It seems like only yesterday that plans were announced for Aqua, a cutting-edge urban community on Allison Island, site of the old St. Francis Hospital in Miami Beach. Now the transformation is complete and the homes are receiving the finishing touches. The condominiums in the Chatham, Golin and Spear Buildings (named for their respective architects) are coming online later this month and the Island Homes in January. There are only six condos (of the 105) still for sale, including some extraordinary penthouse units. Prices range from $700,000s to $ 3 million. Some homes, including waterfront residences with their own docks, are available from $1.95 to $7 million. Neighbors in Aqua’s gated enclave will include some privacy-seeking celebrities, but one name was announced last week: noted designer Tui Pranich purchased a $1.5 million loft/apartment at Aqua.

Craig Robins of Dacra Development is known for his mission to bring innovative architecture, and important public art and design to new projects. Aqua will get its first public art project when artist Richard Tuttle‘s “Splash” is installed there next month.
The 90 feet by 150 feet sculpture/mural will contain an image made up of over 126,000 pieces of colored glass (red, yellow, gold, black) and white ceramic matte tiles. Splash will complete the southern façade and become part of the architecture of the a sixteen-unit  Chatham Building. Other public art projects at Aqua will include the works of
Gabriel Orozco, Mark Handforth and Guillermo Kutica.

 
Left to right: Edward DelValle, CEO and president of Americas Media; Ro Mesa, CEO and president of POW! Inc.; Jessie Alexander, CEO and president of Oscar Empire at the Black Ball Gala.

Take a Miami moonlit night, add hundreds of beautiful people dressed to match the black theme, throw in a slew of real estate people and developers and mix them together on an island in Biscayne Bay to party the night away.

Peter Torres and Henry Torres, developers of Nordica, Brickell Vista, and Gateway to the Grove sponsored last week’s gala Black Ball along with Henry Pino of Strategic Properties and Miami architect Reinaldo Borges. Among the 500 guests sampling the culinary offerings and sipping cocktails on the waterfront and rooftop terraces were

Paul Eric Rosen of Puerta de Palmas, Greg Altshuler of Axis on Brickell, Frank Guerra of NEO Developments and Sunny Isles Beach developer Gil Dezer.

Mykenos at 24 South Hibiscus Drive.

The setting for the Ball was one of Miami Beach’s most unusual, dare we say spectacular, houses – the 13,000 square foot, six-bedroom Mykenos at 24 South Hibiscus Drive. The stark white concrete house designed in a Greek, Mediterranean style has individual “lifestyle” pods. The main house includes the master suite, living room, dining room and kitchen. Separate is a 3-bedroom guesthouse, an office/studio, gymnasium, entertainment pod, boathouse, cabana and caretakers quarters. Instead of green lawns the grounds feature water all around down to the bay. The house is for sale asking price $22 million.

 from left to right: Hollywood Mayor Mara Giulianti; Taylor Woodrow Executive Peter Donnantuoni, Cathy Anderson, Hollywood Commissioner and Ian Kramer, Project Manager at the Diplomat Residences

No report on South Florida real estate is complete without a hard hats and shovel picture as seen here. VIP guests and buyers celebrated the groundbreaking of The Diplomat Oceanfront Residences on an oceanfront patio of The Westin Diplomat Resort and Spa overlooking the lighted construction site. Residences in the 28-story luxury oceanfront tower will be totally separate from the resort and country club, but easy access to all the amenities will be provide to residents.  Pre-construction prices range from the $600,000s to $5.9 million.

Hollywood Station, a new mixed-use development, got on track with a “I Live The Arts” cocktail party at the sales center on West Dixie Highway just south of Hollywood Boulevard. Eight local artists showcased their personal impressions of Hollywood and competed for cash awards. The first phase of Hollywood Station will offer 214 condos and lofts of 1 – 3 bedrooms, of 800 to 1,520 square feet priced from the mid $200,000s to the $400,000s. There will also be 15,000 square feet of retail in the 10-story building.

 
Company execs of Cornerstone Group Development, developers of Hollywood Station, turned out in force for last week’s Diplomat Groundbreaking event. From left to right: Cornerstone Co-Chair Jorge Lopez, President Richard Lamondin, Executive Vice President Mara Mades, and President Lenny Wolfe.

*To Tony Comellas of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, Inc. on gaining the prestigious Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation awarded by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), which represents more than one million REALTORS® in the United States. He will be formally recognized as an as an expert in international real estate at the NAR Annual Convention in Orlando on November 6.