Miami-Dade approves land deal for new mega-mall

Miami-Dade County Commissioners on Tuesday approved a land deal that would help bring the nation’s largest mall to the county. The final tally: 11-2 in favor.  Developer Triple Five, which also built the current largest mall in the country, Mall of America…

American Dream Mall: The future biggest mall in…

The future biggest mall in the country, ‘American Dream Miami’ is one big step beyond being just a dream. Miami Dade County pols have overwhelmingly approved the land deal that will allow the mammouth project to move forward…

Development Update-O-Rama: Developer wants to convert adjacent land into a park…

A developer wants to convert city-owned land adjacent to his proposed 12-story condo tower on the Miami River into a public park, tentatively called Flagler Cove Park, that will connect to the river walk. Few details are available about what the Arquitectonica-desigend residential project itself…

New Times Regarding Miami as Sixth Most Important City to Ultra High Net Worth Individuals

Ultra-high-net-worth individuals aren’t just rich. They’re running the world. They aren’t just the 1 percent; they’re the 0.002 percent. To qualify, a person must have a net worth of at least $30 million in assets.  As it turns out, Miami is not the full-time home base to tons of these individuals when compared to other major world cities…

Arquitectonica Chief Bernardo Fort-Brescia Is Once Again Working On Resorts World Miami

Bernardo Fort-Brescia, the head of Arquitectonica, met with Dade officials yesterday about the Resorts World Miami project, according to a county source.  Still unknown: what exactly is planned for the project.  Arquitectonica was hired in 2011 by Genting, the secretive developer of the project. At the time, Resorts World…

March 2015 Florida Real Estate Law Case Updates

The Whites and the Leamers lived in adjoining luxury waterfront townhomes. The townhomes are subject to a declaration of covenants, conditions, restrictions…

NAI Miami’s Spencer Young Negotiates Five Year Lease For TrueBlue Hospitality

True Blue Hospitality is a leading staffing, recruiting and workforce management company…

Miami International Mall gets three new tenants

Two retail stores and an eatery have signed leases for the Miami International Mall in Doral.  Simon Property Group, an international retail real estate firm that has stakes in malls like Aventura and Dadeland, announced the lease signings on Tuesday.  The new stores include…

Château Group unloads Aventura condo site for substantial profit

In a sign that the outlook for South Florida’s preconstruction condo market may be changing, the Château Group — a luxury developer that has announced plans for at least seven new towers during this cycle…

Reports: Percentage of underwater homes on the decline…and more

More than 27 percent of all mortgaged homes in Miami-Dade were underwater as of the fourth quarter in 2014, CoreLogic reported. That’s 122,963 residential properties…

Homebuilder buys 242 acres in Palm Beach for $17.5M

More than 240 acres in Palm Beach County were sold to a Sunrise-based home builder for what will likely become a housing development.  An affiliate of GL Homes paid $17.5 million for the site, which is currently zoned for agriculture.  The land is…

Historic Park Central Art Deco Hotel Gets Big Makeover Loan

And the Finalists for our Annual Top Dealmakers are…

The Daily Business Review announced the finalists for its annual Top Dealmakers awards. Winners will be announced at a May 8 luncheon …

It’s Getting Ugly in Sunny Isles: Neighbors not Happy With Ritz-Carlton Residences Developers

Neighbors accuse developers Edgardo Defortuna and Manuel Grosskopf of secretly buying up neighboring condos to protect views at their proposed Ritz-Carlton Residences in Sunny Isles Beach…

Grove Guy Editorial: Coconut Grove Having an Architectural nervous breakdown?

The other day, an acquaintance stopped me as I was walking down the street, and he asked me how he could sign up to run for commissioner. It was interesting to see another person who is interested in the job, I don’t remember this many people running for this one particular office before. I asked him why he wanted to run…

Negotiations for a Cuban Exile History Museum on Parcel B are underway

Representatives from the County, the Cuban Exile Museum, the Black History Museum, and HistoryMiami met to discuss a collaborative museum project in December 2014 and February 2015. Earlier in 2014, County representatives met with the Cuban Exile Museum and The Heat Group, and development of a plan…

Miami retail center anchored by CVS and Office Depot sold for $21M

The Shoppes of Coral Way in Miami traded for $21.02 million.  Coral Gables-based 2690 SW 22 Street LLC, managed by Toni Alam and Roberto Isaias, sold the 84,309-square-foot retail center to Rajen Properties, managed by Arnold S. Wax in Aventura. The price works out to $249 per square…

JHM Development is proposing new Mid Beach tower…

JHM Development is proposing to construct a distinctive new tower behind two existing historic buildings in Mid Beach that would require the demolition of a third small building, while adding a one-story addition to the top of another. All in all, the mixture of old and new, designed by Urban…

Construction Watch: Closings Beginning Soon at the Related Group’s Icon Bay

The Related Group expects to begin closings soon at their first Edgewater tower of this cycle, Icon Bay, says Related President Carlos Rosso. The tower is getting closer and closer to finishing, with work progressing on the public Icon Bay Park, which is going underneath it, and the building’s…

Victoria’s Secret on Collins Avenue sells for $25M

Five years on, Kolter Signature Homes lawsuit continues

A judge in Palm Beach County denied a motion on Monday to sanction Kolter Signature Homes for producing a witness who was apparently unable to answer basic questions about construction defects at a Palm Beach Gardens condominium complex that is at the center of a $40 million lawsuit.

Lake Worth bowling alley sells for $3.2M after foreclosure

A 60,000-square-foot bowling alley in Lake Worth recently sold for $3.2 million after its owner went into foreclosure, The Real Deal has learned.  Located at 6591 South Military Trail, the building sits on a 6.4-acre lot next to an upcoming charter school…

Two law firms expand offices at Southeast Financial Center

Two Southeast Financial Center tenants expanded their leases, JLL announced on Monday.  Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP will lease 8,426 square feet on the 31st floor after expanding by 3,961 square feet, according to a…

Sunset Harbour retail property up for sale at $6.9M

LeFrak, Turnberry Team on Massive Development

The joint venture project is zoned for 4,390 residential units and over 1 million square feet of retail and commercial space. Get all the details….

Grove Guy Editorial: Our Blue Elephant (Go Home Kevin Spacey)

Thanks Kevin Spacey… but the Coconut Grove Playhouse doesn’t need your celebrity to save it.  It died seven years ago. Too large for the times, financial problems forced it to shut down…

Bond On Brickell Adding A New Floor Every Four Days, Will Top Off This Summer

Construction is moving fast at Rilea Group’s 328-unit Bond On Brickell, with the project set to be delivered on time.  Contractors recently poured the 15th floor of the 44-story building. At the current pace, they are adding one floor every four days, and are one track to top off this summer.

Urban Robot Associates Designs A Modern Tower Next To Historic Building At 29 Indian Creek

Urban Robot Associates, a Miami Beach architectural firm, has prepared a plan to redevelop 2901-2911 Indian Creek Drive.  JMH Development bought the property late last year for $5.65 million. Records show that the majority of the purchasing entity is controlled by hedge fund trader Dhruv Piplani, with a small stake owned by Jason Halpern.

Four Hampton Inns in Palm Beach County change hands for $77 million

Four Hampton Inns in Palm Beach County have a new owner, according to deeds filed Friday.  W2007 Equity Inns of Dallas sold these motels to American Realty Capital Hospitality Trust of New York…

Condo Building Proposed For Narrow Miami River Lot

The owner of a 14,969 square foot property at 27 SW South River Drive on the Miami River wants to build a 12-story residential building.  Representatives of South River Warehouse LLC, controlled by Arturo Ortega, presented plans for the project at a Miami River Commission subcommittee meeting last week…

Developer pays $28M for three Miami Beach hotels

A Miami-based developer purchased three hotels in North Beach this week, Miami-Dade County records show. Megapolis Corp. sold three 7,500-square foot lots on Ocean Terrace, all of which face the ocean, to an affiliate of Claro Development for a total of $28 million.

Ugo Colombo’s firm buys Chelsea site in downtown Miami 

Ugo Colombo’s CMC Group paid $10 million for a downtown Miami property that was previously slated for a 52-story mixed-use project, The Real Deal has learned. SC Investment Holdings, which shares a mailing address with CMC, acquired the 1550 Biscayne Boulevard property on Monday, according to Miami…

Lawsuits: Developers of Nude Beach-Facing Ritz Accused of Going to Desperate Measures to Preserve Said View

Developers of the Ritz-Carlton Residences Sunny Isles Beach Edgardo Defortuna, Manuel Grosskopf and their respective companies are being accused by condominium owners at the building next door, the Tropicana, of using “straw buyers to acquire five of the 48 units at the Tropicana and to block…

Miami Design District site sells for $29M

A building in the Miami Design District sold for $29.25 million, nearly 100 times its last sale price, The Real Deal has learned. The 19,436-square-foot building at 1 Northeast 40th Street sold to an affiliate of Brooklyn-based RedSky Capital and London-based JZ Capital Management.

Saturday Editorial: More about the big American (Wet) Dream Mall Miami And Other Topics

Actually I am going to the Miami Herald for material for my Saturday Morning Speak-up. Fabiola Santiago said it better than I ever could:To the county powerbrokers anchored in downtown Miami, the small bedroom communities in Northwest Miami-Dade…

Broward School Board’s budding bid rigging scandal takes a twist

In an about face, Broward School administrators will ask the School Board Tuesday to reject all bids for a controversial multi-million dollar contract to manage $800 million in capital projects. The boar…

Fun with urban planning: Biscayne Boulevard Could be a Grand Downtown Promenade

The Miami Downtown Development Authority and architects Behar-Font & Partners have released a video animation of their plan to completely revamp the Downtown section of Biscayne Boulevard, converting it into a grand pedestrian-focused promenade, like the Malecón in Havana, the Las Rambl…

Sleeping Around: Circa 39 is Straight Out of Old Miami Beach, with Big Revamp

As Mid Beach emerges from years of being a relatively sleepy backwater in the middle of Miami Beach, Circa 39 has just completed its multimillion dollar, two year renovation, reports HotelChatter, and the result is fab. The hotel has redone all 97 guest rooms, the lobby, and its restaurant and ba…

Venezuelan real estate investment at risk in South Florida

Question: A lot is being reported about the economic and political situation in Venezuela. What impact is this having on Venezuelan investment in the South Florida condo market?  Venezuela – an oil-rich South American country with a population of nearly 29 million…

Ritz-Carlton developers accused of blocking sale of neighbor to preserve view

The condominium association at the nine-story Tropicana building in Sunny Isles Beach has filed suit against developers Edgardo Defortuna, Manuel Grosskopf and their related companies for allegedly blocking a sale of the Tropicana in order to preserve the…

Panorama concrete pour to break the mold

Construction of the Panorama Tower in Brickell is kicking off with a record-breaking concrete pour.  Five construction companies will provide carpenters, iron workers, concrete trucks and management personnel for the foundation pour, which will begin on March 21 and…

ARC Hospitality buys Deerfield Beach Hampton Inn for $11.5M

Will Brickell Ever See Another Office Development?

Land prices are soaring and most developers securing land are building condos. What does that mean for new office space in Downtown Miami?…

LeFrak Shares South Florida CRE Strategy

University of Miami President Donna Shalala has a candid conversation with Richard LeFrak, CEO of LeFrak Organization and one of the most prolific and iconic real estate developers of our day,…

Why Big Retail Brands Flock to Miami

Erich Melsheimer, senior director of Real Estate at The Gap Inc. Melsheimer was bold enough to say what industry watchers are thinking: Los Angeles and Miami are competing for the number two retail trade market after New York….

What’s Next for the Coconut Grove Playhouse?

A large crowd showed up at Thursday’s County Commission meeting to hear the latest on the Coconut Grove Playhouse.  One interesting concept brought up was having a second theater on the site.

New co-working space in Little Haiti opening soon, geared to creative types

Imagine after a long day of work, walking down the hall to shoot some pool, grab a beer or take a painting class — all without stepping outside. A new co-working space opening soon in Miami’s Little Haiti, called MADE at the Citadel, plans to offer its members much more than desks and offices…

Bass Museum Submits Plan To Renovate And Expand Their Facility On Collins Avenue

Lots o’ slots: The Seminole Tribe of Florida…

The Seminole Tribe of Florida has announced they intend to add a 1,000 room guitar-shaped hotel to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood if, and only if, their current compact with the state (in which they have exclusive rights to blackjack and other table games) is renewed. We have…

Awards: The Pritzker Prize, Architecture’s Oscars, Comes to Miami

Architect Frei Otto, known for his membranous, lightweight, tensile structures, was announced as the winner of the Pritzker Architecture Prize, the most prestigious award in architecture, a day after the architect’s death. Frei, who died on Monday, was…

Land Ho!: A large Biscayne Bay-fronting tract…

A large Biscayne Bay-fronting tract of land between the Jockey Club and the Cricket Club (both of which were swinging hotspots in their day, but are now just rather crusty condominiums) will hit the auction block with a starting bid of $19.9 million. The land stretches from the bay all the way to…

Zillow and Truila Finally Merge, Form Zillow Group

After a exhaustive seven-month anti-trust review by regulators, the Zillow-Truila merger was finalized on February 17.   Zillow negotiated a $2.5 billion stock/swap merger and formed the Zillow Group that now includes Zillow, Truila, StreetEasy and HotPads. …

NAI Miami Negotiates $6,600,000 Sale Of Operating CVS

NAI Miami’s Edward Schmidt, CCIM and Mandy Bertematti represented the buyer in the sale of the 14,129 square foot building in Lake Worth…

Building in downtown West Palm Beach sells for $10M

New co-working space in Little Haiti opening soon, geared to creative types

Imagine after a long day of work, walking down the hall to shoot some pool, grab a beer or take a painting class — all without stepping outside.  A new co-working space opening soon in Miami’s Little Haiti, called…

Developer pays $28M for three Miami Beach hotels

A Miami-based developer purchased three hotels in North Beach this week, Miami-Dade County records show.
Megapolis Corp. sold three 7,500-square foot lots on Ocean Terrace, all of which face the ocean, to an affiliate of Claro Development for a…

Foreclosure king David J. Stern hit with $2M lawsuit

Florida’s “foreclosure king” David J. Stern has been hit with another lawsuit, this time over $2 million in payments the disbarred attorney allegedly owes to a Miami-based process serving company.
The suit was filed by Gissen & Zawyer Process Service, which partn…

Treasury Department pushed to scrutinize foreign buyers

From the New York website: Seventeen nonprofits are urging the U.S. Treasury Department to require more scrutiny of foreign buyers of real estate by verifying their…

All Aboard Florida taps local builder for Fort Lauderdale event space

All Aboard Florida — the proposed Miami to Orlando railway service — said it has hired a construction company to relocate an event center in Fort Lauderdale.  D. Stephenson Construction, which is based in Fort Lauderdale…

Seminole Tribe announces plans for second Hollywood hotel

The Seminole Tribe of Florida announced plans for its second Hollywood hotel — and at the same time, it is lobbying to renew its existing gambling agreement with the state, which expires soon.  If renewed, the Seminoles will develop a 1,000-room, guitar-shaped…

South Florida by the numbers: Focus on Little Havana edition

“South Florida by the numbers” is a web feature that catalogs the most notable, quirky and surprising real estate statistics.  For more than 30 years, the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana has hosted the massive Calle Ocho street festival, one of Miami’s signature events. Originally…

NY developer pays $33M for Coconut Creek apartments

Photos: On the scene at Park Grove’s retail roundtable

Ian Schrager Casts Lifestyle Hotels Vision

Miami – “We’re an opportunistic business. There was an opportunity in Miami Beach and we seized the opportunity,” says Ian Schrager…

Miami Retail Booming, Some Investors Head North

“The cost of capital is very competitive and retail rents are on the rise in South Florida creating ideal conditions for trading activity.”…

Flashback Friday Photos: Miami Beach Street Scenes

Old photos from Miami Beach are featured.

Miami Design District site sells for $29M

A building in the Miami Design District sold for $29.25 million, nearly 100 times its last sale price, The Real Deal has learned.  The 19,436-square-foot building at 1 Northeast 40th Street sold to an affiliate of Brooklyn…

Two 60-story towers due on river

Dual 60-story residential towers with a waterfall are proposed for choice riverfront land in the shadow of Miami Avenue Bridge.  During the city’s last building boom, three condo towers rose on a block on the north side of the Miami River in the Central Business District: The Ivy, Wind and Mint.

Retail roster weak as Miami Marlins set to open

The Miami Marlins’ home opener of the 2015 season is Monday, April 6, the start of the fourth season at the 37,000-seat Major League Baseball facility. Meanwhile, the bulk of the Marlins Park garage retail space remains empty.

Florida Apartment Complex Threatens Tenants With $10,000 Fine For Bad Reviews Online

They might be the landlords from hell, but you’re not allowed to complain about them.  A Florida apartment complex is under fire after management forced new tenants to sign a “social media addendum” that threatened a fine of $10,000 if they gave the place a bad review online, Ars Technica reports. The addendum…

Crews Demolish 92-Year-Old Building At 2500 Biscayne To Make Way For Apartment Building

A 92-year-old building on Biscayne Boulevard has been partially demolished to make way for a rental building.  The demolished building was built in two phases. A 1923 building known as the Wolpert Apartments had a historic designation removed in 2004 after the property owners appealed. A 1927…

In Florida, Big Sugar’s Republican proxies stare down the Angry Bees

At the Governing Board of the South Florida Water Management District today, Republican proxies of Big Sugar — that would be the board appointed by Gov. Rick Scott to fulfill his mission — will be facing the Angry Bees: citizens and activists demanding that the State of Florida buy out the propert…

Cap Rates Remain Flat in Q1 2014 – CBRE’s Retail Valuation Group

CBRE’s National Retail Cap Rate Report was recently released for the first quarter of 2014 and according to the report, average retail capitalization rates did not change significantly this quarter after dropping in the final quarter of 2013…

Broward Schools whistleblower alleges bid rigging

A political committee’s mailer asking voters to approve last November’s $800 million bond measure.  Administrators at the Broward County School District “rigged” bidding procedures to ensure that Jacobs Project Management Company wou…

Flashbacks: 27 Old Postcards of Miami & Miami Beach

Whatever the architecture blogs think, Miami did not discover great architecture just in the last ten to twenty years. We may not have always had Rem Koolhaas (although Rem’s been connected to this town longer than you’d think), but we’ve always had beautiful environment…

Here’s Kevin Spacey: The plan to revamp the Coconut Grove Playhouse

Tri-Rail Update: Possible funding sources have advanced…

Possible funding sources have advanced for the Tri-Rail Coastal Link’s portion of the cost of construction of MiamiCentral, which is an essential aspect of expanding mass transit in South Florida. Those funding sources include the voter-approved half cent sales tax increase, which means more of it w…

Development update-o-rama: Two Slim Towers, with Sky Bridge, Coming to Miami River

A developer is proposing two 60-story residential towers with 406 residential units, 30,000 square feet of commercial space, 520 parking spaces, and 20 lodging units (which are?) on an empty Miami River-fronting site where a single tower had been previously planned. The as-yet-unnamed project…

Independent Living Facilities: How They Fit Into The Boom

I was reviewing the various names our industry has used to describe the senior living property sector when I noticed that one appears to be picking up steam: independent living facilities.  The definition of independent living refers to more than facility type — it means…

Real Estate Crowdfunding Seen Topping $2.5 Billion in 2015

As more people become comfortable with the investing model, crowfunding for real estate is likely to jump to two and a half times the total in 2014…

Rising Traffic Concerns Could Provide Cash Flow Stability for Miami’s Transportation P3 Solution

With plans to reduce Biscayne Boulevard to fewer lanes to allow for the creation of a promenade and bicycle lanes in Downtown Miami, some are arguing that the need for public transportation options cannot be clearer.  The drivers in Miami-Dade are in desperate need of public transportation options th…

Market underestimates value of retail by an “enormous number”: Steve Roth

From the New York website: The most undervalued part of Vornado Realty Trust’s portfolio is the firm’s urban retail, according to Vornado chairman and founder Steven Roth.  “This is just one man’s opinion that the market underestimates the value of …

Rents behind AmericanAirlines Arena may rise

Miami-Dade County officials have tentatively approved higher fees for the use of about 4 acres of waterfront land behind AmericanAirlines Arena. Known as Parcel B, the area is owned by the county and generally used for the staging of events held at the arena, whether they be a concert or a circus…

Photos: On the scene at Paramount Miami Worldcenter’s BullFest Ride

Lamborghini drivers took a day-long ride together in South Florida and met up at Paramount Miami Worldcenter’s sales gallery.  More than 30 Lamborghinis celebrated the development and BullFest, alo…

Glenn Rufrano named new CEO of American Realty Capital

From the New York site: Former Cushman & Wakefield executive Glenn Rufrano has been named the new chief executive officer of American Realty Capital Properties.  Rufrano will start his job as CEO on April 1, according to an ARCP statement cited by…

Huge casinos wouldn’t nourish us, just supersize problems

”No man’s life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session,” the axiom goes – and a supersized 316-page House bill to supersize Florida gambling by adding mega-casinos proves the point.  Florida has shaken off a punishing recession and Miami in particular is booming…

Flagler Station breaks ground on final phase

Construction has started on the last phase of Flagler Station, a massive business park next to Medley in Northwest Miami-Dade County.  Hernandez Construction, an affiliate of Stiles Corp., recently began work on the first two buildings of phase three…

Construction marks progress at new Museum of Science

Open spaces and turnkey venues were among the highlights of a hard-hat tour of the new $300 million Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami.  The four-acre site will…

Prologis sells Broward and Dade business parks for $77.8M

Prologis sold two business parks in Miami-Dade and Broward for a combined $77.8 million, county records show.
The industrial real estate corporation sold its Countyline Business Center in Miramar for $59.5 million to an affiliate…

Acclaimed Brooklyn Pizzeria Paulie Gee’s Coming To Miami

The icing on today’s delicious cake was the news that @JasonWeisberg has signed a lease on this spot that is soon to be Paulie Gee’s Miami.

Kevin Spacey may star in running Grove Playhouse

When Miami-Dade’s Economic Prosperity Committee meets today (3/12) to discuss a deal with GableStage for a home at the Coconut Grove Playhouse, anything can happen.  The plan, recommended by Mayor Carlos Gimenez,

1700 Biscayne, With Approvals For A Three-Tower Project, Is Up For Sale

A prime Biscayne Boulevard development site has been listed for sale.  1700 Biscayne, a 3.04-acre property across from Genting’s Omni, is being marketed by brokers. The asking price is undisclosed.  Fort Lauderdale-based Midgard Group, managed by James Goldstein, began assembling the land…

Developers announce oceanfront condo tower in Pompano Beach

Abu Dhabi-Based Investment Firm Says Miami ‘Most Attractive,’ Looking At Development Opportunity

Abu Dhabi Financial Group, a multi-billion dollar developer and investment firm, is studying a potential residential development project in Miami.  Jassim Alseddiqi, the CEO of the firm, told Bloomberg that he was looking at projects in London, Miami, Los Angeles and New York, but Miami…

Luther Campbell Questions Miami Gardens’ Future

When Miami Gardens incorporated in 2003, it seemed like a great idea. City leaders envisioned a bustling metropolis where African-American professionals could find a home to settle down. That’s how it was in the ’70s and ’80s, when North Dade was known as Carol City — before violence and poverty increased…

Soffer Buys 50% Stake In Biscayne Landing, Plans ‘New Skyline’ With 4,000 Units

Turnberry Associates has purchased a 50% stake in the Biscayne Landing project from Richard LeFrak.  LeFrak sold to Turnberry after buying out Michael Swerdlow and Ezra Katz, who were investors in the project. Terms were not disclosed.  The 183-acre site is located at 15045 Biscayne Boulevar…

Construction Underway At MiamiCentral, Set To Include 800 Residential Units

Construction is now underway at All Aboard Florida’s MiamiCentral, and the company has released more information about the project to the Herald.  The first towers will open in 2017 and include 800 rental apartments in two towers. A 39-story tower will include 450 units, and a 33-story tow…

Largest Mall In America Will Also Include Residential And Hotel Units

American Dream Miami, the mega-mall proposed west of Miami Lakes, will also include a residential and hotel component.  Developer Triple Five, which built the Mall of America in Minnesota, released renderings and plans which show at least two luxury hotel buildings, along with condominiums…

Moishe Mana Spends Another $7.8 Million On Downtown Property

Moishe Mana continues to accumulate land in the Flagler Street area.  Mana Sets Sights South of Flagler Street.  Israeli Businessman Makes $7,800,000 Purchase.  Israeli businessman Moishe Mana has turned his vision south of Downtown Miami’s Flagler Street…

Ridiculous Amenity Alert : Estates at Acqualina Will Have a FlowRider, Ice Rink, Etc.

As the Acqualina Resort gets closer to the completion of its first big expansion, the tall and slim Mansions at Acqualina tower directly to the south, here comes the second: the Estates at Acqualina, on the property’s north side. Here, two ‘mansions’-sized towers of 50 floors each will contain…

Capture the flag: Billionaire Still Wants to ‘Give Back’ to MIA with Huge Flagpole

Mike Fernandez is back, people, with his plans to erect a massive American Flag in Museum Park out of gratitude for all this country and city have done for him, even though the city didn’t seem to show much gratitude back when he first proposed the idea. The ‘Flag of Gratitude’ would be on a 425…

You Got Schooled: Buy an Abandoned Key West School, for $12.5 Million

Key West’s Jeptha Vinning Harris School was “built as one of the first schools in Florida” in 1905. It was dedicated in 1909, and served as Key West’s elementary school until the last class graduated in 1986 (it also served as a high school until 1915, when another school was built). Then it was …

Sleeping Around: The James Hotel brand has…

The James Hotel brand has officially exited from the James Royal Palm Hotel after only about two and a half years of existence, which means Curbed Miami, which is almost three years old, has officially stuck around longer in Miami than it has. Remember how the James was kind of a big deal when it …

Development update-o-rama: 24 Condo Buildings Proposed for Bay Harbor’s East Island

Developers have proposed the 24th new condominium building for Bay Harbor Islands in this boom, a building called the Bay Harbor Gardens on the 1100 block of 93rd Street. Being built on three vacant lots that total half an acre, the eight story…

on the market: Homestead’s Paradise Farms (and B&B) is For Sale

Paradise Farms, once an abandoned avocado grove that has since been turned into South Florida’s premier organic farm, with its small bed & breakfast and celebrated charity dinner series, is for sale. The listing: unlisted. The price: well, it was $2.4 million, but since only being formally on…

The Game Changers in Transforming Miami

On February 25, 2015, Suzanne Amaducci-Adams moderated the first event in the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce’s three-part series, Transforming Miami: The Game Chan…

Developer Gets $40M Financing For Mayfair In The Grove

New York-based Natixis Real Estate Capital delivered both proceeds and structure that will allow West Palm Beach-based Whalou Properties an ability to achieve their long term investment goals for its mixed-use development…

Photos: On the scene at Three Hundred Collins launch party

New York-based JMH Development recently launched sales for Three Hundred Collins, which is designed by Thomas Juul-Hansen.  JMH founder Jason Halpern, along with architect Thomas Juul-Hansen, hosted…

Florida leads the U.S. — again — with number of foreclosures…and more

Florida leads the U.S. in number of completed foreclosures.  Nationwide, foreclosures were down on a year-over-year basis — with the number of completed foreclosures in Florida down by nearly 3 percent in January of this year, according to a CoreLogic report…

Hines and partner to break ground on 550-unit apartment complex in Doral

International real estate firm Hines and its partner Diversified Real Estate Capital are set to break ground on a $134 million apartment development in Doral.  The project is a joint venture between the two firms, marking their second apartment development in South Florida…

Panelists announced for TRD’s Broward County Real Estate Forum & Showcase

We’re thrilled to announce some of the panelists for The Real Deal South Florida’s Broward County Forum & Showcase, which will take place April 23 at the Design Center of the Americas in Dania Beach.
Panelists for the first of two panels, What’s next for development i…

ADD Inc. tapped for Shore Club renovation

Architecture and design firm ADD Inc., now with Stantec, is the architect for the Shore Club’s renovation, which will include a five-star hotel brand and luxury condos, the firm announced recently.  HFZ Capital Group paid $175.3 million…

24th new condo building proposed for Bay Harbor Islands

Developers have announced a 24th new condo building for the town of Bay Harbor Islands — a community of nearly 5,900 residents — located in the barrier island area of Northeast Miami-Dade County.  The new project — dubbed the…

Q&A with Dan Lebensohn, co-developer of Privé at Island Estates

Developers of Privé at Island Estates in Aventura have been locked in a battle with homeowners who oppose the development and the installation of sidewalks, and the resulting delay by the city in issuing building permits. After months of litigation, the developers last week…

Are Linear Parks The Answer for Miami?

Miami is known for its enviable quality of life, but some forward-thinkers are working to enhance that quality with a strong focus on maximizing the value of public spaces….

Lennar Makes Land Grab in Hot South Florida Market

Homebuilders are scrambling to meet the rising demand even as land becomes more difficult to find in South Florida. Look what Lennar Homes found….

10-Year Relationship Lets Greenberg Attorney Close on Setai

An unshaven Ralph Bekkevold left his family and the damaged Greenberg Traurig offices after Hurricane Wilma to close a deal for a client that ended up being Nakash Holdings. Since then, Bekkevold says the Nakashes have treated him like family…

NextEra/ FPL: World’s most ethical company? That has to be a joke?

I grabbed the following off NextEra’s website:NextEra Energy recognized as a World’s Most Ethical Company® for eighth timeJUNO BEACH, Fla., March 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE) has been named a 2015 World’s Most Ethical Company® by the Ethisphere Institute, an indep…

Here is another example of government failing to do its job and breaking its promises to you, because of the overbearing weight of businesses and their profit at the Port of Miami

The difference — and break with the recent past? That there is one county commissioner willing to call out Mayor Carlos Gimenez for failing to stand up for the laws of the land protecting the irreplaceable treasures of Miami-Dade County. That would be Daniella Levine Cava, District 8 County Commiss…

Old Pics: 1937 newspaper ads for Miami Beach nightclubs and restaurants

From the Miami Daily News, Jan. 9, 1937: Mother Kelly’s; Riptide Club.

Commissioner Dennis Moss and Mayor Carlos Gimenez Request Amendment 1 Money From State to Purchase Rock Pineland. 

Letter from the Mayor and Commissioner Moss asking for money to purchase endangered Rock Pineland Parcel of land: I am told the developer Ram is not willing to sell. Is that a ploy for more…

Greater Downtown Miami faces 11-year supply of new condo units

The Miami Downtown Development Authority — a public taxing agency responsible for promoting economic investment in the area — should be applauded for knowingly releasing at this time of year a new 44-page study with a bearish outlook about the future of the local condo market…

Mana Downtown Mania: Moishe Mana has bought more…

Moishe Mana has bought more Flagler Street property, not that anyone should be surprised in the least. Here’s another piece he recently bought. The man’s private downtown kingdom (not including the big chunk of Wynwood he also owns) now entails nearly 5 acres of land. “From a distance it may seem li…

Construction Watch: Construction at Downtown Miami’s Centro…

Construction at Downtown Miami’s Centro condo tower has passed the halfway point towards toping off, reaching the 21st of 36 floors. GoldenDusk Photography says they’ve reached the halfway point of construction too, but we can’t confirm that. More photos, this way. [Golden Dusk Photography; Centro c…

WSJ Deal of the Week: Move Over, Mall of America; Bigger Extravaganza Planned in Miami

Most shopping-mall operators are shying away from new construction, especially as e-commerce cuts into foot traffic. Apparently a Canadian firm doesn’t have the same concerns: It aims to build not only a new mall, but the biggest mall in the U.S…

LeFrak and Soffers team up to develop Biscayne Landing

Creating a South Florida partnership that unites two real estate dynasties, Richard LeFrak, chairman and CEO of LeFrak and Jeffrey Soffer and Jackie Soffer, principals of Turnberry Associates, said they have entered into a joint venture to develop Biscayne Landing i…

The Biggest Investor Challenges of 2015

Miami — No one can know what to expect–or when. That’s what David Lynn, CEO and co-founder of Everest High Income Property, told GlobeSt.com’s Jennifer LeClaire in part four of this EXCLUSIVE interview. Find out what else he had to say….

Diego Besga: hat Foreign Condo Buyers Really Want

Miami — GlobeSt.com caught up with H3 developer Diego Besga to discuss his approach to development and how he views the affordability gap in this exclusive interview….

Peeking Inside Bacardi Building’s Jewel Box Annex

When the Bacardi Rum Company needed to build an expansion to their Biscayne Boulevard headquarters, originally designed by Enrique Gutierrez in 1963, they hired architect Ignacio Cabrera-Justiz to design an annex building that would be constructed in the plaza behind the original building in 1974…

Le Macaron Opening in the Grove

Add this to the growing list of new food outposts in Coconut Grove — South Florida Business Journal is reporting that macaron chain and bakery Le Macaron is opening in Cocowalk this Fall.  The Sarasota-based French pastry chain signed a five-yea …

Thomas Juul-Hansen, a New York Society Architect and a Socialist, Designed the Luxurious Three Hundred Collins

Thomas Juul-Hansen seemed to be in a good enough mood, but he looked a little bit marooned at sea at the launch party for Three Hundred Collins, claiming to “never go to these things except when it’s my own project and I have to”, his first building in Miami. An architect to New York’s…

American Dream Mall: Raquel Regaldo Responds to Mayor Carlos Gimenez

Raquel Regalado announced she is running for Mayor. This video takes a moment to load but worth the wait. I am happy about her running. No more theme park ideas to deal with. If you watch you will see she will destroy him in debates. His head will be tilted (his tell) so far it might end up in his…

New Terranova buildings geared to expand Lincoln Road district

Terranova Corp. is developing two new three-story buildings near Meridian Avenue in Miami Beach, bringing additional retail stores and a rooftop restaurant to the Lincoln Road area, Chairman Stephen Bittel told…

Worldcenter, Largest Project in Miami History, To Begin Construction ‘In Four Or Five Weeks

Construction on Miami Worldcenter will begin in four or five weeks, a representative of the developer said last week.  The announcement came as Miami commissioners approved a second reading of the Worldcenter development agreement at a February 26 meeting. The vote was necessary due to a lawsuit…

USA Today on Miami’s Downtown Booms

At 6:30 p.m. on a Wednesday, 55 people are locked in a downward dog pose in a downtown pavilion by Biscayne Bay.  It doesn’t matter that it’s uncharacteristically cold and rainy. Instructor Paul Richardson is committed to keeping the yoga class going for the full hour and 15 minutes…

The GOP, the Kremlin Winter and Florida’s Future

The weekend news from Florida went viral: Tristram Korten, for the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting, writes that Florida’s environmental officials “have been ordered not to use the term “climate change” or “global warming” in any official communications, emails or reports.”As the news…

Construction Watch: MiamiCentral Foundation work happening now…

Foundation work is happening now at All Aboard Florida’s MiamiCentral downtown train terminal, Miami’s “grand central station”. Suffolk, the contractor is driving 1,680 piles into the ground, some going 60 feet, and some 115…

Miami-Dade County seeks to block shopping center via land purchase

Miami-Dade County wants to purchase an 88-acre tract of land near ZooMiami to block a proposed mixed-use development.  The project was announced by  Palm Beach County-based developer Ram Realty Services last year and would include…

Which Asset Classes Will Grow in 2015?

Miami — David Lynn, CEO and co-founder of Everest High Income Property, sees plenty of momentum across the commercial real estate board in 2015. But let’s get more specific…

New Terranova buildings geared to expand Lincoln Road district

Terranova Corp. is developing two new three-story buildings near Meridian Avenue in Miami Beach, bringing additional retail stores and a rooftop restaurant to the Lincoln Road area, Chairman Stephen Bittel told The Real Deal. The new sites, at 723 Lincoln Lane and 801 Lincoln Road, are geared to expand…

Walgreens in Broward sells for $8.4M

A Walgreens in Plantation recently traded for $8.4 million.  The single-story, 12,018-square-foot building was purchased by Ronald and Margie Alter, who live in Boca Raton.  The couple purchased it from Evans Drugstore Plantation, which is tied to agricultural land-management…

Westin Fort Lauderdale hotel escapes foreclosure

Traffic can be good, or at least useful

In Aventura 2 fleeing armed robbers didn’t account for Aventura traffic. Stuck in a traffic jam they were quickly apprehended. One for traffic, zero for the bad guys. I would have fled on foot to the mall and tried to blend in. Note to robbers: don’t plan on swimming up in North Dade, Haulover Park …

The Bacardi Building’s Jewel Box Annex is Even More So, Inside

Ridiculous Amenity Alert: In addition to all the…

In addition to all the more common luxe amenities like pools, spa, meditation garden, game room, and screening room, the Ritz-Carlton Residences Miami Beach, formerly known as the Miami Heart Institute, will have an art room, and access to a VanDutch day yacht for residents’ use. We’ve heard of…

Development Update-O-Rama: Meyer Davis Studio, the interior…

Meyer Davis Studio, the interior design firm doing Michael Schwartz’s new restaurant at the Paraiso Beach Club, has released sketches of what that restaurant will look like and floor plans of the entire building, which will occupy Paraiso Bay Park (which was supposed to be a park, right?). There ar…

Underline This: James Corner Field Ops Picked to Masterplan the Underline

Out of 19 submissions and five finalists, James Corner Field Operations, the landscape architecture firm that designed the High Line in New York, was picked to master plan The Underline, the planned linear park underneath the Metrorail. James Corner Field Ops is also doing…

Marrying exotic cars with pricey real estate at Prestige Imports

Prestige Imports, sellers of exotic cars — Lamborghini, Lotus, Pagani and Audi — is getting into the luxury real estate game, The Real Deal has learned.  Recognizing…

Miami-Dade County development site sinks into foreclosure

A stagnating development near ZooMiami is set to be auctioned off after its developer’s $3 million mortgage went into foreclosure.  An affiliate of Texas-based E Capital Partners recently won a $3.1 million foreclosure judgment against developer Eureka Miami Partners…

Waterfront Hillsboro Beach condo project 50 percent sold

1200 The Ocean, a waterfront condo development in Hillsboro Beach, is more than 50 percent sold, developers recently announced.  The 18-unit project ranges from $895,000 to more than $2.35 million. Richard Jones designed the boutique condos, which will include gourmet…

6,700 new rental units to test Greater Downtown Miami market

Question: The recent report from the Miami Downtown Development Authority states that 6,700 new rental units are in the pipeline for the Greater Downtown Miami market. Can Miami absorb that volume of new apartment units without hurting the rental market?  Technological…

The Skinny on Class B, Tertiary Investing

Miami — Everest High Income Property’s David Lynn tells GlobeSt.com’s Jennifer LeClaire how he sees investors responding to class B, class C and secondary and tertiary opportunities in part two of this exclusive interview….

Thorn in Developer’s Side, Couple Says They Were Cut Out of Surf Club Redevelopment Deal

Even as construction proceeds on the luxurious revamp of Surfside’s famed Surf Club, a couple who were members of the landmark is suing the project’s developer…

Beach chamber of commerce denies Baptist membership

The latest high-profile drama in South Florida’s competitive healthcare market is playing out in the halls of the Miami Beach Chamber of Commerce.  Baptist Health wants to open an urgent care center in Miami Beach, the home of Mount Sinai Medical Center. Baptist is proposing the facility, complete with diagnostic offices…

Miami-based 100 Montaditos operator files for bankruptcy

The Miami-based operator of 100 Montaditos’ Florida locations has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.  Francisco Cernuda, the CEO of the Spain-based restaurant’s American locations, filed to reorganize 100 M Operator LLC…

Peeking Inside the Frost Museum of Science

We put on our hard hats and got a first-hand look inside the construction of the new Patricia and Phillip Frost Museum of Science, which opens in 2016. Right now, there’s a lot of concrete and rebar, but we could finally see how the museum is coming together, and it’s impressive…