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Baylights, green city. |
By Helen Hill
Many
new projects are now going the LEEDS route, but
Baylights Condominium, launched three years ago as
the first green condo in Miami-Dade, is almost finished.
Kimberley Rodstein of
H.J.R. Properties, Inc., developer of the five-story,
12-unit building at 1901 Bay Drive on Miami Beach’s
Normandy Isle, made her case clear back in January 2005:
“As developers we have a responsibility to be
environmentally conscious. Baylights is a step in the
right direction,” she said.
Baylights’ architect,
Kobi Karp, employed an energy-efficient air conditioning
system, large balconies and tinted windows to reduce
heat, which in turn lowers cooling costs. Eco-friendly
products used throughout the units’ interior space
include environmentally friendly European kitchen
cabinetry and energy-efficient stainless steel
appliances. The complex includes a natural air lobby
entrance with the peaceful sound of a waterfall flowing
into black river rock; a waterfront meditation and yoga
area contribute to the tranquil ambiance. The
landscaping is studded with native and drought-tolerant
trees and plants while the infinity pool, hot tub and
fitness room offer panoramic views of Biscayne Bay, the
Miami skyline and Miami Beach.
Affordable Villa and
New Greens
Green elements such
as energy-efficient appliances and shaded impact-glass
windows are planned for a vintage Miami Beach building,
along with a “green” affordable housing development
planned for an adjoining empty lot.
Villa Maria
Apartments at 2800 Collins Ave. date back to the 1920s,
when the three-story Mediterranean Revival-style
building, designed by Mark Hampton, housed elegant
two-bedroom apartments with an ocean view. Over the
years the building lost its luster as the spacious units
were chopped up into smaller rentals and the courtyard
paved over.
With demolition a
threat, the Miami Beach Community Development Corp.
stepped in to purchase the property for $2.6 million
(with funding from the city of Miami Beach, Miami-Dade
County, state of Florida and HUD) and has budgeted
$3,195,200 to rehab the structure and construct the new
building next door. The CDC is also getting help from
Florida Green Communities, a collaboration between
several nonprofit state agencies that provides green
housing loans to affordable housing developments and
gives builders discounted interest rates, as well as
grants of $1,000 per green unit.
Ira Giller, of Miami
Beach architects Giller & Giller, is in charge of
restoring the vintage building to show off the original
exterior and entryway while bringing the infrastructure
up to current standards. The resulting 34 units — 29
studios and five one-bedroom apartments — will be
affordable housing opportunities for the elderly.
Construction is to start within the next couple of
months, with residents moving in late in 2008.
What They Don’t Teach
You in Law School — Yet!
Ads are appearing in
local papers from Miami attorneys with a new litigation
specialty: Cancellation of preconstruction
contracts, return of deposits and developer breach and
misrepresentation!
It’s beginning to
look like open season on condo developers as
overextended, preconstruction “investors” look for ways
to extricate themselves from their contracts. Apparently
one developer who had to change his condo documents
preconstruction saw 75 percent of his buyers take
advantage of the legal loophole to withdraw.
Deals Are Down, at
Least in California
Doom and gloom
defines the current real estate market and bargains are
not so easy to find, according to a recent report from
California. That state saw six times as many foreclosed
homes resold during the second quarter of 2007 compared
to the same period a year ago, but the numbers are still
lower than in the down years of the 1990s, says
DataQuick Information Services, which has been tracking
real estate transactions since 1988. And, DataQuick’s
analysis of recent sales found no pattern of
foreclosure/distressed properties regularly selling for
less than comparable homes.
Awards
The Florida Chapter
of the American Society of Landscape Architects
held its Annual Design Awards Gala last week in Miami
with a record 83 award entries from professionals and
students around the state. Local winners include an
Award of Merit to EDAW, Inc. of Miami Beach, for the
I-395 Urban Design Study, and an Award of Excellence to
Savino & Miller Design Studio in Miami for the garden of
La Casa de Korge in Miami. The garden was conceived as
an organic space carved into the native rock and lagoon
with a “natural” waterfall outcropping, stream cascade
and limestone terraces for entertainment, reflection and
the enjoyment of nature. The system of water flow worked
to improve the ecology of the site. Native and
subtropical vegetation and local stone were used to
reflect the South Florida environment. Limestone
terraces, retaining walls and aquatic plants helped to
control erosion and provide wildlife habitat.
Coming Up
Tuesday, Aug. 28,
11:30 a.m.
CREW-Miami (Commercial Real Estate Women) presents
monthly luncheon meeting: “Health Care and Real
Estate — How Are They Stitched Together?” Panelists:
Patricia Rice-Spivey, MGE Architects, and Ana Lopez-Blazquez,
Baptist Health South Florida. Moderator: Coty L.
Fournier, CEO, Xielo. Country Club of Coral Gables, 997
N. Greenway Drive, Coral Gables; $35 members, $45
others. Walk-ins add $10. Register at www.crewmiami.org.
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.
