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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“Climate Gentrification” Could Add Value To Elevation In Real Estate

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Homes at higher elevations in Miami are gaining value at a faster clip than those closer to sea level.

It’s an accelerating trend, and it has residents and real estate agents — in Miami and other coastal communities — asking whether “climate gentrification” has arrived. The term, which only recently entered the lexicon, describes the role of climate change in recalibrating land values, a phenomenon that ultimately could displace low-income and minority residents in a similar fashion as urban gentrification. As sea levels rise and flooding persists, the thinking goes in the case of Miami, waterfront property will lose some of its luster and higher-situated neighborhoods like Little Haiti and Little Havana will become more attractive.

The professor who was first to publish research using the phrase “climate gentrification” isn’t convinced that’s the main culprit in Miami. At least not yet. Jesse M. Keenan, a researcher on urban development and climate adaptation at Harvard’s Graduate School of Design, tracked the rate of price appreciation since 1971 for more than 250,000 residential properties in Miami-Dade County, and compared those figures to elevation. Keenan found that properties at high elevations have long appreciated faster in Miami, mostly because of nonclimate factors.

However, since 2000, the correlation between elevation and price appreciation has grown stronger, which Keenan, in an interview with CBS MoneyWatch, suggested may be “early signaling” of preference for properties at higher elevations and a reaction to persistent nuisance flooding in lower areas.

His prediction: Over the next 10 years, climate change will become a more significant factor in the real estate market for many cities. He expects a “slow burn” toward a tipping point — similar to the foreclosure crisis — when all of a sudden values drop precipitously for high-risk properties.

“This is real,” Keenan said. “There are actual people spending lots of money thinking about how to make money from climate change. We have to come to terms with this sooner than later.”

Keenan tracks at least three “pathways” to climate gentrification, and the variations stem in part from the “location, location, location” mantra of real estate. The three scenarios:

  • Low-risk properties surge in value, fueling a migration from high-exposure areas, causing displacement. This isn’t just a sea-level issue: California’s wildfires, for instance, are likely to lead to significant changes in how real estate is valued. “Anything related to climate change,” Keenan explained. “Low exposure is the determinate.”
  • Living in high-exposure areas gets so expensive (think taxes, insurance, etc) that only rich people can live there, pushing historically mixed-income areas (such as Miami Beach, Florida, and Hampton Roads, Virginia) to become more exclusive.
  • Government investments in resilience have the unintended consequence of boosting land and property values that wind up displacing populations. Sea-level fortifications on the Lower East Side of Manhattan could have this affect, Keenan said.

What’s at stake?

“People’s lives, their livelihoods and their culture,” said Mustafa Santiago Ali, senior vice president of climate, environmental justice and community revitalization for the Hip Hop Caucus, a nonprofit that connects the Hip Hop community to civic life.

Ali, who previously spent 24 years in various roles at the Environmental Protection Agency, said it’s fairly easy to predict who the winners will be as climate gentrification takes hold — led both by one-time events such as hurricanes and the more gradual process of sea-level rise. The answer, of course, is wealthier people.

“Who has the resources? Who has the access?” Ali asked in an interview with MoneyWatch. “Who has the education to understand what’s coming and navigate that?”

One key to ensuring a more equitable outcome is making sure communities are heard, are involved in development, including “adaptation” measures to accommodate climate change, and have avenues to take advantage of rising property values, Ali said. In fact, climate will be a focus area of a new initiative of the Hip Hop Caucus set for launch in spring that targets vulnerable communities.

In Miami, residents of some inland coastal neighborhoods that sit at comparatively high elevations, including Little Haiti, worry that rising property values fueled by sea-level increases could price them out, as PRI reported last week.

Developers have proposed three new projects in the Little Haiti neighborhood that could push immigrants and people of color out, activist Valencia Gunder told PRI.

“In Miami, historically because of racism, redlining and segregation, all of the brown and black people were forced to live in the center of the city, which also happens to be the high elevated areas,” she told PRI. “So, they pushed us here because they didn’t want us on the beach.”

For some buyers these days, the beach looks like a better place to visit than to live. And it’s not just coastal areas that could face consequences of “climate gentrification.” Coastal residents are likely to flock to inland cities in droves — with Austin, Texas; Orlando, Florida; and Atlanta likely to gain the most new residents, according to a study by Mathew Hauer published by the journal Nature in April.

The study, which considers a sea-level rise of about six feet by the year 2100, forecasts a migration of as many as 13 million people (double the total of the Great Migration), with more than 2.5 million fleeing the region that includes Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. New Orleans would lose about 500,000 people, the study predicts, and the New York City area would lose 50,000 people.

That doesn’t mean coastal areas would empty out. History shows people will always want to live near the water, noted Joel Myers, founder and president of commercial weather service AccuWeather Inc.

Sea levels have been rising for thousands of years, he added, and even as that rise accelerates, the other side of the coin is there’s less waterfront land available to purchase. A simple formula of supply and demand.

Click here to view the CBS MoneyWatch video ‘Climate Gentrification Could Add Value To Elevation In Real Estate’

 

Source: CBS News

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Can ‘Miami Modern’ Do For North Beach What ‘Art Deco’ Did For South Beach?

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South Beach’s transformation from tired haunt for retirees to booming hub for tourists and fun-seekers is partly owed to the unique architecture of the area.

The city’s renaissance over the past few decades has been set against a backdrop of Art Deco hotels and apartment buildings that have become avatars for Miami Beach. They’re emblematic of the coastal city’s early history and the activists who fought to preserve these relics of the past. Now city leaders want to repeat the magic.

This 1956 building, designed in the Miami Modern style by architect Gilbert Fein, is an example of the kind of architecture that is being preserved with the creation of two new local historic districts in Miami Beach. (PHOTO CREDIT: Joey Flechas, Miami Herald)

The city is moving to protect more than 200 mid-century apartment buildings across two new local historic districts — which comes with significant protection from demolition. The swath of low-slung multi-family buildings were built after World War II, many in the “Miami Modern” or “MiMo” style that has enjoyed a resurgence through the renovation of hotels along Biscayne Boulevard in the upper east side of Miami.

On Wednesday, Miami Beach commissioners unanimously voted to give initial approval to two districts in the north part of the city — one on the east end of Normandy Isle and the other a few blocks inland from the sand along the north shore between 73rd and 87th streets. A final vote will be held Jan. 17.

The designation was heralded by elected officials and preservationists who have long sought to protect this corner of Miami Beach. The hope is that by safeguarding these buildings, encouraging owners to renovate them and coupling the historic districts with a soon-to-be-redeveloped “town center” in the middle of North Beach, the whole neighborhood will be revitalized and see new economic investment. Wednesday’s vote was applauded by residents.

“Place-making is so important when you build the character of a city, and Miami Beach is one of the most unique cities in the world,” said Tanya Bhatt, a North Beach resident and activist.

This apartment building, constructed in 1949 and designed by Gerard Pitt was the setting in the last scene of “Moonlight,” the winner of the Academy Award for best picture. It is now on track to be protected from demolition as part of a local historic district (PHOTO CREDIT: Joey Flechas, Miami Herald)

The local districts include Harding Avenue from 73rd up to the northern border of the city at 87th Street, a section from Harding to Dickens Avenue between 73rd and 75th streets, and buildings on Bay Drive, Marseilles Drive and South Shore Drive on the eastern edge of Normandy Isle. This area covers a portion of the National Register District, a federal designation that does not provide any local protections.

All told, there are 313 buildings in these districts, and 271 of them are considered architecturally significant enough to contribute to the character of the neighborhood. City planners have spent a year studying each structure to prepare designation reports that provide the historical context of each district and highlight the architects who designed the neighborhoods.

“A city that respects its history respects its future,” said Mayor Dan Gelber.

The vote marked a major victory of the city’s preservation community, including the group that fought to save Art Deco from the wrecking ball of developers, the Miami Design Preservation League. Not since 1990 have so many historic buildings been given local protection at one time.

“It’s something that the community has been working on for over 10 years, to bring local protections for these beautiful Miami Modern neighborhoods in North Beach. We’re looking forward to a great future for North Beach,” said Daniel Ciraldo, the league’s executive director.

This apartment building, built in 1955 and designed by noted architect Gilbert Fein, is an example of the typical Miami Modern architecture that can be found in North Beach. It is in one of two new local historic districts that were initially approved on Wednesday. (PHOTO CREDIT: City of Miami Beach)

More buildings are scheduled to be designated, as well. Two stretches of buildings on the Tatum Waterway are currently protected by a demolition moratorium while city planners prepare designation reports for these structures. Commissioners agreed to add these buildings to the mix after the preservation community agreed to support for a zoning increase referendum for the area surrounding North Beach’s main drag, 71st Street. That referendum passed in November’s election.

Click here to see which Miami Modern buildings are part of the upcoming Historic Districts. 

Click here to view North Beach Historic Districts on Google Maps.

 

Source: Miami Herald

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