The SunPost

From left to right: Commissioner “Chip” Withers, Vice Mayor Bill Kerdyk, Mayor Don Slesnick, City Manager David Brown and Ponce Circle Developers Managing Partner Ralph Sanchez at the Old Spanish Village groundbreaking. Photo by Gort Productions

Groundwork has gone too long without any announcements of new projects, but at last: a hard hats and shovels photo. Recently, Ponce Circle Developers (a joint venture of Sanchez Group Inc. and Mas Group), along with Coral Gables city officials, hosted a launch celebration for Old Spanish Village, the largest mixed-use development currently under way in downtown Coral Gables. Old Spanish Village will feature a combination of luxury townhomes and condominiums, with retail and offices to follow on the 7.2-acre site.

The festivities centered on the restored art and architecture building constructed by Coral Gables founder George Merrick in 1926, which is now the Old Spanish Village Sales Gallery. There was also a Spanish-themed tent complete with guitarist and flamenco dancers.

Introducing an occasional series highlighting the range of prices you’ll pay to put a roof over your head in Miami-Dade County, where the asking prices in the current buyers’ market are shown. These prices could drop an undetermined percent, depending on such factors as location, realistic starting price and the anxiety level of the sellers.

First on the list: A 1,404-square-foot condo, unit 409, in Belle Plaza, at 20 Island Ave. on the Venetian Causeway in Miami Beach is priced at $475,000 (or $339 per square foot).

The full-service building, a 15-story mid-rise overlooking Biscayne Bay, was built in 1962 and offers a large heated pool and spa, valet, doorman, tennis, parking and boat dock. The two-bedroom, two-bath corner unit has views of the water, canal and Lincoln Road, and features high ceilings, huge closets and an open balcony. Marjory Dressler of Majestic Properties, based in the Lincoln Road office, at 1682 Jefferson Ave., is the listing agent.

Farther north is an oceanfront condo on the market for $3.6 million. Lanai No. 304 is one of two in Turnberry Ocean Colony’s new high-rise at 16051 Collins Ave. in Sunny Isles Beach. No elevator ride is needed to reach this 3,500-square-foot (under air) unit with a 2,000-square-foot private terrace. Plus, it has a private entry from the lobby level and direct access to the pool and beach. The four-bedroom, six-and-a-half-bath unit features 15-foot ceilings and floor-to-ceiling glass walls looking out to the ocean. Other niceties include a den, laundry and a large storage room with dehumidifier. The luxury tower has all the usual amenities — pool, health club, spa, valet, concierge, etc. The lanai also rents for $12,000 per month. Alexandra C. Rutten at Turnberry International Realty in Aventura has the listing.

With the real estate market deep in doom and gloom, Miami Mayor Manny Diaz is forging ahead with his goal of building $1 billion in affordable housing projects in the city by 2010.

This week, the mayor, City Commissioner Joe Sanchez, CODEC Inc. President Guarione Diaz and other guests ceremonially dug in for the groundbreaking of the $12.5 million La Palma Apartments, an affordable senior rental building slated to rise at 1040 S.W. First St., in the heart of Little Havana. La Palma Apartments will feature 90 one-bedroom, one-bathroom units, as well as an additional unit for an on-site manager. The project is being funded mostly by an $11 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development. The city is providing $485,191 in HOME funding and $255,808 from the Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Miami-Dade County is providing $1 million for the project.

Two weeks prior, the mayor and assorted VIPs wielded scissors for the official ribbon-cutting of a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home at 1533 N.W. 58th Terrace in Liberty City. The home is one of several being developed by Miami Dream Homes Investment Group, Inc. on parcels conveyed by the city’s Department of Community Development, which are designated for affordable housing development for low- and moderate-income families.

The event marked the official kickoff of the Soul Lives in the city’s “Experience the Soul” campaign, an effort spearheaded by the Liberty City Community Revitalization Trust and the Carrie Meek Foundation to bring residents back to live, work, play and learn in the city of Miami’s “District 5” communities.

A new Web-based service, VizzVox (www.vizzvox.com), allows owners (or their real estate agents) to sell their homes through self-created commercial ads in which they make the pitches using their own voices. For a fraction of the cost of making a high-definition video or using 360-degree panoramic photos, VizzVox offers a package that includes domain name registration for the property, hosting of the commercial on the Web site for a year, and the use of the Web-based software to create the presentation. After uploading digital photographs and video clips to the site, you can take the microphone and talk about the selling points of the home and the neighborhood. VizzVox does the technical stuff and puts it all together.

Integra Realty Resources, Miami, a major independently owned South Florida appraisal and consulting firm, just got bigger with the merger of appraisal practice Hemingway & Gunter Commercial Group, LLC. Real estate guru Michael Y. Cannon has been named executive director and Mark A. Cannon continues as director for the residential division. William R. Hemingway and Greg R. Gunter are now co-managing directors of Integra’s office. Its specialty practice includes real estate market analysis and consulting for public and private entities, valuation of unique and complex properties, ownership interests, dispute resolution and litigation support advisory services.

Alicia Cervera Lamadrid, top real estate broker and president of Miami-based sales and marketing firm RCRS, on receiving the Best Entrepreneur in the Service Business Award (up to 2,500 employees category) at the 2007 Stevie Awards for Women in Business held at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas earlier this month. She was one of 43 outstanding women recognized at the fourth annual awards presentation, which honors exemplary women entrepreneurs and executives worldwide.

The Preview Gala for the 21st Annual Festival of the Trees takes place Thursday, Nov. 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. at One Brickell Square, 801 Brickell Ave., Miami.

On display: 16 original, multidimensional holiday trees created by top local design professionals. The gala preview raises funds to benefit Florida International University’s School of Architecture Interior. It includes drinks, music and a lavish buffet with roasted suckling pigs. Tickets are $40 in advance and $50 at the door.

The Festival of the Trees exhibition continues through Dec. 27. The exhibit is free and open to the public seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Call Janine King at FIU for more information at 305-348-3181 or log in to www.festivalofthetrees.net.