Bungalow on North Riverside Drive. Miami. 1926. Photograph by Jose Vazquez, 2006

Just announced in Sunny Isles Beach is 400 Sunny Isles, a new waterfront development on NE 163rd Street, just west of Collins Avenue — a residence that will float a buyer’s boat, literally. On offer are 230 two- and three-bedroom homes in two 20-story glass towers designed by Chad Oppenheim as architect of record, with the Urbanica Group handling interior design. Buyers also have the option to purchase a dry or wet dock marina slip that will accommodate a boat of up to 100 feet.

For Developer Iñigo Ardid of Key International, it’s a move north from the Miami River (where’s he’s developing Ivy and Mint) to the upper reaches of Biscayne Bay and 640 feet of waterfront. The 400 Sunny Isles project has been designed with amenities that cater to an active waterfront lifestyle at the luxury level. It includes a fully equipped and serviced private marina, complete with a special marine concierge program that regularly

cares for the vessels, as well as fully prepares them for excursions and docks them upon return. Fractional yacht ownership also will be offered, for those residents who want an easy way to go to sea only part of the time.

Playing up the resort atmosphere (five-star of course!) will be an on-site watersports activity center set to rent small boats, catamarans, kayaks, kite- and wind-surfing equipment, fishing gear, jet skis and more. As for getting to the beach, anyone who doesn’t care to stroll across the road can hitch a ride on one of the two “Beach Bugs,” 400 Sunny Isle’s private GEMCARs. These eco-friendly luxury golf carts will offer chauffeured service to and from the beach. Residents who prefer nature at its unspoiled best can hike or bike a few hundred yards to Oleta River State Park’s 1,032-acres, a haven for mountain biking, trail hiking, swimming, fishing and kayaking.

Back at 400 Sunny Isles, plans for “The Sandbox,” yacht and beach club bistro include a bayfront beach, sand floor, sunset pool, cozy cabanas and sand volleyball court. All the other expected amenities — including two pools, a pair of tennis courts, a fitness center and a pool deck with an Olympic-size infinity-edge pool that stretches from one tower to another in a flowing “T” shape with four submerged aqua beds — will be part of the scenery. The spa will follow the latest trend and be co-ed. (Gender-separate facilities will also be available.)

Inside the lobbies of each tower there’s an underground zen garden of sand, stone and crystal-clear water beneath a five-foot-high elevated glass floor. Each residence will feature complete kitchens and bathrooms with European stainless steel appliances. In addition, each will be equipped with smart technology: a touch-screen computer panel from which residents can access the valet, marina, concierge and security.

Its innovative architectural design gives 400 Sunny Isles a varied mix of lofts, townhouses and flats, ranging from 1,423 square feet to 2,300 square feet, among the floors. Prices go from the $600,000s to more than $1.7 million. Fortune International is the exclusive sales partner for the project

New Condo’s Artwork Is a Tree-t

Heads are turning in Sunny Isles Beach at the burnt-orange-color tree adorning the nearly completed structure of Sayan, 16275 Collins Ave. No, it’s not a spirit-appeasing, topping-off specimen (see last week’s Groundwork) but an original artwork in the form of a 120-foot-tall relief sculpture. The Balinese-inspired tree, made from foam with a polyurethane spray, was commissioned by developer J. Milton & Associates (at a total cost of $100,000) to fit the 30-story condominium’s South Pacific theme.

Sayan, a 90-residence luxury oceanfront condominium, gets its name from a Polynesian word that means “place of ultimate relaxation.” The building features only two spacious residences per floor with their 180-degree wraparound terraces that offer some sweeping water views. The Balinese ambiance continues on the pool deck; surrounding the oceanfront swimming pool and Jacuzzi and the spa health club are Asian-inspired relaxation centers and meditation gardens. A four-story-high waterfall cascades down the side of the lobby, and all the other expected amenities and services are on hand.

Keeping Up to Date for Condominiums Built Before 1968 

“Recertification” is a new term buzzing around town that concerns anyone owning or buying into a residential or commercial condo (including converted buildings), a rental unit or a commercial building when the building is approaching 40 years of age. Miami-Dade County is becoming much more active in enforcing a longstanding rule since 1975 that requires recertification of the electrical and structural components of buildings more than 40 years old (and every 10 years thereafter) by a State of Florida Registered Architect or Engineer.

Andrew C. Demos, Esq., the managing attorney with Glazer & Associates, P.A., in Hallandale Beach represents many condominium and homeowner associations. “Owners and potential buyers of condominium units should confirm the age of the building,” he explains. “The condo’s board of directors will need to hire an architect or engineer to inspect the building and file a 40-year recertification report with the Building Department. Failure to file for recertification may result in stiff fines, revocation of Certificate of Occupancy and other penalties.” Demos advises residents of condominiums approaching the 40-year mark that it is wise to prepare for and learn the cost of recertification well in advance so the condo association may budget and/or reserve adequate funds for it.

Bungalow Story

A new exhibition at the Historical Museum of Southern Florida explores the architectural heritage of bungalows, now fast disappearing from the local scene to be replaced by new developments. Bungalows constructed of local building materials were originally defined as the “Miami tropical home” because their wide porches, deep overhanging eaves and natural ventilation made them well-suited to South Florida’s subtropical environment. Popular in the early 20th century, bungalows figured in the residential growth of Miami neighborhoods such as Edgewater, Riverside, Shorecrest, Shenandoah, Little Havana and Miami Shores.

“Thousands of bungalows remain in South Florida, though they are listed on Dade Heritage Trust’s ‘Most Endangered Historic Sites List,’” says the trust’s executive director, Becky Roper Matkov. “Development rights allow these structures to be knocked down and the land sold for a lot of money. Miami hasn’t had an economic carrot to save these historic buildings.

“One bungalow that escaped the bulldozers is the Hubbard-Alvarez house in Little Havana, an example of the Belvedere Bungalow type, which had a second half-story used as a bedroom or sleeping porch.” Funding secured through Dade Heritage Trust and Miami-Dade County made it possible to match a developer’s bid on the property.

The Miami Bungalows exhibition curated by Jose Vazquez, professor of architecture at Miami-Dade College, includes models, drawings and photographs, which are on display until Sept. 9 at the Historical Museum of Southern Florida, 101 W. Flagler St., downtown Miami.

NOTE: The British version of the bungalow is a small one- or one-and-a-half-story house, stylistically different from the U.S. version, with a pitched roof but minus a big porch or balcony. The architectural style was imported from India, then part of the British Empire, about a century ago and became a very popular home design (no stairs to climb) for retirees at seaside resorts. The word bungalow derives from the Gujarati, which in turn came from Hindi meaning “Bengali,” used elliptically for a “house in the Bengal style.” Somehow I prefer the folk version, which says that the name came from an Indian builder surveying an unfinished structure and instructing his crew: “Just bung a low roof on

it!”

Kudos

To: Stacy Bercun Bohm, a shareholder in the Fort Lauderdale office of law firm Akerman Senterfit, on being named one of the “2007 Top Women in Commercial Real Estate” by the Florida Real Estate Journal, a leading real estate industry publication. Bercun Bohm practices law in the areas of construction, litigation, commercial litigation, indoor air quality, real estate development and class actions, and is a member of the firm's Construction and Disaster Preparedness and Recovery groups. In addition, she drafted hurricane policies and procedures currently used in construction contracts for projects taking place during the 2007 hurricane season.

Helen Hill is a freelance writer specializing in real estate and lifestyle topics. Please send news items on Miami-Dade real estate to hhill@miamisunpost.com.

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