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NY Firm Sells Miami Beach Mixed-Use Building At 40% Loss

Distressed real estate investor ArcPe scooped up a mixed-use building on the previously popular retail strip of Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, paying 41 percent less than the property’s purchase price a decade ago.

Shire Realty sold the three-story building at 826 Collins Avenue for $5 million, according to a news release from the buyer’s broker.

Although the deal comes as distressed sales are expected amid rising interest rates, the Collins Avenue building didn’t trade at a discount because of debt issues. Records show Shire Realty had not taken out a mortgage on the property.

 

Source:  The Real Deal

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Wall Street Influx Continues With Miami Beach Lease of 12K SF

In another case of a New York financial firm setting up shop in South Florida, investment fund Pretium Partners has leased office space in Miami Beach.

Pretium Partners has taken 11,591 square feet at Eighteen Sunset, developer Deco Capital Group announced Thursday. The new building at 1769 Purdy Avenue is set to open in 2023.

Pretium Partners has a Miami Beach office at 1688 Meridian Avenue, according to the company’s website. It didn’t release details about how large that space is or whether it will vacate after it moves into the new building. Pretium is an owner of single-family rental properties, with a portfolio of 85,000 homes. Its assets under management exceed $50 billion.

Pretium Partners was founded by Don Mullen, a former partner at Goldman Sachs.

Tech and finance firms have been flocking to Miami Beach. Andreessen Horowitz, the venture capital firm also known as a16zinked a lease earlier this year at Barry Sternlicht’s development at 2340 Collins Avenue.

In another sign of new investment in the Miami Beach office market, the Miami Beach Preservation Board this week unanimously approved plans for major upgrades to 407 Lincoln Road, an office building famous for its rooftop clock.

 

Source:  Commercial Observer

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Hotels Partner To Upgrade Lincoln Road

A beautification project to improve unkempt areas on the east end of Lincoln Road between the commercial district and the beach walk is advancing with the help of the owners of the Ritz-Carlton and the Sagamore South Beach hotels, who are investing millions of dollars.

The owners of the Ritz-Carlton, at 1 Lincoln Road, and the Sagamore South Beach, at 1671 Collins Ave., started plans to revitalize Lincoln Road’s 100, 200 and 300 blocks, hiring a team of consultants headed by planning and design consultants Kimley-Horn and architect Raymond Jungles, who designed the 1111 Lincoln Road (street closure) project.

The Ritz-Carlton, owned by Peter Kanavos, has invested private funds for the pre-development costs, including the consultant report and the vision and material design of the project, which aims to “restore a safe, upscale residential fabric with a sense of place to a district overbalanced by tourism,” according to communications from the hotel.

“We noticed for some time that the area around us was deteriorating,” said Mr. Kanavos, “and we also had been feeling for some time that our neighborhood needed more residents. As someone in the hospitality business, I know it sounds a little odd.”

Lincoln Road would thrive as a neighborhood with a more balanced mix between residents and the tourism industry, he said, because residents have a permanent stake in the community.

“So, we started looking at the surrounding area and said, ‘how can we make this area as dynamic as the plans that we have for our own hotel, our own block?’ And then we started thinking about the 200 to 300 blocks, and the fact that for 70 years now, since Morris Lapidus converted the Lincoln Road into a pedestrian mall, these last three blocks have not really been part of that, physically or functionally.”

The project would also seek to improve traffic flow and aesthetics on the 100 block of Lincoln Road, promoting more and better pedestrian access to the beach for residents and visitors. The block would remain open to vehicular traffic, but with an improved design of its landscaping, traffic flow and a realignment of the beach entrance.

It would also create “one of the largest continuous greenbelts in the US by connecting the garden ways of the Lincoln Road mall with the beach walk and provide residents and tourists with the ability to enjoy the commercial and natural pedestrian experience of an ‘emerald necklace’,” as the communications stated.

The aim, Mr. Kanavos said, is to connect the Lincoln Road mall to the beach, taking “the very central part of the city, the doorway to Lincoln Road, and really make it a showcase, which it really should have been.”

The Ritz-Carlton team also wants to create a park at the back entrance of the hotel, at the end of walkway to the beach. “We are looking at putting up an archway that was conceived by Morris Lapidus (who also designed the Ritz-Carlton) but never realized.”

The Lincoln Road renewal project would close the 200-300 blocks of Lincoln Road to vehicles, extending the pedestrian experience over the entire area. The redesign of those blocks would reinvigorate and increase business with a pedestrian garden way and other features, according to the project’s communications.

A residential component is also planned along the beach walk by the hotel, said Mr. Kanavos, following other developments, such as the Shore Club adding a residential tower with 65 hotel suites and 80 apartments.

The project, finally, aims to eliminate the blight and crime that is affecting the area, attract new private investment to upgrade businesses and provide more public showcases for the arts.

“We’re received nothing but support from the community,” said Mr. Kanavos. “The biggest hurdle is going to be, at the end of the day, finding the financing to start construction of the project,” which is projected to cost $23 million, covered in partnership with the city.

The project, he added, needs to pass the city Finance and Economic Resiliency, Land Use and Sustainability and Neighborhoods/Community Affairs committees. “I expect our upcoming committee meeting (Dec. 14) to go well,” he said, “and hopefully at that point, they will refer the project to the city administration to begin negotiating with us on the development agreement.”

In the 1980s, the Miami Design Preservation League commissioned a study, paid for by the city, where it recognized Lincoln Road as the central node in the city that connects the other activity sectors to the north and south, said Mr. Kanavos. “The logical connector between these developed nodes of activity is where we are. We have to functionally and aesthetically look the part. We’re essentially fulfilling the promise of that study that was done to take this central node of the city and really make it the flow-through connector, rather than the choke point that it is today.”

 

Source:  Miami Today

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Developers, Brokers Pursue Wealthy Art Buyers During Miami Art Week

It’s that time of year: Developers and brokers throughout the Miami area are once again tapping into the art world in the hopes that wealthy buyers will open up their wallets to purchase real estate.

The goal for most real estate firms is to expose the wealthy art aficionados to projects and properties, and follow up with potential buyers later.

Major real estate players, who happen to be art enthusiasts, are also hosting events that aren’t real estate related. Downtown Miami and Wynwood landowner Moishe Mana will have his annual birthday bash at the former RC Cola Plant in Wynwood, on Wednesday from 9 p.m. until “late,” according to the invite.

And Related Group CEO Jorge Pérez, an art collector who has long incorporated art into his projects and is the namesake of Pérez Art Museum Miami, is hosting buyers and brokers at El Espacio 23, Pérez’s personal art gallery in Allapattah, this week at a series of daily events for contract holders.

“We rarely see sales happen this week, but the follow-up is extremely strong,” said Nick Pérez, senior vice president at Related. The firm is also hosting events showcasing artwork at its projects’ sales centers, including at Casa Bella by B&B Italia in Miami’s Arts & Entertainment District.

 

“Once you have a very high-end, captured audience like you do, then exposing them to the different developments or properties you’re selling is a no-brainer,” said Daniel de la Vega, president of One Sotheby’s. “For the most part, it’s about exposure.”

For the majority of developers, it’s all about getting in front of the right type of buyer.

 

Source:  The Real Deal

 

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Plans Submitted For Mixed-Use 1920 Alton, Designed By Gensler

Plans have been filed to build a mixed-use project called 1920 Alton Road in South Beach.

1920 Alton is planned to rise 5 stories and include:

  • 25,223 square feet of Class A office space
  • 8,284 square feet of restaurant space at the ground level (split between two separate tenants)
  • three residential units that will total approximately 13,271 square feet
  • a screened-in parking garage on the second level with 45 spaces

Gensler is the architect. Alton Office Holdings II LLC is the developer.

The LLC is controlled by three separate companies, each owning a 33.33% stake. They include WMB Resources of Dublin, Ohio (managed by Wayne M. Boich), Edge Park Realty LLC of Greenwich, Connecticut (managed by Andrew Mathias), and Beachbox Holdings II, LLC of New York (managed by Bruce Beal). A Related Companies logo is attached to the plan submittal.

A hearing before the Miami Beach Design Review Board is scheduled December 6.

 

 

Source:  The Next Miami

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Miami Beach Seeks Development Partner For Art Deco Apartment Building

Miami Beach officials are contemplating partnering with a developer to renovate a city-owned Art Deco apartment building.

The Miami Beach City Commission on Wednesday authorized staff to move forward with crafting a request for proposals to partner with a developer that can fix up the Barclay Plaza Apartments at 1940 Park Avenue. Bidders can also include possible additions to the 1935-era building in their proposals.

Miami Beach commissioner David Richardson told his colleagues that allowing interested developers to build on the vacant area behind the three-story, L-shaped structure would make the project financially viable.

Miami Beach officials would enter into a private-public partnership and sign a 99-year ground lease with the winning bidder, according to a memo from City Manager Alina Hudak. A developer can also choose to maintain the Barclay as an apartment building with some workforce units, or reposition the property as an office project.

The project does not require a voter referendum, but any proposal would need approval from the Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board because the Barclay is considered a “contributing” building in the city’s Art Deco Historic District.

In 2014, the Barclay was condemned by the city, which then purchased the property a year later. The city paid the Miami Beach Community Development Corporation $5.4 million for the former affordable housing building. Since then, it has remained vacant.

Miami Beach also briefly listed Barclay for sale last year. Commissioner Kristen Rosen Gonzalez, the lone no vote on the RFP, said the better option is for Miami Beach to pursue funding from the Florida Legislature to renovate the apartment building.

“I don’t like this RFP at all,” she said. “I do feel strongly we can get the [state funds] to renovate the Barclay. Why give it away when we can do workforce housing ourselves.”

 

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Lincoln Road Poised For Retail Revival

With 16 new-to-market retail and restaurant tenants, 12 under-development stores, and a greater foot traffic than other Miami-Dade County destinations, Lincoln Road continues to be successful and is poised to have its retail revival going.

The Lincoln Road District’s storefront occupancy rate is 85%, reflecting currently occupied and leased stores, according to the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District (BID). Over the past 12 months, 16 new tenants are opening on the area, 14 of which are new-to-market operators.

Foot traffic, recorded by analytics tool Placer.ai, showed Lincoln Road reaching close to 8 million walking visits over the past year, higher than other destinations such as Miami Design District with 4.1 million, Brickell City Centre with 3.9 million, and Wynwood’s Second Avenue with 3.7 million, according to the Lincoln Road BID.

In October, Chinese fashion brand Yoyoso occupied 5,600 square feet on 1111 Lincoln Road. Barcelona-based fashion retailer Mango also opened a 4,628-square-foot store at 1036 Lincoln Road. Furniture and home décor store West Elm is now occupying 10,237 square feet in the area as well.

On the restaurants side, Andres Carne de Res, a popular Colombian restaurant, is making its US debut on 455 Lincoln Road. The Colombian restaurateurs will occupy about 5,000 square feet in a two-story building with a rooftop deck, where 5 Napkin Burger had been before the location stood vacant since 2015. Construction is set to start soon, according to the Lincoln Road BID.

In addition, The Cheesecake Factory is signing a lease at 600 Lincoln Road, Salt & Straw is also to open at 749 Lincoln Road, and New York-based Mexican taqueria Tacombi has recently opened at 1688 Meridian Ave. and is leasing 2,800 square feet.

Also, 12 stores are currently under development to be leased to new-to-market tenants, including Toronto-based Lighthouse Immersive, the company running the Van Gogh Immersive Exhibit nationwide, which is building a restaurant with virtual displays in the 23,000-square-foot space where the 1940s Beach House used to be, between Paul’s Bakery and the Time Out Market, which has been vacant for over 20 years. The developers are currently working on its design.

Following the successful Fernando Botero sculptures exhibition in Lincoln Road, which was unveiled in 2019, the Lincoln Road BID is bringing another exhibit of 12 sculptures by French artist Richard Orlinkski, which are to be unveiled Nov. 30, just before Art Basel, said Lyle Stern, BID president. A space for a pop-up gallery at 801 Lincoln Road is also to be opened at the same time.

The Peekaboo Art Galleries, a cooperative of local artists with 12 individual studios under the leadership of artist Jayda Knight, is hosting another season of The Black Plum Room, digital works of four artists “presenting their own explorations between creating in real life and working virtually,” according to Miami Beach Arts and Culture.

This year, New York City’s UrbanSpace is bringing its Holiday Market to Lincoln Road, where almost 150 local vendors are to exhibit their products from Nov. 15 to Feb. 15.

“UrbanSpace is very well known for the millennium artists they put out in New York, the largest one is in Bryant Park – and it’s spectacular,” said Mr. Stern. “They were looking for a site outside of New York. We reached out to them, and after they looked throughout all of South Florida they loved Lincoln Road, and we entered into an agreement with them.”

Some of the South Florida gastronomic brands to be displayed include Watsons Bay Coffee Co., Miami ‘N’ Ice, and Wicked Bread. Other national brands are Luke’s Lobster, MozzArepas, and Oyster Party, Poured Loved candles, Jaharii jewelry, accessories brand Pawies, and Gabriela Ceballos Jewelry.

Lincoln Road has also seen close to $6 billion of real estate and hospitality investments in the area, as Class A office and storefronts are being leased, according to the Lincoln Road BID. An example of this is developer Michael Shvo, who has submitted three proposals to the city.

The first, The Alton, would be a six-story, 250,000-square-foot Class A office and commercial space in 1656-1680 Alton Road and 1677 West Ave., designed by Norman Foster from Foster & Partners and Kobi Karp Architects. The project is under development and is expected to be built in 2025.

Another Class A office building is to be One Sounds Park, a six-floor, 52,500-square-foot development designed by Peter Marino and Kobi Karp Architecture, which is expected to be built in 2024 and is under development. The building is to be at 1665-1667 Washington Ave.

Lastly, Michael Shvo is also planning to redevelop the 313,000-square-foot 1940s Rosewood Hotel and Residences into The Raleigh at 1775 Collins Ave. The project is to be a 60-room and suite hotel and 44 residences managed by Rosewood. The residences are to be in the newly constructed 17-story oceanfront tower.

He has also filed plans to redevelop the iconic Lincoln Road clocktower building at 407 Lincoln Road.

“What we’ve tried to do,” said Mr. Stern, “is to approach each part of the community’s culture – music, art, retail, food – at all different levels and price-points to really democratize our street offering, so that there is something for everybody, from amazing arts installations to great street food to higher-end food experience.”

 

Source:  Miami Today

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Miami Beach Votes Down Big Real Estate Projects

Miami Beach voters on Tuesday nixed three major real estate projects proposed by industry heavyweights Stephen RossBarry Sternlicht, and Don Peebles.

Some 53.4 percent of voters rejectedRoss bid to exceed the current building-size regulations, effectively halting his plans to redevelop the historic Deauville Beach Resort, a MiMo-style property.

The New York-based developer wanted to increase the floor-area ratio, a method of regulating a building’s size, for the Deauville lot at 6701 Collins Avenue and two adjacent parcels. Had the ballot measure passed, Related would have developed an Equinox-branded complex with two luxury towers, featuring 125 condos and 175 hotel rooms. (Related owns Equinox.)

The development seemed like a passion project for Ross, who partly grew up in town.

“As a native of Miami Beach, this project is personal to me. I know what this site means to the people of Miami Beach,” Ross said when announcing his purchase bid in May. 

The billionaire developer enlisted world-renowned architect Frank Gehry to design the new complex. In July, Ross also spoke at a Miami Beach city commission meeting, where he mapped out his plans for “a world-class project.” Yes For A Safe and Strong Future, a political action committee tied to Related Companies, spent over $1 million in favor of the referendum.

Ross’ plans for the Deauville site are unclear following the defeat. The sale was contingent on voters approving the height increase. When reached for comment, Ross and Related representatives provided a statement from Yes For A Safe and Strong Future.

“While we are disappointed with the outcome, we know North Beach deserves an economic engine, not an eyesore. We appreciate the tremendous support we received from thousands who backed a real vision for a better North Beach and still believe there’s a brighter future ahead,” the statement reads. 

Regardless of Tuesday’s vote, the Deauville property will be demolished. The resort has been closed since 2017, following an electrical fire. It fell into such disrepair that a Miami Beach official deemed the resort structurally unsafe and ordered it to be knocked down last January. A Miami-Dade circuit judge later upheld the order. The demolition is scheduled for this Sunday.

No More Offices on Lincoln Road

Ross wasn’t the only developer to lose in Miami Beach.

Ventures led by Sternlicht’s Starwood Capital and Peebles’ Peebles Corporation both sought 99-year leases to build competing office-heavy, mixed-use projects on city-owned land near Lincoln Road, a pedestrian shopping street in Miami Beach. As with Ross, voters rejected each of the proposed leases by 53 percent.

Had they been approved, the leases together would have generated $355 million for the city over 99 years, as stated on ballots. Developers saw an opportunity to build boutique offices in Miami Beach in part to serve billionaires, who relocated to the island town during the pandemic and now seek offices near their residences.

At 1688 Lenox Avenue and 1080 Lincoln Lane North, Starwood’s plans with partners Integra Investments and The Comras Company called for a 100-foot-tall structure that would feature office space, ground-floor retail (including 1,000 square feet leased to a nonprofit rent-free) and a public parking lot to replace the existing surface lot.

Just three blocks east, at 1664 Meridian Avenue, Peebles — along with two partners, local developer Scott Robins and former Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine — wanted to develop a six-story building with Class A office space, 43 market-rate residential apartments, ground-floor retail space, and public parking to replace the existing 151 spots.

“We will consider working with the city to make some adjustments to our proposal and consider presenting it to the voters again without such a crowded and controversial group of ballot questions. That would give the voters the opportunity to focus on the many public benefits from our proposal,” Peebles said in a statement.

The Ones That Passed 

Miami Beach residents did approve some referendums related to real estate — those which weren’t directly tied to developers.

Voters agreed to boost the floor-area ratio for oceanfront hotels in the South of Fifth neighborhood that want to convert to residential buildings. Residents also greenlighted a floor-area ratio hike for certain office and residential properties east of Washington Avenue between First and Second streets if the owner agrees to prohibit hotels and short-term rentals on the property.

Residents also passed a ballot initiative that asked voters whether the municipality should seek voter approval before selling or leasing city-owned properties for over 10 years. The measure affects properties between West 43rd Street and West 40th Street, and from Pine Tree Drive on the east to Alton Road on the west.

Unlike in Miami Beach, Developers Win in Miami

Across the bay in Miami, developers had better luck Tuesday. Sixty-four percent of voters approved a 99-year lease extension for a waterfront site in Downtown Miami, paving the way for a $1.5 billion development.

Hyatt Hotels and Miami-based developer Gencom plan to tear down the James L. Knight Center and build three skyscrapers. Called Miami Riverbridge, the development would include 1,542 rental apartments in total, along with 615 hotel rooms and 264 serviced apartments. The annual rent will jump from $250,000 to at least $2.5 million. The joint venture has also vowed to make a $25 million contribution to affordable housing initiatives, the details of which have not yet been released.

“Miami Riverbridge will improve access to and from the Hyatt Regency Miami site, activate the Miami riverfront, and meet growing demand for housing, hotel rooms and more meeting space in our downtown,” James Francque, global head of transactions for Hyatt, and Phil Keb, executive vice president of development for Gencom, said in a joint statement.

 

Source:  Commercial Observer

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Shvo Wants To Redevelop Aging Lincoln Clock Tower Building

Shvo is betting big on Miami Beach.

Michael Shvo’s firm is seeking to redevelop a 13-story office tower at 407 Lincoln Road, according to plans filed with the city.

The aging tower is one of the tallest office buildings in Miami Beach and is known for its clock display on the top. It sits directly in front of SoundScape Park.

The tower would mark Shvo’s third office project in the city.

But first Shvo’s firm has to acquire the property. An entity called EuroAmerican Group owns the building, which is split into 12 office condos, according to property records. Shvo’s filing with the city likely means a sale will soon be finalized. Shvo declined to comment and Michael Shvo could not be reached for comment.

Shvo tapped Foster + Partners and Kobi Karp as architects. Shvo will seek to completely renovate the exterior of the building and renovate the lobby, elevators and clock display, plans show. The renderings of the building look unrecognizable from the building’s current design.

Wealthy people have long flocked to Miami Beach, but mostly to live, not work. In recent years, developers have sought to capitalize on the wealth migration by building more office space for family offices and headquarters, as well as for the influx of tech and financial firms to the Miami area.

In addition to the Lincoln Road project, Shvo is building a six-story office building on Washington Avenue, and a 250,000-square-foot office building on Alton Road, both in Miami Beach. Shvo’s plans follow two major, controversial Miami Beach office proposals, one by Don Peebles, former Miami Beach mayor Philip Levine and Scott Robins, and another by Integra Investments, Barry Sternlicht’s Starwood and Michael Comras’ The Comras Company. The proposals, to be built on city-owned parking lots under 99-year leases, are heading to a referendum on Nov. 8.

An entity tied to Key International founder Jose Ardid bought the Lincoln Road office tower from the Financial Federal Savings & Loan Association in 1982, records show. In 2003, Key International sold the property to EuroAmerican Group, which lists Ivan Gonzalez Ruiz as president.

Shvo’s other major project in Miami Beach is the redevelopment of the oceanfront Raleigh and two other neighboring hotels. Shvo is planning to redevelop the historic Raleigh and build a 44-unit luxury condo tower. Rosewood Hotels & Resorts was tapped as the branding partner for the hotel.

 

Source:  The Real Deal

 

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The Fontainebleau Miami Beach To Add 50K SF Events Center

The Fontainebleau Miami Beach has unveiled plans to build a 50,000-square-foot events center, which the hotel said will meet “the needs of the growing Miami market for business and leisure events.”

The center will be located adjacent to the 1,504-room hotel. It is expected to open in the first quarter of 2025.

Plans call for two ballrooms, 10 breakout rooms and a 9,000-square-foot rooftop deck. An indoor sky bridge will connect the events center with the hotel’s Tresor Tower.

In addition to the integration of digital amenities like LED walls, touchscreens and state-of-the-art audio and visual tools, the center will incorporate ecofriendly features, including rainwater collection, recycling systems and insulated glass designed to reduce energy use. The project has received LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

According to the Fontainebleau Miami Beach, additional details on the project will be released as construction moves forward.

The venue will add to the hotel’s existing 200,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meetings and events space.

 

Source: Travel Weekly

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