Tour the Carnage That Hurricane Irma Dumped On Miami Including Submerging Brickell

Although Hurricane Irma was not a direct hit to Miami, the storm's massive composition wreaked havoc throughout the world-class metropolitan city's streets. In Brickell and Miami Beach, streets became flooded and turned into rivers including Brickell Avenue, one of Miami's most iconic streets which is lined with luxurious skyscrapers of banks, offices, hotels and residences.Gale force winds could be shown whipping through the city streets, blowing over Palm Trees, signs, trucks and anything in their path. In addition to the storm surge, rain water flooded inland areas and high winds damaged Miami International Airport, which officials have not yet deemed when they will be ready to open. Venetian Causeway was almost completely under water and a sailboat was seen slammed up against the bridges between San Marco Island and Biscayne Island. City officials still cannot confirm how high water levels rose. While some areas have seen water levels pull back, others are still flooded. 

Areas to note, Purdy Avenue in Sunset Harbour, one of Miami Beach's most notorius flood zones, survived with little to no flooding. This shows that Miami's commitment to fending off sea level rise can prove to be successful as the city has raised the sidewalks over the years by 2' 5" and Miami Beach has committed over $500 million to raise streets and install pumps to drain floodwaters.

The damage assessment will take quite a few days as officials will make sure structures are safe for residents to return, remove debris and begin a clean-up process that at this time appear that it could have been much, much worse. Despite that, until the official reports begin to roll-in, there is just no way to know how much damage was done to the city and region of South Florida. So far, 5.8 million Florida homes and business' lost power and FPL claims that returning to normal operation could take weeks as they expect damage to core company systems. Many resources will need to be dedicated to rescue crews and clean-up so staying away from the city will allow officials budget the necessary resources to the people and areas that need them. Business are not open and returning to the city without essential supplies can hinder the efforts of those working to get the city back up and working on its feet. 

Stay tuned to PROFILEmiami for more updates on Hurricane Irma and the clean-up effort. 

Waves break over the Brickell Seawall as storm surge shakes up the Miami River. Photo via Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Brickell Avenue. Photo via Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Photo via Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Looking South Down SW 1st Avenue in Brickell. Photo via Joe Raedle/Getty Images

A collapsed crane at 3rd & Biscayne Blvd. Photo via Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Looking down Biscayne Boulevard from 19th Street. Photo via CNN

Looking North Towards Edgewater Up Biscayne at 19th Street. Photo via CNN

Waves break over the Seawall between Icon Brickell and Brickell Key. The Mandarian Oriental is shown in the background. Photo via CNN

A1A in Fort Lauderdale. Photo via CNN

Hurricane Irma Shifts West as Governor Rick Scott Warns "The Storm Is Here"

Outer bands bringing strong wind and rain from Hurricane Irma began to pound the southernmost reaches of Florida this morning (Saturday 9/9/17). The storm is now a Category 4 with sustained winds of 130 mph which will bring storm surge, rain, flooding and devastating gale force winds. Hurricane conditions are expected to begin Saturday night int he Florida Keys and across the southern and central Florida coasts.

"The storm is here. This is a deadly storm, and our state has never seen anything like it," said Florida Governor Rick Scott.  

The eye of Hurricane Irma is expected to hit the Florida Keys Sunday morning before moving up the west coast of Florida including Naples, Fort Myers and Tampa Bay. Officials warn that just because the storm's path has shifted west does not mean that the east coast is safe and is at risk of severe danger of storm surge, flooding and devastating winds which threaten many of the construction cranes in Miami's burgeoning metropolitan areas. 

We reported yesterday (Friday 9/8/17) that the largest mandatory evacuation order in the history of the United States are in effect for all of Miami Beach, Brickell and Downtown, amongst others counties. Over 650,000 people in the Miami area are effected by the storm and evacuation orders. Other evacuation orders include Broward County east of US 1, Palm Beach County, parts of Brevard County, coastal Jacksonville and Duval County, and Monroe County, which was among the first as it features the Florida Keys.

Terra, New Valley, Great Eagle Holdings and Bizzi & Partners Secure $155 Million In Construction Financing for Eighty Seven Park, Prepare to Commence Vertical Construction

Terra, New Valley, Great Eagle Holdings and Bizzi & Partners, the partners behind Eighty Seven Park, Renzo Piano’s first residential project in the U.S., have finalized a construction loan that will open the door to vertical construction. The loan is for $155 million in construction financing from United Overseas Bank. Terra has reported that the building is now over 60% sold with a sales volume of over $250 million. The start of vertical construction follows initial site work that involved placing 300 foundation pilings into the ground.

“Local and international buyers are responding to Eighty Seven Park’s brand of intelligent luxury, with more than sixty percent of our sixty-six units now sold,” says Terra president and co-founder David Martin. “Eighty Seven Park’s singular location, combined with Renzo Piano’s sophisticated design and the equity we’ve built through pre-construction sales, have created a powerful combination that put us in position to secure construction financing.”

“Buyers seeking oceanfront living in Miami Beach have many options, and Eighty Seven Park is the most desirable among them as evidenced by our sales success,” says Howard M. Lorber, chairman of Douglas Elliman Real Estate and CEO of Vector Group, the parent company of New Valley. “Our project offers the amenities, exclusivity and sophisticated design that today’s most discerning buyers are looking for.”

“IRR Miami’s market forecasts indicate that the only new projects that will get started over the next 24 months are those sponsored by the strongest developers,” explains Anthony Graziano, chairman of Integra Realty Resources and senior managing director for IRR-Miami/Palm Beach. “The strength of Eighty Seven Park lies in its location, design, and the experience of the development team that Terra has assembled. This is another example of Terra’s ability to deliver bold projects in irreplaceable locations.”

Eighty Seven Park is located on Collins Avenue in North Beach at 87th St. and Collins, which is the northern-most parcel of land in Miami Beach. Eighty Seven Park will be an 18 story glass tower with expansive, unobstructed views of the Atlantic Ocean, Miami Beach and Biscayne Bay. The building was designed by famed designer and Pritzker Prize-winning architect Renzo Piano Building Workshop in collaboration with RDAI, West 8 designed the landscape architecture and Ruben and Isabel Toledo will handle branding and marketing material. Eighty Seven Park will feature 68 residences that range from 1 to 5 bedroom layout and 1,400 SF to over 7,000 SF. Pricing ranges from $1.6 million to $15.2 million. There will also be a full-time concierge and butler service, smart home and building technology and five-star amenities including a salon, resort style pool with full-service bar, valet, security, library and on-site enoteca complete with on-site wine tasting. Eighty Seven Park is expected to be completed in 2018.

Brazillian Billionaire Jose Isaac Peres Sees Backlash to His Proposal for 5775 Collins Ave

Brazillian billionaire Jose Isaac Peres has seen a backlash from neighbors over his proposal for 5775 Collins Ave in Miami Beach. Resident's complain of a "Condo Canyon" effect which is caused by newer building taking up the entire lots they are built on in terms of width. This would block partial views of the ocean as well as limit public access  to the beach. The building is being designed by Arquitectonica and would rise 17 stories and feature 89 units. The building would also feature 2 levels of semi-subterranean parking. The proposed tower is outfitted with white stucco-tipped slabs with a glazed glass skin on the units. The balconies appear to be finished with with a warm brown wood, with planks oriented and glass rails. The proposal will head to the Design Review Board in December. 

Two Roads Development Celebrates With Top Brokers by Awarding Commission Checks In-Advance of Ground Breaking

On Wednesday, August 30th, Two Roads Development, the developers of Elysee Miami, awarded nearly $400,000 in commission checks to the project’s top-selling brokers in advance of its highly-anticipated groundbreaking this coming fall (2017). The check presentation took place at a special cocktail event at Elysee’s sales gallery on Biscayne Boulevard. Notable guests included Two Roads Development’s Reid Boren and Taylor Collins, as well as members of Cervera Real Estate’s executive leadership team including Alicia Cervera Sr., Veronica Cervera Goeske, Alicia Cervera Lamadrid, Jesse Ottley and Ali Lamadrid. Set to rise along Biscayne Bay at 788 NE 23rd Street in Miami’s East Edgewater neighborhood, the 57-story waterfront tower will feature 100 half-floor and full-floor residences priced from $1.5 million to $14 million. Cervera Real Estate are the exclusive sales team for Elysee. 

DJ Sasha Lauzon

Fernan Hernan Hernandez, Alessandra Ulrich, Holger Odenstein & Gilberto Quintero

Jennifer Cervera, Juan Estrada & Yanet de Castro

Tomas Hoffman, Sandra Masis & Jesse Ottley

Emily Gimblett & Franco Tommasi

Reid Boren, Pearla Machaen, & Robert Thorne

eronica Cervera Goeseke, Alicia Cervera Sr., & Lydia Juliao

Construction Update: G&G Business Development Files Notice of Commencement to Break Ground on Aston Martin Residences

G&G Business Developments has filed a Notice of Commencement with the county to break ground on Aston Martin Residences. Aston Martin Residences will rise 66 stories and features 391 units, designed by Revuelta Architecture and Bodas Mian Anger. The tower's interiors will feature lighting and handmade detail based on the car in addition to hand-adorned residence door numbers from the same jewelers that place the logo on the hood of Aston Martin cars. The building will features floor-to-ceiling glass with no visible concrete, including glass encased support beams. Units start at $500,000 and range up to $7,000,000 for the "River and Panoramic Residences" part of the building and $14,000,000 to $35,000,000 for the "Penthouses." The ultimate unit will be a triplex penthouse that comes complete with a private pool, helipad and Aston Martin Vulcan. Amenities include 42,000 SF “Sky Amenity” deck which features a state-of-the-art fitness center, golf simulator, multiple theaters, and a curated art gallery.

Midtown Continues to Expand as Magellan Development Closes on $110 Million Construction Loan for Midtown 6

Midtown Miami is continuing to expand as Magellan Development Group and an entity linked to Alex Vadia has closed on a $110 million construction loan for the proposed rental tower. The project, which is now ready to break ground, will rise 32 stories and was designed by BKL Architecture. Midtown 6 will feature 447 rental apartment units, 601 parking spaces and 40,000 SF of ground floor retail. Magellan also devleoped Midtown 5 which opened earlier this year as well as has proposed Midtown 7. 

Construction Update: Brickell Keeps Rolling as Key International & 13th Floor Investments' 1010 Brickell Receives TCO

1010 Brickell, which was developed by Key International and 13th Floor Investments with Moss & Associates is the contractor of record, has received their TCO. The project was designed by Sieger Suarez and rises 50 stories and is 99% sold of its 352 condo units which range in size from 850 SF - 1,922 SF. Units feature 9' high ceilings, 11' deep balconies. Amenities include "The Club at 1010" a 2-story amenity space which features a heated pool, retractable glass walls, game room with bowling, ping pong and air-hockey; a fitness center with half-court basketball, mini-tennis, soccer, volleyball, a spa and spa with a hammam Turkish bath and steam rooms with hot and cold plunge pools and treatment areas. There is also a rooftop deck that features a lap current pool, treetop restaurant/ lounge and an outdoor movie theater. 1010 Brickell is located at 10th Street and SE 1st Ave. Closings are expected to begin in September (2017). 

Terra Unveils Venus Williams' V STARR Interiors at the New Clubhouses at Modern Doral

Terra has chosen V STARR Interiors, owned by tennis icon and entrepreneur, Venus Williams, to design the clubhouses for Modern Doral. Modern Doral is a gated residential complex composed of three subdivisions located in Doral, Florida. V STARR Interiors designed three 2-story clubhouses, one for each subdivision, which start at 3,500 SF. The layouts for each clubhouse are different, yet share the same clean, open design, with standout furniture like a custom bookcase by RTI, a Fusion pool table, custom lighting, meeting areas, a fully-equipped fitness center, library, business center with media room and kitchenette, a swimming pool, spa, sun deck, BBQ gazebo areas, and spectacular lake views and bicycle trails.

“Our interiors are a modern representation of quintessential mid-century Miami and boast sculptural lighting, fun artwork and pops of color with cool open floor plans,” explains Venus Williams, CEO of V Starr Interiors. “These are family communities, so we have kids’ rooms in the club homes, which is distinct from past projects; there are Lego walls and custom murals by Jeffrey Noble that maintain the modern feeling.”

Developed by South Florida-based Terra, the unique master-planned community consists of 319 single-family luxury homes and approximately 150,000 SF of retail space featuring fine dining, eclectic shopping, and recreational environments. Construction of Modern Doral is well-underway and expected to be completed later this year (2017).

“When much of the world looks at South Florida real estate, they see high-rise condos, but this market is home to a range of product types catering to a diverse buyer base," explains Terra President and Co-Founder David Martin. "The sales success we've experienced at Modern Doral is a real-world example of the growing demand for design-oriented homes in desirable communities."

Optimum Group Hosts Groundbreaking Ceremony for “The Optimum,” Their New Coconut Grove Office Tower

Optimum Group, a global real estate investor and leading developer, hosted a formal groundbreaking ceremony and champagne reception to celebrate the construction commencement of The Optimum, a new class A office tower in Coconut Grove. Mayor Tomás Pedro Regalado spoke briefly on Coconut Grove’s rich history and Optimum’s commitment to enhance the neighborhood’s revitalization as well as company’s ongoing contribution to evolve South Florida communities and growing businesses.

“As the first new Class A office building in over 25 years that fulfills the much-needed commercial and retail component in ‎the center of one of Miami’s most historic community, ‘The Optimum’ is our response for those who are looking to live, work and play in the neighborhood,” said Ricardo Tabet, ceo of Optimum Group. “The space will not only complement The Groves’ lush landscaping and understated aesthetic, but will contribute to the neighborhood’s electrifying renaissance.”

The Optimum is a 5-story, class A office tower in the heart of the Grove. The Optimum is being designed by Arquitectonica, who took cues from Coconut Grove lush folliage including raking the buildings’ facades in natural cement and wood to blend seamlessly into Coconut Grove. The development will entail 44,000 SF of office space and 6,500 SF of ground floor restaurant space which is expected to feature a high-end restaurant along with a rooftop lounge that offers dramatic, panoramic views of Biscayne Bay. Optimum Development USA paid $8.5 million for the assemblage in 2014 and has since taken a $21.5 million loan on the property. The Optimum is located at 3480 Main Highway in Coconut Grove and is expected to be completed by 2018 with occupancy in just 16 months. 

Francisco Suarez, Ricardo Tabet, Mayor Tomas Regalado & Wilfredo Gort

Charles Khabouth, Danny Soberano, Francisco Suarez, Raquel Regalado, Wilfredo Gort, Ricardo Tabet, & Mayor Tomas Regalado

Ricardo Tabet

Francis Suarez, Raquel Regalado, Wilfredo Gort, Ricardo Tabet, Mayor Tomas Regalado, Anna Caruso, & Igor Jozsa