerging Community Redevelopment Area on the east side of the city.

EDEN and Coastal Construction, the project’s general contractor, are set to host a topping off celebration at the project site on February 2 at noon. City of North Miami Beach commissioners, city officials and other invited guests will be on hand to tour the project and enjoy the festivities.

“We are finding a strong demand from renters for boutique apartment buildings in urban areas—or the downtown areas of suburban markets—as an alternative to the high-rise towers that dominate these areas,” EDEN Multifamily president Jay Jacobson tells GlobeSt.com. “These renters are seeing that you can find value and convenience at new boutique buildings without sacrificing the level of amenities. The challenge for multifamily developers is to identify areas where this type of product can be delivered on a cost-effective basis.”

NOMA includes studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, an eight-story parking garage and ground-floor retail space. Building amenities include an inner courtyard with a heated pool, an elevated sundeck seating area with a firepit, community rooms, a state-of-the-art fitness center with a yoga/spin room and a dog walk and grooming area.

EDEN will enhance the public greenspace along the Snake Creek Canal with extensive landscaping, public seating, a walking path/bikeway and a significant public art installation. The multifamily property offers common area Wi-Fi and large community gathering spaces.

Coastal Construction is the general contractor. MSA Architects is the NOMA architect, with Bruce Howard and Associates providing landscape architecture and ID& Design Internationalas the interior designer.

 

Source: GlobeSt.

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What To Expect In Coconut Grove Commercial Real Estate This Year

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Coconut Grove is seeing boom times. How long will it last?

The Fairchild Coconut Grove

Oscar Rodriguez, principal of ROVR Development to get his insights on this market. ROVR is developing only new waterfront project rising in Coconut Grove—The Fairchild Coconut Grove.

GlobeSt.com: What are some of the main factors driving the recent boom in Coconut Grove?

Rodriguez: Coconut Grove has it all, from lushly landscaped quiet neighborhoods and architectural charm to a dynamic cultural, dining and entertainment destination and an active beautiful waterfront on Miami’s Biscayne Bay. All of this is within close proximity to Miami’s business and financial core, making Coconut Grove an ideal place to call home.

The community has so much to offer: beautiful parks, close proximity to the best schools including Gulliver Academy, Ransom Everglades School, Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart and The University of Miami, green canopied neighborhoods and amenity driven shopping and dining centers such as The Mayfair and Cocowalk. Coconut Grove is central to everything and has a hip vibe that can’t be replicated.

GlobeSt.com: What is your forecast for the market in Coconut Grove for 2018?

Oscar Rodriguez

Rodriguez: Coconut Grove has always had a unique heart and soul that will continue to be the source of its popularity and success. The area has attracted high profile residents and has developed exponentially in the past few years. Local and international demand for this one of a kind community will continue to propel Coconut Grove as one of the strongest markets in South Florida.

As more and more people are drawn to the area and discover its untapped potential, it will continue to grow and progress. But I believe it will always hold on to that unique vibe that makes it special and preserve that neighborhood feel.

 

Source: GlobeSt.

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Downtown Miami Church Sold To Developer For $55M

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Property Markets Group acquired the site of a downtown Miami church along Biscayne Boulevard for $55 million, with plans to build a major mixed-use tower.

The First United Methodist Church of Miami sold its 1.15-acre property at 400 Biscayne Blvd. to New York-based PMG. The deal was partially funded by Toronto-based Greybrook Realty Partners, which previously announced plans to invest $32.2 million into the project. The site is near American Airlines Arena, Miami Dade College, and the College/Bayside Metromover Station.

PMG’s Ryan Shear, Evan Schapiro, Matt Ellish, and Yechiel Ciment negotiated the deal. They were represented by Saul Ewing Arnstein & Lehr attorneys Luis Flores, Rebecca Sarelson and David Yontz, plus Josh Kaplan at Bilzin.

“This is our third investment in the Biscayne corridor, increasing our ability to create innovative living experiences for residents,” Shear said. “We feel that this market is one of the most important areas of Miami from a future growth perspective, general location and view standpoint.”

The developer said it plans to build over 690 units and about 20,000 square feet of commercial space. The property is zoned for about 50 stories. The apartments would be branded by PMG’s new X Social Communities division, which appeals to young professionals seeking more attainable pricing. Its nearby X Miami apartment building, which is under construction, is part of the same brand.

The 400 Biscayne project would have co-working spaces, an oversized fitness center, communal kitchens, smart package lockers, smart home technology controlled by an app, and many pre-furnished units. As part of the project, PMG will build a new church on the site with a separate entrance for FUMC Miami.

“FUMC wanted to rebuild the church in the same location, so the relationship with the potential buyer was very important,” Flores said. “They liked the young and thriving energy that PMG brings to its developments and could see themselves doing business with the developer in the short and long term. The transaction is unique because we had to wear different hats at different times since we are the buyer and builder of the future church.”

“It was the right time for the church to take advantage of the revitalization of its neighborhood,” Pastor Dr. Audrey Warren said. “The project will ultimately allow the church to grow and meet its future operating needs.”

PMG said the architect of the building is Sieger Suarez, and Carlos Ott is consulting on the church that will be included in the structure.

 

Source: SFBJ

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Planned Redevelopment Of Former INS Location In Miami Draws $26M Loan

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Developers planning to redevelop a former home of the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) in Miami borrowed $26 million to finance the project.

Three entities managed by Ye Zhang — Florida Fullview Immigration Building, Fullview Immigration Building I and Wealthy Delight — borrowed the money from an affiliate of Madison Realty Capital.

In 2013, the developers paid $12.5 million for the former INS location at 7880 Biscayne Boulevard, which the federal agency vacated in 2008.

The developers have razed the building the INS occupied and plan to turn the 1.4-acre property into a mixed-use development called Triton Center, designed by Stantec.

Triton Center would encompass a 139-room Hilton Garden Inn hotel, 324 apartments, approximately 585 parking spaces, and 25,000 square feet of commercial space.

 

Source: The Real Deal

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