Witkoff And Monroe Capital Acquire Cancelled Marriott Maquis Miami Worldcenter Site For $94 Million

The New York City-based real estate investment group Witkoff, led by Steve Witkoff, and the Chicago-based Monroe Capital have acquired the site of the now cancelled Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter from MDM Group for $94 million. The 4.7 acre site is located at 700 North Miami Ave. The property is entitled to develop 60+ stories and for a mix of residential, hospitality and commercial. The transaction was overseen by Manny De Zárraga of JLL and was financed with floating-rate financing which was arranged by Dustin Stolly and Jordan Roeschlaub of Newmark and provided by Mack Real Estate Credit Strategies.

The Miami-based MDM Group, which is led by Ricardo Glas and Luis Pulenta, had planned to build a 1,700-key Marriott Marquis hotel and 600,000+ SF expo center as part of the $4 billion, 27-acre Miami Worldcenter mixed-use development. MDM Group initially acquired the site for $45.25 million in 2017 from Nitin Motwani who is Managing Partner of Miami Worldcenter Associates, the master developer of Miami WorldCenter. News of the cancellation of the Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter accompanies news of the property’s sale.

As the largest private development underway in Florida, Miami Worldcenter will feature a diverse mix of residential, commercial and hospitality uses complemented by approximately 300,000 SF of retail, restaurant and entertainment space. The first restaurant tenants were recently announced after Miami Worldcenter Associates completed leases with Chicago-based steakhouse concept Maple & Ash, etta, Laurel Brasserie and El Vecino. All four concepts are expected to open in 2022.

Two residential buildings have been completed at Miami Worldcenter including the 60-story PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter condominium and the 43-story Caoba luxury apartment tower. Approximately 150,000 SF of retail has been completed with tenant build-out work set to commence in 2021, and another 130,000 SF is currently under construction and nearing delivery. Construction is nearing completion at ZOM’s 43-story Bezel Miami Worldcenter residential tower and at the 351-room citizenM hotel, both of which are expected to open later this year.

Miami Worldcenter occupies 10 city blocks within walking distance of Museum Park, home to Perez Art Museum Miami and the Frost Museum of Science; FTX Arena; the Adrienne Arsht Performing Arts Center; and Miami-Dade College’s Downtown Miami campus. It is also adjacent to Brightline’s MiamiCentral station, which will soon offer direct train service to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando, together with access to TriRail, the Metromover and the Metrorail, making Miami Worldcenter one of the largest and most-connected transit-oriented development in Florida.

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The Mixed-Use Block H Is Now Rising At Miami Worldcenter Bringing Retail & Restaurants To Downtown Miami

Construction is moving swiftly on Miami Worldcenter’s Block H, which now can be seen rising out of the ground adjacent to the also rising 43-story Luma residential tower and now under construction CitizenM Hotel. Block H will serve as one of the center pieces of the mega-project reinvigorating Downtown Miami including being the main point of drop off with Miami Worldcenter’s main public plaza located adjacent to the immediate north and being one of the developments 2 main parking garages. Block H will feature 48,000 SF of retail and restaurants split between floors 1, 2 and 12 with 922 parking spaces filling the rest of the development.

Miami Worldcenter is a $2 billion mixed-use mega-project coming to Downtown Miami led by Art Falcone, Nitin Motwani. The total retail component will features 360,000 SF of high-street retail which Miami Worldcenter Associates, Taubman Centers and The Forbes Company are currently leasing. Miami Worldcenter is being developed by Miami Worldcenter Associates, Taubman Centers, The Forbes Company, and MDM Group with the master plan designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects. The project includes the PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter condo tower being developed by Paramount Ventures led by Dan Kodsi, in addition to a 1,700-key Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo as well as a 45-story office tower being developed by Hines.  

Miami Worldcenter Unveils Construction Timeline for the Mixed-Use Development

Miami Worldcenter is currently the second largest urban development underway in the United States and occupies 27 acres in the heart of downtown Miami. The ten-block project is expected to account for $2 billion in new investment in downtown Miami and will include world-class retail, hospitality, commercial and residential uses. 

The project, whose “master plan has been in the making for more than a decade” is running on all cylinders with more than 800 workers active on site each day as the project prepares to open its first residential phase as early as this year. To date, 4,000 workers have been hired, and approximately 75 percent of those live in Miami-Dade County. A Class AA office tower of this size and scale hasn’t been built in Miami in a decade and its construction coincides with the launch of Brightline’s rail service into Downtown Miami, which will bring Miami commuters to Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach starting Saturday, May 19th.

The developers, Miami Worldcenter Associates, provided PROFILE with this construction timeline:

• CAOBA apartments will welcome renters to its 444 units who are seeking a well-connected location adjacent to multiple transportation hubs in the fourth quarter of this year. 
• PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter, a 569-unit luxury condominium tower is slated for completion during the first quarter of 2019. 
• The open-air retail, dining and entertainment component, developed in collaboration with The Forbes Company and Taubman, is underway with more than 140,000 square feet of space in construction and another 160,000 square feet forthcoming in phase one. Delivery is expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2019.
• MDM Group expects to begin construction of its 1,700 room Marriot Marquis, complete with 500,000 square feet of meeting, exposition and event space, in the fourth quarter of 2018.
• LUMA, a 434-unit luxury apartment tower to be developed by ZOM, will break ground later this year with completion anticipated in 2020.
• A new Class AA office-led mixed-use tower developed by Hines will begin rising out of the ground next year in advance of opening to tenants in 2021.

“Today’s consumers are looking for convenience and connectivity, and Miami Worldcenter delivers on both,” said Nathan Forbes, Managing Partner of The Forbes Company. “We see strong demand for a pedestrian-friendly shopping, dining and entertainment district that will be home to premier brands and inviting public spaces flowing seamlessly with surrounding streets and nearby transit options. Once complete, Miami Worldcenter will become the perfect confluence of arts, culture, entertainment and transportation.” 

Article by Katya Demina

Miami Worldcenter Releases New Renderings As Developers Seek To Modify Block D

Just days after PROFILEmiami reported that Miami Worldcenter Associates have closed on a $43 million construction loan for the retail component of the $2 billion Miami Worldcenter mixed-use mega-project in the Park West neighborhood of Downtown Miami, the developers have applied for permission to modify their design for Block D. Block D is currently under construction and the proposed changes includes the exterior finishes and façades including artwork by Franz Ackermann and integrated projected panel and fin systems. Ackermann will maintain the art for 5 years. Miami's Urban Development Review Board (UDRB) will review the proposal on January 17. Miami Worldcenter Associates, led by Art Falcone and Nitin Motwani, are developing Miami Worldcenter in partnership with Taubman Centers, The Forbes Company, and MDM Group. The master plan was designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects and the project includes the PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter condo tower being developed by Paramount Ventures led by Dan Kodsi, a 1,700-key Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo as well as a 45-story office tower being developed by Hines.

Miami Worldcenter Locks Down $43 Million Construction Loan For Retail Component

Miami Worldcenter Associates led by Art Falcone and Nitin Motwani have just closed on a $43 million construction loan for the retail component of the $2 billion Miami Worldcenter mixed-use mega-project in the Park West neighborhood of Downtown Miami. The loan was financed by Fifth Third Bank and brings the current total financing for the project to roughly $500 million including a $33 million loan from Bank of the Ozarks in October and the issuance of $74 million of private placement bonds issued by the community development district to fund infrastructure upgrades. The $43 million loan by Fifth Third Bank will be used for the development of 53,000 SF of retail space as well as a 1,100-space parking garage on NE 2nd Avenue between 8th and 10th streets. The total retail component will features 360,000 SF of high-street retail which Miami Worldcenter Associates, Taubman Centers and The Forbes Company are currently leasing. Miami Worldcenter is being developed by Miami Worldcenter Associates, Taubman Centers, The Forbes Company, and MDM Group with the master plan designed by Elkus Manfredi Architects. The project includes the PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter condo tower being developed by Paramount Ventures led by Dan Kodsi, in addition to a 1,700-key Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo as well as a 45-story office tower being developed by Hines.