Construction on Brightline’s new rail line connecting Miami to Orlando has passed the halfway point. Construction broke ground in April 2019 and is both on schedule and within budget to date. Brightline anticipates that they will be launching service from Miami to Orlando in Q4 2022.
Read MoreBrightline And Disney Announce Plans To Build A Train Station In Walt Disney World Connecting To Orlando International Airport And Miami
Brightline has recently announced a plan to build a new train station at Walt Disney World in Orlando, connecting directly to Orlando International Airport and Miami. Brightline, who currently operates trains between Miami and West Palm Beach, has been seeking expansion to Orlando since launching in 2018.
Read MoreAirBNB Announces Global Party Ban And Occupancy Cap
One of the leading homesharing platforms, AirBNB, has announced a global ban on all parties and events at Airbnb listings, including a cap on occupancy at 16. This party ban applies to all future bookings on Airbnb and it will remain in effect indefinitely until further notice.
Read MoreLicense Agreement Ends Between Brightline And Virgin Trains USA Amid COVID-19 Pandemic
The partnership between Brightline and Virgin Trains has been terminated amid the COVID-19 pandemic and South Florida’s new commuter train service will go back to using the Brightline brand. The train service which runs between Downtown Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, has not run since March 25 and has laid off 250 employees.
Read MoreMeridiam Becomes Lead Investment Partner in Miami Beach Monorail Consortium’s Beach Corridor Plan
The Miami Beach Monorail Consortium has announced that the global infrastructure investment firm Meridiam has become the lead investment partner for the Consortium’s proposed mass transit monorail that would connect Downtown Miami and Miami Beach.
Read MoreTracking COVID-19 By The Numbers: Breaking News In South Florida
(Last Updated 6:14 AM 3/27/2020):
BREAKING:
City of Miami officials have announced a curfew for its residents that will begin Friday night. According to officials, all residents must be indoors from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. (3/27/2020)
Miami-Dade Mayor Issues Executive Order Closing All Non-Essential Business 9 PM Thursday. (3/20/2020)
All U.S. Citizens traveling around the world should return home ASAP or be prepared to stay abroad for an indefinite period. (3/19/2020)
Continue to check back for updates to below as we continue to track COVID-19 across South Florida:
Stats:
Number of Cases in Florida: 830+ (3/23/2020)
Fatalities in Florida: 13+ (3/23/2020)
Number of Global Cases: 351,000+ (3/23/2020)
Global Fatalities: 15,321+ (3/23/2020)
Number of U.S. Cases: 35,075+ (3/23/2020)
Fatalities in the U.S.: 458+ (3/23/2020)
Miami-Dade County:
Miami-Dade County # Cases: 2900+ (3/27/2020)
BREAKING: Miami-Dade Mayor Issues Executive Order Closing All Non-Essential Business (3/20/2020)
CONFIRMED CASES IN BRISTOL TOWER BRICKELL & SOHO BEACH HOUSE (3/19/2020)
Officials have ordered the closure of all restaurants, bars, movie theaters, concert houses, auditoriums, playhouses, clubs, gyms, arcades, bowling alleys, etc. which will go into effect 11 PM Tuesday. All grocery stores, pharmacies, take-out and delivery services will remain open at this time (3/17/2020)
All bars and nightclubs will be closed for 30 days.
Restaurants will only be able to operate at half capacity.
Exceptions granted if they have a capacity of 10 people or less.
Mayor Carlos Jimenez signed the emergency order, but remains in self-quarantine after being exposed to a Brazilian government official who tested positive following a visit to South Florida.
Miami-Dade Public Schools are now closed through at least April 15. (3/19/2020)
Miami-Dade Public Schools have closed this week and next. (3/16/2020)
Key Biscayne and North Miami Beach have implemented curfew between 10 PM and 5 AM (3/19/2020)
Officials have closed the beach from 5th to 15th Street, including Lummus Park.
All city parking garages are closed to non-residents.
In addition, all non-essential retail stores will be required to close at 10 p.m. daily. (3/16/2020)
Businesses excluded from this directive include: Pharmacies, grocery stores, convenience stores, private offices, banks, hotels, hospitals, medical service providers, medical supply stores, hardware stores, gasoline service stations and automotive supply and repair centers.
An entertainment district curfew will go into effect at 11 p.m.
All restaurants are asked to keep occupancy at 50% or less, and have under 250 people in each establishment at any given time.
Ultra Music Festival has been cancelled.
Miami Music Week has been cancelled.
ArtScape Concert has been cancelled.
The Miami Open Tennis Tournament has been cancelled.
University of Miami & FIU have moved classes online until the end of the spring semester. (3/20/2020)
University of Miami Spring Commencement postponed until December. (3/20/2020)
The Hardrock Seminole Hotel & Casino has suspended entertainment operations.
Calle Ocho Festival has been cancelled.
Mayor Francis Suarez has confirmed that he has COVID-19.
Broward County:
Broward County # Cases: 180+ (3/23/2020)
Broward County Public Schools are now closed through at least April 15. (3/19/2020)
Officials have closed the beach from Harbor Beach to Oakland Park Boulevard.
Restaurants and bars must close by 10 p.m.
Restaurants and bars are asked to operate at 50% capacity and have no more than 250 people at any time.
The Tortuga Music Festival, which was set to run from April 17-19, has been postponed.
The Wharf Fort Lauderdale is closed until further notice.
The listed measures will remain in effect until April 12.
Palm Beach County:
Palm Beach County # Cases: 59+ (3/23/2020)
Town of Palm Beach implements curfew until further notice from 9 P.M. - 6 A.M. (3/18/2020)
Palm Beach County Public Schools are now closed through at least April 15. (3/19/2020)
Beaches will be closed on Tuesday 3/17/2020
Nursing Homes and Assisted Living Facilities are closed to visitors.
Drive-through testing underway at FoundCare (2330 S. Congress Ave, West Palm Beach - call 561-967-0365 to see if you qualify and for appointments)
National:
BREAKING: The Federal Government has passed a $2.2 trillion stimulus package.
United States of America # Cases: 35,075+ (3/23/2020)
United States of America Fatalities: 458+ (3/23/2020)
Income tax filing deadline moved to July 15 (3/20/2020)
Foreclosures and HUD evictions have been halted for 60 days.
CDC recommends ban on gatherings of 10+ people.
The Players Championship was cancelled & PGA Tour is suspended.
NBA, NHL, MLB and MLS have suspended their seasons.
All ski resorts have closed.
The Grand Hyatt Selected as Flag for New Miami Beach Convention Center Hotel
The development team behind Miami Beach’s new Convention Center hotel announced today that the 800-room property will be operated by Hyatt under the luxury Grand Hyatt brand, when it opens to guests in 2023. Grand Hyatt Miami Beach will create a new hospitality option for visitors attending events at the adjacent Miami Beach Convention Center, which underwent a $600 million renovation that was completed last year, and will anchor the Convention Center District.
The new hotel will become the second Grand Hyatt property in Florida, joining Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay. Grand Hyatt hotels are designed to connect guests with iconic experiences, landmarks and cultural touchstones in captivating destinations around the world. Hallmarks of the brand include bold and vibrant design and architecture, elevated amenities and welcoming service that creates moments of more.
The hotel development is being led by David Martin of Terra and Jackie Soffer of Turnberry, whose plans for the hotel were overwhelmingly approved by Miami Beach voters in 2018. The 17-story hotel will be situated at the intersection of 17th Street and Convention Center Drive, within walking distance of the beachfront, Lincoln Road Mall, New World Symphony, The Bass Museum and The Fillmore Miami Beach.
“For years, Miami Beach has served as a global destination for arts, culture, shopping, dining and entertainment, but the City has lacked a true headquarters hotel for top-tier conventions and meetings,” said Martin and Soffer. “South Florida’s first Grand Hyatt hotel will maximize Miami Beach’s investment in its re-imagined Convention Center while bridging the physical gap that exists between the Convention Center District and surrounding neighborhoods.”
Grand Hyatt Miami Beach will be designed by architect Bernardo Fort-Brescia and his firm, Miami-based Arquitectonica. The development team also includes partner Craig Robins of Dacra, who is the visionary behind the Miami Design District and helped revive Miami Beach’s Art Deco District in the 1990s; Stonehill Taylor, which is designing the hotel’s interior lobby and lounges, ballroom and meeting rooms, hotel rooms and all common areas; EOA, which is designing the pool deck hospitality features of the hotel; and Arquitectonica GEO, which is creating lush pedestrian promenades and landscapes.
Hotel features are expected to include 12 floors of guest rooms offering views of Miami Beach, two floors of meeting spaces and ballrooms that will complement the Convention Center, a resort-style pool deck with panoramic views, and limited retail space that will activate the district at street level. An elevated skybridge will enable event attendees to move freely between the hotel and Convention Center in a climate-controlled, art-filled corridor.
Plans also include landscaped pedestrian promenades on surrounding streets, bike sharing stations, connectivity with public transit routes, dedicated ridesharing pick-up and drop-off zones, and direct access between the Convention Center and Lincoln Road. The project’s resiliency and sustainability measures include storm water management and reuse, flood risk mitigation, and the use of solar power – all of which are designed to ensure operational continuity during weather events.
“The Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau (GMCVB) joins Terra, Turnberry and The City of Miami Beach in welcoming the Grand Hyatt Miami Beach as the newly named brand for the 800-room headquarter hotel connected to the Miami Beach Convention Center,” said William D. Talbert, III, CDME, President of the GMCVB. “Grand Hyatt Miami Beach makes it possible to better compete for citywide conventions which fuel jobs in our community and generates business for all of Greater Miami’s hotels and merchants. We look forward to the hotel ground-breaking which once completed will finalize the Miami Beach Convention Center District.”
By Katya Demina
Virgin Trains Announces Aventura, PortMiami & Boca Raton Stations Will Open In October 2020
Virgin Trains has announced that both the Aventura, PortMiami and Boca Raton stations are expected to come online in October 2020. Formerly known as Brightline, the train line is now in negotiations with Orlando entertainment parks and venues for a 2nd Orlando station while the Orlando International Airport station remains on schedule.
Read More13th Floor Investments & Adler Group Break Ground On The Transit Oriented Link at Douglas
13th Floor Investments and Adler Group have broken ground on one of Miami’s most anticipated transit oriented development, Link at Douglas. The development team is beginning site work this month and vertical construction of the development’s first phase is expected to begin this summer (2019).
Read MoreMSC Cruises Reveals Supersized Arquitectonica-Designed Cruise Terminal In PortMiami
MSC Cruises has revealed a new supersized Arquitectonica-designed cruise ship terminal coming to PortMiami. The terminal will be the largest in PortMiami at 350,000 SF, nearly double Royal Caribbean’s 170,000 SF Crown of Miami Terminal.
Read More