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Groundwork
by
Helen Hill
Pembroke Park Place: Nothing new is old again.
West Side Posh
When the
Mondrian South Beach officially opens its sales center on Dec. 7
(during Art Basel), it will mark a couple of “firsts.” For the
Morgans Hotel Group, famed for such hotels as the Delano, Miami
Beach; Royalton, New York City; and Sanderson, London as well as
Mondrian Hotels in Los Angeles, Las Vegas and Scottsdale, the
Mondrian South Beach will be the company’s first condo hotel and
private residences for sale.
In Miami Beach, the
Mondrian South Beach marks the first time a major hotel flag has
moved off the ocean and west to Biscayne Bay. The newly posh West
Avenue location is far enough away from the beach bustle (tumult!)
to provide some serenity, yet close enough for strolling to shopping
and entertainment. Situated on several hundred feet of waterfront
with boat docks and views of the ocean and downtown Miami, the
16-story property will undergo a $60 million makeover into 342 units
– studios, one- and two-bedroom units and four penthouse suites.
Some background to
the property as described in Groundwork in November 2004: Originally
known as Forte Towers, the three-tower rental complex received a
$140 million restoration in 2002 and was sold two years later to
conversion specialist Crescent Heights, which converted the
north and south tower to condos (back then unit prices started in
the $150s!).
Earlier this year,
MHG and an affiliate of Hudson Capital acquired the existing
building and land for a gross purchase price of $110 million; they
are transforming the prized center tower into the über-prestigious
Mondrian South Beach. The array of hotel amenities will include
pool, spa, event and meeting space and fine dining. Waterfront
services will include private VIP boat slips for sailing and
yachting. Prices start at $400,000 for bayfront studios and rise to
$4 million for the four private penthouses.
Centers to Sell,
Sell, Sell
Whatever the
perceived state of the market, buildings are going ahead and sales
centers opening. Among the most recent additions:
The design team of
Yabu Pushelberg has done it again with eye-catching modern interiors
in the new Trump Hollywood sales center at 2750 S. Ocean
Drive, Hollywood Beach. On display is a model residence,
larger-than-life scale model and a wooden terrace to give a chic
island resort feel to the property. Developers Donald Trump and the
Related Group’s Jorge Perez are building a 40-story glass tower, set
on 240 feet of beach on the ocean. The property will offer 200
three-to five-bedroom residences, all with private elevator access
and unobstructed ocean, Intracoastal and city views.
Going a couple of
miles south to Sunny Isles Beach, the developers of Paramount
Beach want to get a jump on sales as the season approaches so
they’ve opened a temporary sales center in the Pro International
Realty offices at 18660 Collins Ave., Suite 107, while their formal
center is under construction nearby. Set on 300 feet of beach with a
private beach club, Paramount Beach units will feature
floor-to-ceiling windows, deep terraces, flow-through floor plans
and unobstructed views of ocean, beach and the Intracoastal
waterway. Amenities include an infinity edge pool, a sunset lagoon
lounge and P:LINK SMART technology. Prodigy International is
handling sales.
On the mainland in
Miami’s newly popular Biscayne Corridor, Unika, at
4300 Biscayne Blvd., celebrated the opening of its sales center,
with La Playa Properties in charge of sales. Architects Borges +
Associates have designed a contemporary 15-story building for
developer Lauris Boulanger with 167 studios and one- and two-bedroom
units featuring large terraces offering views of Biscayne Bay,
downtown Miami and Miami Beach.
‘English as She Is
Spoke’
Selling
condominiums via print to a U.S. audience requires a certain amount
of sophistication — or at least a familiarity with the English
language. A recent “Retire to Panama” brochure, which landed
on my front lawn tucked inside the daily paper, has some
attention-grabbing ad copy. One luxury property waxes lyrical — “Imagine
… a family studio to gather the family at the end of the day, a
kitchen where to create the most delicious dishes and a laundry room
to maintain sparkling clothes…” More picturesque is a new
development offering a “balcony of 9.10 square meters and a
flowerpot stand of 1.6 square meters” with the coup de grâce, a
“Great Hungry room Kitchen Whatever of employee with bath.”
My mangled-language award of the week goes to the ad for a new
luxury building offering “warehouses (deposits) and available
parkings for the sale. Tanks of water reservations (reserve), safety
booth 24 hours, and (a must-have for every building)
an “electrical Doorman”!
While on the topic
of ads, as the market dips, some developers of South Florida
properties are trying harder with “out there” visuals, short on
taste but long on edginess. An ad seen recently (in this paper yet!)
for Fontana: A female model dressed in nothing but a turban, apron
and high heels and wielding a feather duster, struts across a full
page with the slogan “Dare to Express Thy Ego” printed over her
butt! Wow, makes me want to run right over there and buy two!
(Condos, that is.)
Different but worth
a giggle (or grimace at the ageism implied) is the ad for Pembroke
Park Place, a new attainably priced condo development. The picture
shows the head of an old grey-haired man on a young, buff body, with
the caption “No matter how you look at it, sprucing up an old
condo conversion just isn’t the same as brand new.” The text
repeats the message, “Why settle for old when you can own new...?”
These ads certainly
catch the eye, but do they catch buyers? (Opinions please to hhill@miamisunpost.com.)
Coming up:
We’re in the midst
of Celebrate Architecture 2006, and for a complete program schedule
and ticket purchase
information call 1-800-361-7724 or visit www.aiamiami.com or
www.ArchitectureDays.com.
Among the offerings
(costs vary for each event):
Saturday, Nov. 11;
2-5 p.m. Wynwood Tour: Warehouse to Art House
This exclusive
guided tour will explain why the Wynwood neighborhood in Miami is
such a magnet for creative energy and provide a glimpse into the
future Arts District.
Saturday, Nov. 11,
6 p.m.
AIA Miami Design Night Party
AIA Miami and
Architectural Digest celebrate Miami design. Hosted by Craig
Robins, president of Dacra Development, in his historic Moore
Building and outdoor garden in the Miami Design District. AIA Miami
will announce the winners of its annual design awards during the
event.
Sunday, Nov. 12;
1-4 p.m. Tropical Modernism
Showcasing the
inside/outside nature of living in the subtropics, this tour
features a visit to the Kampong, the historic 10-acre home of famed
botanist David Fairchild on Biscayne Bay, and other distinctive
homes.
Sunday, Nov. 12;
4-6 p.m.
Raymond Jungles lecture
The visionary
landscape architect will talk about the next big things for Miami’s
outdoor spaces. The Kampong, Biscayne Bay, 4013 Douglas Road,
Coconut Grove.
Tuesday, Nov. 14;
11.30 a.m. CREW-Miami (Commercial Real Estate Women)
Monthly luncheon
meeting: “What’s the latest in Capital Markets?” with Bob Bradley of
Holliday Fenoglio Fowler LP; Mary E. Dubas, Principal Real Estate
Investors; Sherry Frankel, AFA Asset Services; and Erika Stilwell,
Falcon Funding LLC. Miami Hilton Airport Hotel, 5101 Blue Lagoon
Drive, Miami. Members $35, others $45 + $10 for walk-ins. Register
at www.crewmiami.org or call 305-446-4567.
Wednesday, Nov. 15;
8 a.m.
Urban Land Institute (ULI) Southeast Florida/Caribbean District
Council's Young Leader's Group
Networking
breakfast meeting sponsored by Gunster Yoakley. Guest Speaker: Ford
Gibson, Gibson Development Group. Members and nonmembers welcome.
Hyatt Regency, 400 SE Second Ave., Miami. Members $25, nonmembers
$35, info or to register call 1-800-321-5011, reference event
#8135-0718.
Thursday, Nov. 16,
7 p.m. “Celebrate Architecture” program, with AIA Miami Chapter
“Manor House to
Penthouse: The Transition Back to Opulent Urban Living.” Zeitgeist
Showroom, 3886 Biscayne Blvd., Miami. Call 305-576-1097.
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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