More Changes To West Brickell?

Low Rise Apartments in West Brickell

Low Rise Apartments in West Brickell

A Brazilian airline investor named José Afonso Assumpção, has been buying properties all over Miami in 2013, including land in Edgewater and Brickell. The buying has been done under the name Miami Sunrise Properties and been operated by Elena Arechaga. 

Some of the land that has been purchased in West Brickell were a few low rise apartment buildings and single family homes located between SW 10th St and SW 11th St. and bordered to the west and east by SW 3rd Ave and SW 2nd Ave. Assumpção paid $13 million for the land, totaling 92,250 square feet. According to Metro1, Assumpção had plans to build a project called "1010 Second", which would have been two 33 story buildings with a hotel and apartments. Apparently that project has fell through and another investor has offered almost double what Assumpção paid.

All of the residents of the apartments and houses have already left and the buildings have been boarded up. They will probably stay that way until Assumpção sells the land to another investor or decides to build. 

Across the street to the North of the land owned by Miami Sunrise Properties was a two story public housing complex that has been recently torn down. The land is owned by the city of Miami and zoning codes allow for a building up to 24 stories. No word on what they are planning to build on the site.

West Brickell has already seen a a recent transformation and with development of this land will continue the metamorphosis. 

Brickell House Construction Photos

Brickell House On Brickell Bay Drive

Brickell House On Brickell Bay Drive

Since our last construction progress photos of Brickell House, the building is getting closer to completion. 

The roof is installed and workers are finishing the overhang to the lobby driveway. 

Brickell House will have a sophisticated automated parking garage for residents. 

The completion date is expected by end of Summer/early Fall 2014.

A Ten Mile Linear Park For Miami?

Overview of the Brickell Metrolink Tracks

Overview of the Brickell Metrolink Tracks

The Greenlink Project is proposing a ten mile linear park that would extend under the Brickell Metrorail station to the Dadeland station.

The idea is to have all the dead space under tracks converted into more of a green space that would be ideal for bikers and joggers. The plan would increase property value around the linear park. 

Right now the group has $2 million for funding.

If everything goes as planned then the project could start within a year and be completed in five to ten years.

Construction On East Coast Building On The Miami River

East Coast Building Site Next To I-95

Last week a new construction project broke ground on land just south of the almost completed Flagler on the River. The project is called East Coast Building and is being developed by Alex Mantecon and Guillermo Vadell. 

The project will be a mixed used building that will be mainly a storage facility, but have two restaurants, including one on the 9th floor rooftop. 

The ground floor restaurant will be 4,500 square feet and the rooftop top restaurant will be 7,000 square feet and have incredible views of the Miami skyline. 

Construction is expected to be completed by June of 2015. 

Below are renderings of the project.

"Welcome to Miami Beach" Sign Getting Refurbished

Welcome to Miami Beach Sign-1.jpg

The iconic "Welcome to Miami Beach" sign is being refurbished according to exMiami. The look, isn't changing, but only slight changes will be made.

Since 1997 the sign has been a popular spot for tourists and residents to take photos. At Christmas, the sign is covered in Christmas decorations for the holiday season. 

Plan Proposed To Add Theater To Coconut Grove Playhouse

Coconut Grove Playhouse

According to the Miami Herald, a plan is being proposed by attorney Lewis "Mike" Eidson to add a second theater with 750 seats to the existing Playhouse that has 300 seats. 

The goal would be to have the theater run by the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. The addition, with parking and offices would cost around $45 million. 

Rendering of Proposed Addition to the Playhouse (via Miami Herald)

In January, the state transferred the site to Miami-Dade County and Florida International University, which will lease the site for 50 years. 

The Playhouse closed in April 2006 when under $4 million in debt and has been abandoned ever since.

Port Miami Tunnel Opens To Public

Entrance to Port Miami Tunnel

Entrance to Port Miami Tunnel

The PortMiami Tunnel officially opened on Sunday at 10am after over two months in delays. The contractor Bouygues was fined $115,000 everyday that the tunnel was not opened and the fines reached almost $9 million.

The tunnel will help alleviate some of the traffic in Downtown Miami by reducing the amount of trucks going through the city. The trucks can now continue to the MacArthur Causeway and into the tunnel. 

The mile long tunnel cost over $1 billion and has two lanes each way going towards the Port of Miami and back towards MacArthur Causeway.