Melo Opens Miami Plaza Tower In Downtown Miami's Arts & Entertainment District, Marking Milestone 2,300+ Units Completed In 5 Years

Melo Group, one of Miami’s most active residential development firms, has transformed and activated Downtown Miami’s Arts & Entertainment District with attainable, transit-oriented multifamily product for local residents. The firm has officially completed Miami Plaza, its newest transit-oriented 36-story rental tower which is now open for occupancy. Miami Plaza is situated adjacent to the Miami-Dade Metromover School Board Station at 1500 Northeast Miami Plaza and is comprised of 425 rental apartments catering to the growing influx of young professionals in Downtown Miami seeking walkable live-work-play lifestyles without the commute. The development also includes approximately 8,000 square feet of ground-floor retail/restaurant space available for lease. 

Apartments at Miami Plaza feature expansive balconies with bay and city views, floor-to-ceiling sliding doors, energy-efficient tinted glass, European-style kitchen and bathroom cabinetry, granite countertops, double door refrigerators, stainless steel appliances, spacious living and dining rooms, imported ceramic tile and laminated wood flooring, and full-size washer and dryers. Residences at Miami Plaza apartments range from one- to three-bedrooms measuring between 700 to 1,400 square feet. Monthly rental rates start at approximately $1,680 for one-bedroom units; $2,100 for two-bedroom units; and $2,640 for three-bedroom units. 

Building amenities include a large 70-foot swimming pool, a fully-equipped fitness center, a café social lounge, 24-hour concierge/security, and a multi-level secured garage with valet service.

“Art Plaza completes our vision for the transformation of the Arts & Entertainment District – an area of Downtown Miami that has been residentially underserved for years – into a true live-work-play neighborhood,” said Martin Melo, principal of the Melo Group. “Our transit-friendly location, with convenient access to the Metromover, Metrorail and Miami Trolley, gives residents convenient everyday access to public transportation and will hopefully help reduce traffic congestion in Downtown during the workweek.”

Miami Plaza marks the fourth multifamily development, and sixth tower, that Melo Group has delivered in the Arts & Entertainment District since 2016 and completes the final phase of the firm’s plan to bring more than 2,300 transit-oriented rental units to the growing neighborhood. The firm’s previously completed developments in the area, all of which are clustered around the Miami-Dade Metromover School Board Station within a few blocks of each other, include the 497-unit Melody Tower, which delivered in 2016; the two-tower 710-unit Square Station, which delivered in 2018; and most recently, the two-tower 667-unit Art Plaza, which delivered in 2019.

“The demand for highly-amenitized, well-built attainable rental units within walking distance of our city’s transit systems, prime retail and entertainment venues is strong,” added Carlos Melo, principal of the Melo Group.

Melo Group has helped activate Downtown’s Arts & Entertainment District bringing a total of more than 45,000 square feet of new retail and restaurant space at the base of their apartment buildings to serve tenant’s everyday needs. Some of the community’s newest tenants include Bunbury, Bistro Café, Tapout Fitness, My Salon, Spot Barbershop, Shine Nail Salon, New York Roma Pizza and Testa Wines. Melo is also gearing up for the debut of “Art Kitchen,” an indoor/outdoor dining promenade at the base of the firm’s Art Plaza towers that will feature ten different restaurant concepts with cuisines ranging from Indian, Peruvian, Mexican, Japanese, Italian and more.

Melo Group’s father-and-sons team, led by Jose Luis Melo and his two sons Carlos and Martin Melo, has been a driving force behind Miami’s real estate resurgence since 2001, with the firm recognized today as one of the region’s preeminent developers of high-end residential developments in Downtown Miami. Miami Plaza is Melo’s 16th residential building delivered in the Greater Downtown Miami area, bringing the firm’s portfolio to more than 5,000 total condo and rental units completed with another 2,000+ units in the works.

Melo Group’s next residential project, Downtown 5th, is now under construction at 55 NE 5th Avenue in Downtown Miami’s Central Business District. With completion slated for 2021, the luxury apartment complex will include twin 51-story towers with 1,042 rental units and more than 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail/restaurant space.

Tour The Full-Floor Residence Located on the 52nd Floor of Zaha Hadid's One Thousand Museum Asking $20.7 Million

Unit 5201 in Zaha Hadid's One Thousand Museum is part of a limited collection of "museum-quality homes" that offer "an unprecedented level of service and amenities." It is one of eight exclusive residences in One Thousand Museum's Zone 4, which features eight 10K+ SF, full-floor residences with 360 degree views, the only of their kind in Miami. It is currently asking $20,700,000.  

5201 features 5 bedrooms and 7.5 bathrooms spread over 10,353 SF with an additional 1,180 SF of outdoor space. The residence's floor plan offers an "east to west" flow-through layout, 12-foot ceilings, oversized terraces, private elevators, an 86' long great room, media den, family room, custom Italian Kitchens by Poliform, Gaggenau appliances, Poliform closets, Apure interior lighting, Crestron smart home innovation and exclusive interiors by Zaha Hadid. The full-floor, 360 degree layout of the residence offers views of Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach, Atlantic Ocean, Brickell, Coconut Grove, Coral Gables and Key Biscayne. Amenities include a state-of-the-art fitness center, full-service spa, beautifully landscaped pool deck, private theater, sky lounge and art gallery.

YOTEL Gets Final Approval for Downtown Site, Will Be Built Without Parking

The YOTEL has gotten its final approvals to come to Downtown Miami from Miami's Planning & Zoning Department. The hotel will be built without parking as the 10 story parking structure was not approved, an increasingly popular aspect of new construction buildings in the Downtown area as Miami continues to grow into a more pedestrian city. The YOTEL will be a 29 story tower, which is being designed by Stantec, will include both 188 apartment rentals and 225 micro-sized hotel units. The YOTEL is being developed as a joint venture between Agarat, a Kuwaiti real estate company, and Aria Development Group.

Tour the Newly Opened Sales Gallery at Aston Martin Residences

G and G Business Developments, the developers behind Aston Martin Residences, and Aston Martin, have unveiled the luxurious, three-level gallery style Sales Center located at 300 Biscayne Boulevard. The Sales Center showcases signature Aston Martin elements and materials that will be incorporated into the design of the building, along with a $2.5 million limited edition Aston Martin Vulcan, one of only 24 in the world will be on permanent display at the sales center’s entrance.

“In this, our first residential development, the interiors are inspired by Aston Martin, but take into consideration Miami’s tropical environment. Our design language is based on beauty and the honesty and authenticity of materials. It’s simple and pure and it has an elegance attached to beautiful proportions. We are incorporating AstonMartin’s DNA through subtle details and fine craftsmanship, with an emphasis on comfort,” said Aston Martin EVP and Chief Creative Officer Marek Reichman. Reichman designed the interior spaces including the two private lobbies, the 2 level fitness center with ocean views and the full-service spa amongst other amenity spaces in the development. These beautiful spaces will be encased in a bold sail-shaped building, an engineering masterpiece designed by Revuelta Architecture and Bodas Miani Anger, renowned for creating landmark properties that are aesthetically pleasing and yet grounded in performance and purpose.

The tower's interiors will feature lighting and handmade detail based on the car in addition to hand-adorned residence door numbers from the same jewelers that place the logo on the hood of Aston Martin cars. The building will features floor-to-ceiling glass with no visible concrete, including glass encased support beams. Units start at $500,000 and range up to $7,000,000 for the "River and Panoramic Residences" part of the building and $14,000,000 to $35,000,000 for the "Penthouses." The ultimate unit will be a triplex penthouse that comes complete with a private pool, helipad and Aston Martin Vulcan.

“We have been overwhelmed by the positive response from the market – pre-sales are extremely encouraging and I’m delighted that we are on schedule both in terms of the development and pre-sales. In Aston Martin, we found the perfect partner – one that resonates globally and is the definition of timeless luxury. Together with the Aston Martin design team, we are creating the ultimate tower that will contribute to redefine the new Miami skyline and support to the local economy and the wider community,” said German Coto, CEO of G and G Business Developments. Aston Martin Residences is expected to break ground this fall (Fall 2017) with expected delivery in 2021. 

Check-out our latest coverage of Aston Martin Residences newest release of renderings from earlier this month (June 2017).