Miami

[quefueuno]

The Chesea which is on Biscayne and 14 street and Marquis West is directly west of Marquis

[quefueuno]

???

[umiami305]

You need to go to the Insert Image button where you post your reply and enter the URL to your photo, which can be found by right clinking the mouse on the photo and select properties, there you will find the URL address. Finally highlight and copy it and paste it in the box that appeared when you clicked the Insert Image button. Voila

[londonlawyer]

Where is the image icon?

[quefueuno]

http://C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas\My Documents\My Pictures\Buildings http://C:\Documents and Settings\Thomas\My Documents\My Pictures\Buildings

[umiami305]

Its above the box in which you type your posts. Its on the line with the bold italix, and underline buttons, Its the 5th one from the end. If you put your mouse pointer over the icon it and pause it will automatically tell you its the INSERT IMAGE ICON.

[lofter1]

http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/trans.gif'Pizza pope' builds a Catholic heaven

Tony Allen-Mills, New York
The Sunday Times
February 26, 2006

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2058771,00.html

http://images.thetimes.co.uk/images/trans.gifA FORMER marine who was raised by nuns and made a fortune selling pizza has embarked on a £230m plan to build the first town in America to be run according to strict Catholic principles.

Abortions, pornography and contraceptives will be banned in the new Florida town of Ave Maria, which has begun to take shape on former vegetable farms 90 miles northwest of Miami.

Tom Monaghan, the founder of the Domino’s Pizza chain, has stirred protests from civil rights activists by declaring that Ave Maria’s pharmacies will not be allowed to sell condoms or birth control pills. The town’s cable television network will carry no X-rated channels.

The town will be centred around a 100ft tall oratory and the first Catholic university to be built in America for 40 years. The university’s president, Nicholas J Healy, has said future students should “help rebuild the city of God” in a country suffering from “catastrophic cultural collapse”.

Monaghan, 68, sold his takeaway chain in 1998 for an estimated $1 billion (£573m). A devout Catholic who has ploughed millions into religious projects — including radio stations, primary schools and a Catholic law faculty in Michigan — Monaghan has bought about 5,000 acres previously used by migrant farmers.

The land on the western edge of the Everglades swamp will eventually house up to 30,000 people, with 5,000 students living on the university campus. Florida officials have declared the project a development bonanza for a depressed area, and Governor Jeb Bush attended a groundbreaking ceremony for the new university earlier this month.

Yet civil rights activists and other watchdogs concerned about the separation of church and state are threatening lawsuits if Ave Maria attempts to enforce Catholic dogma. Environmentalists have also complained the town will restrict the habitat of the Florida panther, an endangered species.

None of which has deterred Monaghan, who initially tried to build his new university in Michigan but could not get permission. Asked recently about possible lawsuits in Florida, he replied: “That’s great. That would be the best publicity we could get.”

The Florida developers managing the project claim more than 7,000 people have already expressed interest in buying homes in the town. Retailers and other businesses are reportedly close to leasing 60% of the intended commercial space.

Monaghan was sent to a Catholic orphanage with his brother James after the death of their father on Christmas Eve 1941. After serving with the US Marines and later dropping out of university, he founded Domino’s in 1960 with his brother, who sold back his share for a Volkswagen Beetle.

Monaghan then set about building what became America’s second-largest pizza chain. He collected antique cars, bought a yacht and became the owner of the Detroit Tigers baseball team.

About 15 years ago he read Mere Christianity by CS Lewis. “That was a big turnaround,” he said recently. “I decided to simplify my life. No more airplanes, no more yachts. It’s been a big relief.”

Sources close to the project said Monaghan was particularly disturbed by what he regards as the failure of western civilisation to resist Islamic fundamentalism. In a speech to students last year Healy warned that Islam “no longer faces a religiously dynamic West”.

Healy described the “virtual collapse of Europe” as “one of the most profound and unsettling developments of our new century”. He added: “If you consider the more telling signs, such as its plummeting birth rate, Europe does not even seem to believe in a future . . . children are a sign of hope and the fruit of obedience to God’s command to be fruitful and multiply.”

Monaghan has argued that the owners of the town’s commercial properties will be free to impose conditions in leases — notably the restriction on the sale of contraceptives. But that has been challenged by Howard Simon, executive director of the Florida branch of the American Civil Liberties Union.

Simon said the US Supreme Court had already ruled “ownership [of a town] does not always mean absolute dominion”. “If he wants to build a town and encourage like-minded people to come and live there, that’s fine. We get into problems where he tries to exercise governmental authority.”

Frances Kissling, president of a liberal Catholic group supporting women’s rights to contraception and abortion, said the idea of a Catholic town was “very disturbing”. “We have to learn to tolerate the fact that there are other religions — as well as non-believers — and the interplay of cultures helps make each of us more productive members of society. A Catholic-only town goes totally against that.” Lawsuits appear inevitable once the new town begins functioning in 2007, but Monaghan believes he has more than the law on his side. “I think it’s God’s will to do this,” he said.

Copyright 2006 (http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,549,00.html)Times Newspapers Ltd.

[TLOZ Link5]

http://www.avemaria.com/

[quefueuno]

Of what ive been hearing there is a chance that the Premier Towers at Mary Brickell Village might be pulling the plug if anyone has any info on this please let me know

[toucano]

I think they are both still a go...

[Ana]

Infinity II is the latest pre-construction project in Brickell, the
business district of Miami, which is one of the hottest investment areas in
Miami. This is the most recent project at this time, it was just released
last week and has not even gone public yet!!!!

The units are amazingly spacious lofts with 10' to 20' ceiling heights, high end finishes
and spectacular amenities, just to name a few: state of the art gym, resident's poolside lounge with infinity
edge pool, restaurants, business center, 24 concierge, valet parking, not to mention an
astonishing location. It provides all the latest concepts of urban living...This is a true jewel!!!!

Prices range from $475,000 to $2.million (the smallest unit is 904 SF!!). They are in the very first offering stage, act fast so you will be able to take advantage of first offering pricing. Only 5% down to reserve your unit

Expected completion: Summer 2009

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT PRICING AND AVAILABILITY CONTACT:
Ana M. Noy
Nest Seekers International
anaml@nestseekers.com (anaml@nestseekers.com)
646.443.3723
646.223.0684

[pianoman11686]

Miami's real estate market is going down the tubes.

[Citytect]

Is that kind of blatant advertising allowed on here? Annoying.

[lofter1]

Perhaps posters such as the eager "Ana" can be banned -- or tarred / feathered for posting such crud???

[Eugenius]

I don't think we need to ban Ana. However, I think that Freakonomics should be required reading for any member of this forum to be able to see right through such propaganda.

One important (negative) indicator on the quality of the property is the number of exclamation points, of which Ana has a heaping pile. That should be an immediate red flag on this development.

[212]

two years ago when i left south florida, new construction was about half this price.

nyc will probably hold its value, but miami is definitely going to bust when those higher mortgage interest payments kick in.

[BrooklynRider]

Infinity II is the latest pre-construction project in Brickell.... and has not even gone public yet!!!!...
This is a true jewel!!!!


Really??!!!!!!!!??!!!!!!??!!!!!??

A clear violation of forum rules. Off with her head!

[BrooklynRider]

I was just in Miami. There is a whole new high-rise skyline going up. It is 90% condo. The whole economy down there seems Real Estate driven. If anything, it reminds me of Dubai. Just building, upon building, upon building. Some real ugly, typically Miami stuff. Miami Beach is seeing development as well and some of the stuff there is actually quite a bit more attractive, if not as splashy. I still don't know why one would buy a condo in Miami as opposed to one of the oceanfront communities.

[ablarc]

I still don't know why one would buy a condo in Miami as opposed to one of the oceanfront communities.
Nor do I. There's all the difference in the world between Miami, which is ugly, boring and suburban, and Miami Beach, which is beautiful, urban and full of interesting people.

.

[kz1000ps]

Perhaps posters such as the eager "Ana" can be banned -- or tarred / feathered for posting such crud???


I know this is a mostly-resolved issue by now, but I'm registering over at Cyburbia, and there's this most interesting box that must be checked in order to become a member --

Job postings, RFQs, conference announcements, and other planning announcements may be placed in The Kiosk. Otherwise, advertising is not allowed. Spam, chain letters, viral marketing, and similar messages will be removed, and the poter (sic) banned.

Yes, I understand that advertising, spam, viral and guerilla marketing messages, and similar posts are not allowed. I also agree that I will pay a US$1,000 account banning and message cleanup fee if I post such a message.

First off, WOW. Second, how is this enforced? And last, why isn't there a policy like that over here?

This might be a question for the forum issues sub-forum, and might be something Edward would want to look into seeming how we've had a rash of spam thanks to some guys from Nigeria offering $30 MacBooks.

[Luca]

Nor do I. There's all the difference in the world between Miami, which is ugly, boring and suburban, and Miami Beach, which is beautiful, urban and full of interesting people.

.

I was struck by the difference on my visit there. I found Miami extremely disappointing. Really really bad, especially the downtown. MB was a whole diffeernt story. Talk about a lesson about the impact of urban form over architecture per se.

[ablarc]

Talk about a lesson about the impact of urban form over architecture per se.
That's right, it doesn't matter one bit how flashy the buildings in Miami might be, since they don't add up. This is also why New York can survive abuse by the likes of Thomas O'Hara; the city is together and mostly complete. Most important of all: almost no parking lots. That's the hallmark of a real city.

Real cities of Miami Beach's size are almost extinct in North America; you can count them on the fingers of a hand and a half. They include Charleston, Savannah, Quebec, Santa Fe (maybe) and Hoboken.

[Lafayette]

I am not sure why all this bashing against Miami, matter of fact is that it is still much better than most cities in the US, it is still growing and when it is complete it will be one of the top cities.

Building designs do matter, it is much better to have a few architect design buildings than a whole city plagued with mediocre designed big fat buildings.

[ASchwarz]

I am not sure why all this bashing against Miami, matter of fact is that it is still much better than most cities in the US, it is still growing and when it is complete it will be one of the top cities.

Building designs do matter, it is much better to have a few architect design buildings than a whole city plagued with mediocre designed big fat buildings.

The problem with Miami is that the new buildings do little to contribute to the city's urbanism. They are all self-contained islands, resting upon huge parking garages, with little ground-floor retail and almost no pedestrian vitality. Additionally, the condos always have a couple acres of private outdoor pool/terrace/gardens, which is nice for the residents but destroys any sense of public space or urbanity.

The downtown Miami skyscraper boom is creating a city of self-contained residential resorts, with little sense of community or connections. Even worse, many of the buildings sit mostly empty, having been purchased by skittish South Americans as a hedge against instability in their respective countries.

I have a friend who lives in a newish condo on Brickell. His building is 80% empty most of the year.

[pianoman11686]

Sounds like a smaller, less exuberant version of Dubai.

[ablarc]

I am not sure why all this bashing against Miami, matter of fact is that it is still much better than most cities in the US, it is still growing and when it is complete it will be one of the top cities.

Just being persnickety, effete, quiche-eating, blue-state, Eurocentric snobs. Thinking a real city is a place where most folks walk --like most places that call themselves cities anywhere except North America. That's what permits some of us to arrogantly blow off Los Angeles, Miami, Raleigh and every other Sunbelt municipality as not a city at all.

So you see, it's not bashing really; it's dismissing.

Don't take offense; we know you like Miami, and most Americans would rather live in a place with guaranteed parking at every destination. It's just that that completely changes how you live and what goes on.

Consequently, living in a place like Boston or San Francisco is so completely different from living in say, Memphis or Jacksonville that there's no point at all in making comparisons. Apples and oranges.

It's just a semantic oversight that both these types of organism are called "cities." It's like referring to horses and camels as "steeds." They both provide transport but they're fundamentally different; living with a horse is different from living with a camel. You and others prefer one, and some of us prefer the other.

Miami is best compared with settlements like Charlotte or Phoenix or Los Angeles. I'm quite willing to believe that Miami is the very best of these, because frankly I don't care.

To me they're all the same. Sorry.

:) :) :)

[Luca]

When I went to Miami last year, I “foolishly” rented a car. This was based on my experience in every city in the US I had ever been to, with the exception of NYC, where you are effectively completely stuck without one. In M. Beach, obviously, it proved more of a hindrance than anything and in the end the day-trips to Coral Gables, Downtown Miami and Coconut grove were disappointing.

I’m not sure what name we could give to ‘cities’ that are not walkable. Maybe we could call them “Corbu Cities”.

[ablarc]

I’m not sure what name we could give to ‘cities’ that are not walkable. Maybe we could call them “Corbu Cities”.
I've thought about this long and hard, but it's hard to come up with something short and catchy and imstantly communicative. The word "city" had a clear and unmistakable meaning until North American cities disintegrated in the automobile's onslaught.

The need for a new moniker is unmistakably clear; lack of it has brought us decades of harmful policies born of fuzzy thinking. Lafayette's post is an illustration (of the fuzzy thinking, not the harmful policies --though I'm not sure I'd want him making policies either until he sorted out in his head the fundamental and very real difference between Miami Beach and Miami).

[BrooklynRider]

Well, I think you can have cities that are sub-urban and urban. Miami is sub-urban in that it relies heavily on the auto as its primary means of transportation. LA similarly is a suburban city. Most urban cities are the older cities with extensive mass transportation networks. My two cents.

[investordude]

ablarc, I think your comment isn't realistic in terms of how cities grow, even cities like New York. First, you have to build density to the point where it becomes an issue. What separates Miami from the other cites you red-state cities you mentioned is Miami is clearly trying to do that, and the other cities are much happier to sprawl. As downtown Miami improves, potentially you reach the point where the parking lots get knocked down to make street wall, and people start walking more. This has already basically happened in South Beach, which I think feels very urban and unique and is generally more exciting to walk around at night then any place in Boston or San Francisco - basically more exciting than any place in the US besides Manhattan during the peak vacation season.

Miami has South Beach as an example of what it wants to become, and that's one nice example of a pleasant urban environment.
Give them a century at the current pace and you'll be happy with the outcome is my prediction.

[ASchwarz]

South Beach is Miami Beach, not Miami. There is nothing in Miami that is remotely comparable to South Beach. The empty towers in downtown Miami will never create a South-Beach-style vibe.

Downtown Miami is fun for skyscraper fans but it's nothing more than a supersized second-home community. There's no beach and no streetlife, so what's the enduring appeal? The new complexes are doing nothing for pedestrians or urbanism. At street level parking lots have been replaced by concrete walls and private driveways. The only people on the street are bored-looking valets and security (the residents are in Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo or New York).

If South America ever gets its act together, the downtown Miami condo market will sink.

[ablarc]

investordude, you're misinformed. Miami Beach didn't evolve to become a pedestrian environment; it was built that way.

Sunbelt-style downtowns don't generally evolve into vibrant, walkable places --even if huge effort is put into trying. Partly the zoning doesn't really allow it, and partly the planning officials are too stupid to realize that.

It's a jamboree of ineptitude.

[Lafayette]

it seems like the city of Miami has acknowledge this and is doing something about it. Check this out www.miami21.org (http://www.miami21.org). Let me know your comments.

[toucano]

Hello all...

I am a Miami Native who occasionally stops by to see what the more affluent NYC types are thinking about Miami's development. In many of your points, I agree. I'm lucky enough to have traveled to many of the world's best cities (NYC often) and have seen what cities are doing right and what’s done incorrectly. Unfortunately, I find that Miami is doing many things very incorrectly. The urban planning in Miami is terrible, if not completely inexistent. Unit to parking space ratios in the "Urban core" are ridiculously pathetic and do not by any means encourage Miamians to begin to curb their automobile use. Sprawl abounds as developers push to westward into the everglades area to continue suburban developments. I find much of this disheartening considering that I am studying to become a transit engineer and hope to one day change the way my city operates and is designed. Miami Beach is a great example of a city that has a full understanding of the urban life concept, with Coral Gables not too far behind. George Merrick laid a great foundation for Coral Gables when he began to plan it which to this day continues to guide development properly.

I often find that much of our problem is a lack of understanding on the part of Miami residents and a great deal of ignorance on the part of local politicians. Current plans to expand our public transit are very misguided (mainly because of the academic credentials of the county commission which makes many of the transit spending decisions) and do not do enough to curb the use of cars.

Miami 21, introduced by Mayor Manny Diaz seems quite promising. However, we currently lack a strong business sector in our city (other than International Banking, telecom, real-estate, and construction firms) to help further revitalize our urban center and put pressure on local politicians to make proper decisions.

I write a blog which addresses many of these issues in Miami, feel free to check it out and comment as often as you all would like:

www.transitmiami.com (http://www.transitmiami.com/)

Good points otherwise, I hate to see so much negativity about a city which has grown so quickly in its short 110 year span of existence…

[ablarc]

Unfortunately, I find that Miami is doing many things very incorrectly. The urban planning in Miami is terrible, if not completely inexistent. Unit to parking space ratios in the "Urban core" are ridiculously pathetic and do not by any means encourage Miamians to begin to curb their automobile use. Sprawl abounds...

I often find that much of our problem is a lack of understanding on the part of Miami residents and a great deal of ignorance on the part of local politicians.
If only they could realize what a city-killer that parking requirement is!

[toucano]

Here is some of that bad Urban Planning I am talking about...This is 2222 Biscayne, a new office building slated to rise just north of the CBD. Look at the ridiculous parking Garage pedestal...the developer is selling this building with two times the amount of parking that is required by city code. The sheer stupidity behind it amazes me considering the street to the left (west) of the tower is slated to have the Miami Streetcar running along it...I also find it fairly ironic that the building is depicted above streets without any traffic and it fails to include the upcoming streetcar as a choice of transportation to get to and from this absurd building...:mad:

www.transitmiami.com (http://www.transitmiami.com)


http://www.loopnet.com/Attachments/8/D/E/8DECFD52-A8C4-4BBB-B92F-8A1CE2E5579B_or.jpg

[ablarc]

With this kind of planning, Miami will never be anything but a high-density suburb.

[ryeler]

With all the new project developments of course Trump has his foot in it. I recently stayed at the Trump in Sunny Isles, and it wasn't even half done and other Buildings were surpassing it in size and luxury. You might say Trump has been 'Out-Trumped' already. Lol


-ryeler

[ryeler]

A while back in the forum Met 3 was up for discussion, and is it just me, or is that a more box-like copy of 1 King West in downtown Toronto?

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=101423

see for yourself

-ryeler

[ryeler]

(Met 3 posted on page 8)

[antinimby]

With this kind of planning, Miami will never be anything but a high-density suburb.I guess someone's listening.


NY-style retail coming to Miami

Mixed-use projects to replace traditional stand-alone shopping malls


http://www.therealdeal.net//issues/JANUARY_2007/images/1167685275.jpg
Altos Plaza will bring pedestrian-
friendly shopping to Little Havana.


January 2007
By Steve Cutler

Attention New York shoppers: You'll feel right at home at the new retail centers opening in Miami's urban core. Replacing the traditional model of the stand-alone shopping mall, Miami developers are beginning to see the advantage of large-scale mixed-use development, combining high-rise condominium towers, street-level retail, restaurant and entertainment complexes, all connected by pedestrian walkways.

Strolling the new pedestrian-friendly, mixed-use projects in Downtown Miami will feel a lot like walking down the streets of Manhattan. It'll take some getting used to, but developers figure it'll be a welcome change.

"This is a car-driven market down here," says Tim Weller, vice president of development for MDM Development Group, builder of Metropolitan Miami, one of the larger projects under construction Downtown. "People are used to driving everywhere. But really, they've had no choice.

"We have a lot of beautiful condos that have become isolated," continues Weller. "You have to get into your car and fight a lot of traffic for the smallest purchase. People are really looking forward to not using their car and getting into a pedestrian environment. They want to have all their lifestyle needs met within a compact area."


Shaq-ing up

Metropolitan Miami is a $1 billion, nine-acre development under construction on Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami, with 1,143 condominiums in two high-rise towers, a five-star Marriott Collection hotel, 47-story office tower and a four-story atrium "lifestyle center," with a multiplex cinema, restaurants and shops, all strewn among shaded walkways and plazas.

Aside from the customer base that will be built into the residential component of the project, Weller says, "there is a critical mass of enough people living and working in the central business district -- with 5 million square feet of office space within six blocks -- to ensure the 24-hour traffic this type of urban environment really needs."

While the retail space will not be ready until 2009, 50 percent is already leased. Merchants were attracted by the potential customer base in the thousands of condominium residences set to come online in the next two years and, most particularly, the anchor tenant at Metropolitan, a Whole Foods Market.

The project has gotten press lately because of an investment by Shaquille O'Neal, whose development firm, the O'Neal Group, will open a 24-hour Shaq Ultra Sport Fitness Center at Metropolitan. The basketball star also bought a lavish penthouse in the Met 3 condominium tower, which claims it will be "the tallest residential building south of Manhattan," once completed. High-profile Manny's Steakhouse has also signed on to the project.


Commercial success

While the slide in the residential market in Southern Florida has been grabbing all the headlines over the past year, the retail market has never been better. "The retail market is very tight," reports Paco Diaz, vice president of the Miami office of CB Richard Ellis.

"We're running at 95 percent occupancy," he says. "There's a scarcity of available land, and land prices, lease rates and sale prices are all on the upswing. We're under-retailed in Miami compared to Broward and Palm Beach County."

Miami has 12 square feet of retail per capita. Broward and Palm Beach each have 19 square feet per capita, which is just below the national average of 20 square feet.

"The retail portion of the giant new mixed-use projects, like Metropolitan and Midtown Miami," says Diaz, "should do very well," even as their residential components wait out market doldrums. "The slowing of the residential market has not affected the retail market whatsoever," he adds. "One has nothing to do with the other."

"South Florida is under-retailed," agrees Michael Ullian, director of commercial development for the Midtown Miami Group, co-developer of Midtown Miami along with Developers Diversified, "so companies like Kohl's, Costco and every major big box would like to be in this urban area."


Big stores Downtown

The mammoth Midtown Miami, a 56-acre mixed-use project on North Miami Avenue, will bring the first big boxes to Downtown. "The Shops at Midtown Miami," occupying 633,000 square feet, will be anchored by a 141,000-square-foot Target and include (in order of size) Circuit City, Ross Dress For Less, Linens 'n Things, Marshalls, Loehmann's, West Elm and PetSmart.

"Getting Target involved was the key," reports Ullian, "Once they were involved, the other retail followed."

Ullian claims that when Midtown began to test the waters, they got a huge response from retailers of every stripe. "We're three deep in every category of merchandise." He says they're getting calls from overseas store brands that see Miami as an ideal test market.

"We have a lot of international retailers," he says, "from Germany, France, Spain, England, Southeast Asia and South America that would love to establish a presence in the U.S. but are afraid of rents that go up to $1,000 a square foot in New York City." While the average rent along major retail corridors in Manhattan runs $225 a square foot, according to recent market reports, rents at Midtown Miami average about $50 a square foot.

The European retailers, especially, give the Shops an exotic appeal. For example, says Ullian, "We will have a German eyewear company, instead of taking a Pearl Vision. It's something different, more high-style."

The big-box stores at The Shops will be the only such stores serving Downtown Miami, Miami Beach, the Brickell area and other points of Miami, with just over 2 million people living within a 15-mile radius. "There was no super-regional shopping before Midtown Miami between Aventura and Dadeland," says Ullian. "That's a 24-mile stretch."

Still, it required $170 million in government subsidies to get off the ground. The City of Miami and Miami-Dade County granted the money to the project to build two parking garages, streets and sewers. It's one of the largest incentive packages to a private developer in city history.

The problem is the parking. Unlike the field of asphalt that provides parking for the suburban shopping center, says Ullian, "you have to build structured parking garages, at an enormous cost." The city requires four spaces for every 1,000 square feet of retail. The Midtown Miami development will have about 6,000 parking spaces.

In addition to The Shops owned by Developers Diversified, the Midtown Group plans to build approximately 3,000 condominiums, 140,000 square feet of commercial space, and 150,000 square feet of office space on the Midtown Miami site within the next few years.

Some of the stores in the first phase of the project, the Northern Block, opened this fall, including Target, Linen's 'n Things and Circuit City, but most of the retail has yet to be installed. "There's almost 3,500 people working on the site right now," says Ullian. "We're building it a building at a time."


Heights in Little Havana

Just west of Downtown proper, a new mixed-use development called Altos Plaza is introducing the pedestrian-friendly model to Little Havana and taking it to a new level of sophistication (and price point) for the neighborhood, leasing at $40 and more a square foot.

"On the site for Altos Plaza," says Gonzalo Negrete, project manager for B Developments, developer of the project, "there used to be a gun shop and a bar where you had prostitution."

In its place the neighborhood will have an amenity-rich 17-story luxury condominium, 50,000 square feet of office space and 50,000 square feet of retail, including a new supermarket concept specially tailored to the urban Latin market called Publix Sabor.

This is B Development's second mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development within an eight-block radius. The first, Altos de Miami, is nearing completion. What's more, says principle Miguel Barbagallo, "We're looking for another three sites to do the same. It's an urban development solution."

The company is also widening sidewalks, installing benches and crosswalks, and providing curbside parallel parking to serve as a buffer from street traffic. "We want to keep the main avenue as continuous as possible so as not to break the rhythm of the people walking," says Negrete.

Once Publix committed to Altos Plaza, he says, "The retail filled up by itself. We didn't have to go out and shop it very hard." The developer signed a bank and is in talks with Starbucks and other big names. "These are the things that create a neighborhood."

Copyright © 2003-2005 The Real Deal

[BryanSereny]

Most buildings that started construction after 2002 have ground floor retail. Once most are built, there will be NY style retail/office activity. ;)

http://www.bryansereny.com/construction-photography/arts-entertainment.jpg
http://www.bryansereny.com/construction-photography/uptown9.jpg
http://www.bryansereny.com/construction-photography/downtown8.jpg
http://www.bryansereny.com/construction-photography/downtown9.jpg
http://www.bryansereny.com/construction-photography/marina-900-10-marquis.jpg

[Punzie]

Most buildings that started construction after 2002 have ground floor retail. Once most are built, there will be NY style retail/office activity. ;)

What will make the retail/office activity "NY-style" -- as opposed to the style of some other big city building complexes in the U.S.?

And if it is uniquely NY-style, which NYC borough/district has the style to which you are refering?

[OmegaNYC]

I guess they're shooting for a Manhattan/Mid-town type of look.

[Punzie]

I guess they're shooting for a Manhattan/Mid-town type of look.

That's a definite possibility, but another possibility is that Bryan's buildings will have "full-service" indoor mini-malls like the one in the North Shore Towers of Eastern Queens:

http://www.northshoretowers.com/pages/mall_pg.htm

That's why I wanted to know what he meant by "New York Style."

[czsz]

I have a feeling he wouldn't have had that in mind...

[BryanSereny]

In most cities across the US at 6pm and on weekends you will find the CBD’s empty. I am originally from Hartford CT which is a ghost town outside of business hours. What is happening finally in Downtown Miami, is a critical mass of mixed use developments. residential towers with office and ground floor retail. When making a comparison to NY I was simply pointing out that cumulatively, much of this development will create a neighborhood where residents will both work, live, shop, dine, and find entertainment. Prior to this recent construction boom, the Downtown/Brickell are was not a destination offering primarily office and residential. The lack of contiguous retail made it such that residents in this area were forced to get in a car and travel to: movie theaters, restaurants (there are a few, with dozens on the way), retail outlets, etc. On a Saturday afternoon, driving down Brickell Avenue you would see little pedestrian activity. This is about to change completely. Outside of residential development there is also millions of square feet of commercial retail/office under development.

What will make the retail/office activity "NY-style" -- as opposed to the style of some other big city building complexes in the U.S.?

And if it is uniquely NY-style, which NYC borough/district has the style to which you are refering?

[Punzie]

You know the old saying, "Buy where the realtor lives." Bryan, where in Miami do you and your family live? And which of your buildings will you and your family live in when it's completed?

[MidtownGuy]

That's not fair, he's allowed to advocate for his hometown without being a building owner or developer.

[Punzie]

That's not fair, he's allowed to advocate for his hometown without being a building owner or developer.

:confused: What did I ask that was not fair, MG? I just want to know where a smart, upwardly mobile Miami realtor invested and plans to invest. And if he finds the question too nosey, he doesn't have to answer, and I won't be offended. It seems fair to me.

[BryanSereny]

:confused: What did I ask that was not fair, MG? I just want to know where a smart, upwardly mobile Miami realtor invested and plans to invest. And if he finds the question too nosey, he doesn't have to answer, and I won't be offended. It seems fair to me.

Direct oceanfront at $400/ sw ft with floor-to-ceiling-glass would be a sound investment, as would $299/sq ft waterfront.

Let me just say that I own, and live in one of the Downtown Miami Condos seen here. ;)

http://www.bryansereny.com/construction-photography/downtown8.jpg

[Punzie]

I know which one yours is! It's white and gleaming and bigger than the others.:D

[lofter1]

Miami Vivace: New Arts Center Opens Its Arms

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/02/04/arts/04tomm.600.jpg
Robin Hill/Carnival Center for the Performing Arts
Knight Concert Hall at the Carnival Center for the Performing Arts in Miami.

nytimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/arts/music/04tomm.html?ref=arts)
By ANTHONY TOMMASINI
February 4, 2007

MIAMI

WHATEVER else anyone may say about the new Carnival Center for the Performing Arts here, it is certainly integrated into the surrounding urban landscape. Biscayne Boulevard, a historic downtown thoroughfare, runs right through the middle of the place.

Designed by the architect Cesar Pelli, the $446 million Carnival Center occupies 570,000 square feet on both sides of the boulevard. Its two main buildings, the Sanford and Dolores Ziff Ballet Opera House and the Knight Concert Hall, are connected by an elegant pedestrian bridge, and the courtyards of these enormous edifices and the stretch of Biscayne Boulevard that runs between them are paved with the same handsome reddish bricks to form a continuous outdoor plaza. When the Carnival Center opened in October, the street was closed to traffic for a day; a free multicultural festival was held in the plaza, with tango bands, Haitian music, salsa, hip-hop and klezmer. More than 25,000 people attended ...

During the two decades it took to make the dream of this center a reality, three separate economic impact statements were commissioned to convince civic and corporate leaders that it could revitalize a drab section of downtown Miami. Few such ventures come in on budget, and this one had a cost overrun of $102 million ...

... Attendance may be affected by stories of parking hassles. Although the center is a block away from a major bus terminal, most people use cars to get there. There are parking lots in the vicinity, but the Carnival Center’s garage is a valet-only operation, and after the symphony concert, a long line of patrons waited outside on the balmy night for valets.

Copyright 2007 The New York Times Company

[lofter1]

Inside Miami's new cultural palace

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/08/38/92/image_4792388.jpg
Chris Matula/Post
VISUAL IMPACT: The Carnival Center, with two performing arts buildings straddling
Biscayne Boulevard, is 'one of the most complex projects ever constructed in
South Florida,' says Miami-Dade County Manager George Burgess.

palmbeachpost.com (http://www.palmbeachpost.com/ae/content/entertainment/arts_entertainment/epaper/2006/09/24/a1j_carnivalmain_0924.html)
By Charles Passy
Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 24, 2006

http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/09/38/92/image_4792389.jpg
Chris Matula/Post
DRAMATIC INTERIOR: The 2,400-seat Ziff Ballet Opera House, with its striking motif,
and the 2,200-seat Knight Concert Hall could solidify Miami's reputation as an
international cultural hub.

***

Photo Journal: Carnival Center, Designed by Cesar Pelli, Opens in Miami

playbillarts.com (http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/5398.html)
By Vivien Schweitzer and Matthew Westphal
19 Oct 2006

http://www.playbillarts.com/images/photos/CarnCtrPhotoJournal460.jpghttp://www.playbillarts.com/images/clear.gif
Photos by Robin Hill
From top: The Ziff Ballet Opera House;
Terrazzo floors and soaring ceilings in the lobbies;
The Knight Concert Hall;
The exterior of the Carnival Center.

[MidtownGuy]

my first impression is, beautiful on the inside, a boring heap on the outside.

[lofter1]

Plantings / gardens on all of those set-backs would help enormously ...

[finnman69]

my first impression is, beautiful on the inside, a boring heap on the outside.


anyone remember the really light and pastel colered watercolor renderings of this one?

Suprisingly bland for Cesar Pelli.

[BryanSereny]

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/182/378005826_f371d326a4_b.jpg

[Punzie]

Stunning photography, Bryan. Is that your real estate in the background? It's too far from the garage.;)

If you see this website as more than a vehicle to sell property: Here's a thread on the tearing down of the New Haven Coliseum. (And some speculation of building a new one.) People may be interested in your perspective as a realtor formerly from Connecticut:

http://wirednewyork.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11433

[BryanSereny]

Rapunzel----------- running a background check on me? :rolleyes: Not sure why you think I am trying to sell anything? I just post my photos for people to see......... Not interested in talking about CT...... Not fond of that state, nor the goings on in New Haven. :p

[Punzie]

You're at least in part trying to tell your real estate, because you have your website so prominently stamped on all your pics. WNY has a number of active realtors and architects right now whose websites are not emblazened on the photos they post.

It's understandable that you want to protect the copyright on your pics, but the giveaway is how large your stamp is. Not a chance that we can miss your name.

I don't expect for you to admit to a bit of real estate peddling. But if you are, I have another tip for you: this is an ideal time to lay it on thick, due to the week-long bitter-freezing spell in New York. Tell us how you went surfing all weekend long and sunbathed with a bikini-clad chick in either arm.

I've heard miserable, shivering people at the bus stop talking about buying in Florida. So here's your opportunity in New York, it may not come again until next winter.



Edited in:
I just noticed that your last picture doesn't have your name on it. Maybe there's hope for you.:p

.

[BryanSereny]

You will not see a single post from me soliciting business. :eek:

Photos that are hosted on www.BryanSereny.com (http://www.BryanSereny.com) all have the auto watermark. This is to protect my property from theft by my competitors. :rolleyes: Photos without the auto watermarked also serve to protect my property.

WiredNewYork plays no role in my business model. ;)

I enjoy sharing my photos with people from around the world! :)



You're at least in part trying to tell your real estate, because you have your website so prominently stamped on all your pics. WNY has a number of active realtors and architects right now whose websites are not emblazened on the photos they post.

It's understandable that you want to protect the copyright on your pics, but the giveaway is how large your stamp is. Not a chance that we can miss your name.

I don't expect for you to admit to a bit of real estate peddling. But if you are, I have another tip for you: this is an ideal time to lay it on thick, due to the week-long bitter-freezing spell in New York. Tell us how you went surfing all weekend long and sunbathed with a bikini-clad chick in either arm.

I've heard miserable, shivering people at the bus stop talking about buying in Florida. So here's your opportunity in New York, it may not come again until next winter.



Edited in:
I just noticed that your last picture doesn't have your name on it. Maybe there's hope for you.:p

.

[Punzie]

WiredNewYork plays no role in my business model. ;)
If the winkie smiley happens to be frivolous, and this comment is true, then I am disappointed. While we don't want to be inundated with real estate solicitors, I, for one, would hope that WNY has been a help in your business model.:)

http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/Rapunzel61/Spring/St-Patricks/junehaver-sm.jpghttp://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i130/Rapunzel61/Spring/St-Patricks/Happy-Saint-.jpg

[kliq6]

This city is growing by leaps and bounds. I just bought a second home down there, amazing climate and city!

[homeandaway]

Miami is alright, i wouldnt ever go there any way.
~AleX~