Jade Signature Continues To Power Towards Completion, Reveals Permanent Snowman Installation "Bonhomme Universe"

Just days after the installation of a massive 65,000-pound, 38-year-old kapok tree at the base of Jade Signature in Sunny Isles Beach, the tower and Fortune International Group celebrated the unveiling of “Bonhomme Universe,” their new gemstone snowman, a whimsical piece is by Romania-born artist Daniel Knorr which was commissioned by Fortune International Group President and CEO Edgardo Defortuna. The sculpture will be accessible to the public, a potential future social media icon for Sunny Isles Beach. The unveiling was celebrated with a fashionable beachfront luncheon, guests included Edgardo Defortuna, and his wife, Ana Cristina; the artist himself Daniel Knorr, co-host Sarah Harreslon, founder of CULTURED magazine; Jason Frantzen, partner of Herzog and de Meuron; Raymond Jungles, founder of Raymond Jungles Inc.; Vice Mayor Dana Goldman of the City of Sunny Isles Beach; and former U.S. Treasurer Rosie Rios. Defortuna spoke about his passion for art and the ability of sculpture to enliven and embellish outdoor spaces (December 8, 2017).

“We are thrilled to be able to share this unique sculpture with the world – one that celebrates Miami’s diversity, its beauty, soul, and welcoming atmosphere,” said Defortuna.

Daniel Knorr added, "This fantastic building that challenges architectural standards, like three stories of parking under the beach, inspired me to the idea of the snowman and his impossibility to melt under the strong Miami sun. Like the house that hosts inhabitants of 25 countries, the snowman is decorated with gemstones coming from various places in the world. It shows the good soul of mankind and its close connection to nature."

Knorr first began creating these sculptures when he became fascinated by the conceptual possibility of a snowman existing without snow. In Bonhomme Universe, he re-locates this cold-climate object to a sub-tropical environment, releasing it from the material it was once reliant on. Bonhomme Universe stands 10.5' tall and 5.57' wide at the base. The "snowman" crafted around a metal grid of stainless steel, topped with concrete which is adorned with 28 different types of precious and semi-precious stones that have been polished and treated for durability, including green quartz, red jasper and moonstone. The vibrant gemstones chosen are inspired by the colors of the Miami landscape yet sourced from around the world. These natural materials reflect the diverse mesh of buyers at Jade Signature, a testament to Miami’s unique cultural identity. Instead of the typical broom for an arm, this snowman has a palm tree, fashioned from stainless steel. This extended arm serves as a friendly wave to passersby, but also has the deeper visual reference, with the palm tree an ancient symbol of peace, victory, and eternal life that originated in Near East and Mediterranean culture. 

Jade Signature is located at 16901 Collins Ave. and was designed by Herzog & de Meuron, interiors by Parisian interior design firm PYR, led by Pierre-Yves Rochon, and landscape architecture by Raymond Jungles. The tower feature 192 flow-through units with pricing ranging from $3.9 million and 1,581 SF for a 1 bedroom + den with 2 baths to $33 million for a 5 bedroom, 6,407 SF penthouse. Jade Signature will also features lush, landscaped grounds with beach access, a beach grill, resort style amenities including a lagoon style pool, fitness center and spa, wine cellar, library, teens lounge, 24 hour concierge and valet along with more five-star amenities that buyers demand in such a high-end, luxury building. Jade Signature features views of the Atlantic Ocean as well as the Intracoastal Waterway. Check-out PROFILEmiami's coverage of Fortune International Group reporting over $51 Million in sales in Q1 2017 at Jade Signature in Sunny Isles Beach. 

Construction Update: PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter Reaches Milestone Halfway Point At 30-Stories

PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter has reached a construction milestone halfway mark after completing the 30th floor of the glass tower’s rise. When completed, the tower will rise 60-stories and on course for its top off in summer 2018 with completion anticipated for Q1 2019. Earlier this year, PARAMOUNT reached another new high, closing a $285 million construction loan, among the largest on record for a new condominium tower in the City of Miami. PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter is reportedly more than 70% sold out of its 513 condo units with $360 million in sales. Units range in size from 1,180 to 2,350 square feet, with prices starting at $750 per square foot. 

PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter is known as the most amenitized building in the country and has made international headlines with its Upper Deck, which will debut as the largest amenity deck in the U.S., spanning 90' above downtown Miami featuring an extraordinary array of 40 action-packed resort style amenities which include a resort style pool complete with floating pods, the country’s first outdoor soccer field to be featured in a high-rise residential development; two tennis courts, boxing studio, jam room, basketball court, golf simulator, state-of-the-art fitness center, guest suites, Sky Observatory, Tai Chi deck, and a rooftop entertainment deck 60-stories above the Miami skyline, amongst others. PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter is also the only residential tower currently for sale within the massive 27-acre mixed-use Miami Worldcenter site. Miami Worldcenter’s retail plan reflects downtown Miami’s emergence as one of the country’s fastest-growing urban centers, home to a population that has doubled in size since 2000, with a streetscape that has become more pedestrian-friendly in recent years.

“Seeing PARAMOUNT at its midpoint just six months from top off is a stunning moment for our team underscoring the continued progress as we bring this extraordinary, landmark project to life,” said developer Dan Kodsi. “This announcement marks another major milestone for the project and in the evolution of downtown Miami. We have a lot of excited residents that we cannot wait to welcome.”

PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter is being developed by Dan Kodsi with Art Falcone and Nitin Motwani. PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter is the luxury residential condo tower that is part of the larger $2 billion, 30-acre Miami Worldcenter initiative that will transform Miami's urban core via world-class high-street retail concept with shopping, dining, entertainment, hospitality, office space, a Marriott Marquis Miami Worldcenter Hotel & Expo Center, apartment rentals, amongst others.

Check-out PROFILEmiami's exclusive interview with Dan Kodsi, developer of PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter.  

Jade Signature Installs Towering, 65,000 LBS Kapok Tree Kicking Off The Tower's Countdown To Completion

Winter is upon us, but Fortune International Group's Jade Signature tower in Sunny Isles Beach is just beginning to “blossom.” At the beginning of December 2017, a giant kapok tree was installed at the entrance of the condominium tower under the watchful eye of landscape architect Raymond Jungles, signaling the building’s countdown to completion, a return to Sunny Isles’ roots, and the culmination of a developer’s obsession for perfection. On an even grander scale, the planting is part of an effort by the developers to reintroduce native and naturalized species to the surrounding environment. From 11:59 p.m. Saturday evening (December 2, 2017) into the early hours of Sunday morning, the massive, 65,000-pound, 38-year-old kapok tree was planted at the base of the tower. The tree is symbolic of the singular vision behind Jade Signature, an innovative collaboration between Raymond Jungles and a trio of industry titans: luxury real estate leader Fortune International Group, Pritzker Prize-winning architecture firm Herzog & de Meuron, world-renowned, award-winning Parisian interior design firm PYR, led by Pierre-Yves Rochon.

“We turned to Raymond Jungles and his team to create a landscape that would work well with the surrounding waterfront setting,” said Edgardo Defortuna, President and CEO of Fortune International Group. “Naturally, Jungles is a mastermind in conceptualizing designs that are sustainable and unique.  The kapok tree, which thrives in the tropics, will be the finishing touch of this beachside oasis and a local landmark in and of itself.”

The kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra) is a species that was sacred in ancient Mayan culture, revered as a source of strength and resiliency.  Known for living for hundreds of years and capable of reaching extreme elevations (some have been recorded at heights of 250 feet), the tree’s unmistakable silhouette is defined by an umbrella-shaped crown made of numerous branches and arranged in horizontal tiers. As conveyed by Raymond Jungles, the implementation of grown trees, such as the kapok in this case, has immediate benefits, including erosion control, drainage improvements and an enhancement of native ecosystems. Because of the way the architects have positioned and oriented Jade Signature, the building will be bathed in an abundance of sunlight – a welcomed change from surrounding buildings that have large zones of shade. In addition, the developers hired French engineering firm Bouygues Construction (the same team behind the excavation of the Port of Miami tunnel) to dig 50' underground for the implementation of a concealed, 400-space parking garage, a first in Sunny Isles. This innovative design has thereby allowed the team to plant more vegetation at the surface of Jade Signature and offer a seamless connection from Collins Avenue to the beach. 

“In the case of Jade Signature, it was pretty easy to conceptualize and implement a landscape design because of so many of the wonderful spaces the architects created,” added landscape architect Raymond Jungles.  “The tower is going to offer, what I believe, will be one of the best amenity packages I’ve ever seen…and certainly one of the most dramatic and well-designed.  I think Jade Signature is really going to be a trendsetter.”

Jade Signature is located at 16901 Collins Ave. and was designed by Herzog & de Meuron. The tower feature 192 flow-through units with pricing ranging from $3.9 million and 1,581 SF for a 1 bedroom + den with 2 baths to $33 million for a 5 bedroom, 6,407 SF penthouse. Jade Signature will also features lush, landscaped grounds with beach access, a beach grill, resort style amenities including a lagoon style pool, fitness center and spa, wine cellar, library, teens lounge, 24 hour concierge and valet along with more five-star amenities that buyers demand in such a high-end, luxury building. Jade Signature features views of the Atlantic Ocean as well as the Intracoastal Waterway. Check-out PROFILEmiami's coverage of Fortune International Group reporting over $51 Million in sales in Q1 2017 at Jade Signature in Sunny Isles Beach.

Enjoy the video of the process installing the Kapok tree below. 

Melo Group Reveals Miami Plaza & Art Plaza In Fast Rising Arts + Entertainment District

Melo Group, one of Miami's leading real estate developers, has fully committed to the quickly transforming Arts + Entertainment District, formally Omni District, in Downtown Miami. After delivering Melody Tower in 2016, their Square Station development, which is nearing completion, will help reinvigorate the once desolate area by bringing 710-units over 2 towers. Other major developments in recent years include NR Investment's nearly-completed CANVAS and Filling Station Lofts. Melo Group has now revealed their plans for the proposed Miami Plaza and Art Plaza in the fast rising Arts + Entertainment District. Miami Plaza, located at 1502 Northeast Miami Place, would rise 35-stories, 350', and would feature 425 apartments with easy access to the MetroMover. The project would also bring 5,064 SF of retail to the area and 508 parking spaces. Art Plaza would feature 2 twin 33-story, 325' towers across the street from Square Station at 58 NE 14th Street. The project would bring 655 apartments and 14,599 SF of retail to the district along with 886 parking spaces. The tower is seeking a 19% parking reduction request. In all, Melo Group wants to bring 1,790 units to the Arts + Entertainment District and both projects were up for review by Miami's Urban Development Review Board on November 29, 2017.  

Construction Update: Ugo Colombo's Brickell Flatiron Releases New Drone Video As Vertical Rise Reaches 17th Floor

Construction on Ugo Colombo’s Brickell Flatiron tower is moving well ahead of schedule as Moss construction crews have surpassed the building’s 17th floor pedestal. Construction is expected to continue to move at a rate of one full floor level completed ever week until top-off in December of 2018. As of December 1, 2017, more than 70% of the project's 549 units have been sold and are currently under hard contract, with the building’s total sales volume in excess of $300 million. Delivery of Brickell Flatiron is expected in mid-2019. In April 2017, CMC Group successfully closed on a $236 million construction loan from Bank of the Ozarks and RFR Realty.

Brickell Flatiron is a 64-story, 549-unit luxury condominium tower from famed Miami developer Ugo Colombo and his CMC Group. It will be among the tallest residential towers in the United States when completed, rising 736'. The tower was designed by Luis Revuelta with an iconic flatiron shape with interiors by  Massimo Iosa Ghini of Italy’s Iosa Ghini Associati. Units range from 1 to 5 bedrooms starting at $500,000 and ranging up to $15.5 million for penthouses. All units will be adorned with the finest finishes, including Italian-made custom cabinets, stainless steel appliances, Italian marble floors, high ceilings with recessed lighting, custom Italian doors, energy-efficient windows, and glass balcony railings. Brickell Flatiron's amenities include an 18th floor amenity deck with a resort style pool, 24-hour concierge, billiard and cigar room, wine cellar, valet, electric car charging stations and a 64th-floor rooftop that will feature a Sky Spa, Sky Pool and Sky Gym along with stunning 360 views of Biscayne Bay, Brickell, Downtown Miami, Coral Gables, etc. 

Check-Out The Video Tour Below:

Melo Group's 90% Sold Aria On The Bay Races Toward Completion, Will Deliver In 90 Days

Melo Group's Edgewater/ Downtown luxury residential project Aria on the Bay is fast-approaching completion as the 53-story waterfront tower is set to deliver within the next 90 days and has reached the 90% sold mark. The news follows the sellout of all four of the building’s triplex penthouse residences, one of which sold earlier this year to baseball star Giancarlo Stanton of the Miami Marlins. Aria on the Bay’s sold-out collection of triplex penthouses, which captured prices from $1.8 to over $6 million, span the building’s top three stories and feature interior living areas measuring from 2,600 to 4,800 SF. The expansive residences offer secluded rooftop terraces with private pools, open-air summer kitchens and 12'-deep wraparound balconies that provide up to 3,000 SF of additional outdoor living space. Features include two private elevators, 10'-high floor-to-ceiling glass windows and doors, designer finishes and fixtures, and up to three garage-secured parking spaces. Remaining residences currently available for sale include a range of 1- to 4-bedroom condos priced from the $400,000s up to $1.8 million. The Arquitectonica-designed tower features 648 condominium residences and topped out in May 2017 at 53-stories. The tower is located on prime bayfront at 1770 N. Bayshore Drive that will provide residences with unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay, Miami Beach and the city skyline. Amenities include a 14th floor resort amenity deck with two sunrise/sunset-facing swimming pools, a jacuzzi, custom-seated fire pits, barbecue grills and outdoor summer kitchens, a private spa with massage treatment rooms, a state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga studio, indoor/outdoor bar and entertainment lounge, theater-style screening room, game room and library, teen lounge and kid’s playroom, and a business center with offices and meeting facilities. The project also offers 10,000 SF of available commercial space on the lower floors, including office, retail and restaurant space at the ground level.

“We’re very pleased that our most exclusive penthouses have sold out as we enter the final phase of development,” said Carlos Melo, principal of the Melo Group. “With construction set for completion within the next 90 days, we anticipate we’ll be able to welcome our first residents by early next year.”

“Even though we’re getting close to our sellout in the months ahead, we still have some great units available for sale,” said Alicia Cervera Lamadrid, managing partner of Cervera Real Estate, the project’s exclusive sales and marketing brokerage. “With an unbeatable waterfront location in a walkable, family-friendly neighborhood surrounded by world-class cultural attractions, this is luxury at its finest. Aria on the Bay is one of the best value-buys in all of Miami.”

Check out our PROFILE Exclusive Interview about how the Melo Group took Edgewater real estate to the next level with Aria on the Bay.

Aspire Real Estate Development To Break Ground On Arya Oceanside Residences In March in Pompano Beach

Aspire Real Estate Development expects to break ground on Arya Oceanside Residences in Pompano Beach in March. The boutique residential condo project was designed by IDEA Architecture + Engineering with interiors by Steven G. and will feature 19, 2-bedroom + Den units. Units will range from 1,450 SF to 1,657 SF and will feature contemporary kitchens, quartz countertops, smart home packages, and wraparound balconies. Pricing will start at under $650,000. Arya Oceanside Residences will be located at 336 Sunset Drive and the sales center is expected to open in December (2017). The Keyes Company is the exclusive sales and marketing broker for the project. 

Brick O. Real Estate Officially Opens The Ivory On Bay Harbor Islands

Brick O. Real Estate has officially opened their new Bay Harbor Islands condo project, The Ivory, located at 9261 East Bay Harbor Drive. The residential condo building, designed by Frankel Benayoun Bodas Mani Anger, rises 9-stories and features 40 residences. Residences are priced from the low $700,000's to $2.6 million and the project is currently over 70% sold. Units feature modern kitchens with stainless steel appliances, spacious open floor-plans and large terraces with views of Indian Creek, Miami Beach, Bay Harbor Islands and Biscayne Bay. Amenities at The Ivory include a rooftop sundeck with pool, fitness center, meeting room and 8 boat slips. 

Craig Robins Announces That Sales In The Miami Design District Are Up 40% In Past 6 Months As New Stores Open

Just before Art Basel, celebrity developer Craig Robins, founder and CEO of Dacra as well as Design Miami, has announced that Miami Design District has nearly doubled in size with the opening of several new buildings and stores including Rag & Bone. For the past 3 years, the district was only half-open, offering some of Miami's finest shopping with stunning designed buildings and beautiful walking streets. Miami Design District was on the way, but as Robins is building an entire new part of the city from a formerly desolate Little Haiti area, great things take time. Now, he explains, Miami Design District is starting to come into its own and for the first time shoppers and visitors can see "its full offering." Robins holds that retail sales in Dacra's Miami Design District properties have increase 40% in the past 6 months. The next stage will be the opening of 10 new restaurants including Ember and Kaido (restaurant by Chef Brad Kilgore), St. Roch Market (food hall), L’Atelier by Joël Robuchon (fine dining), Le Sushi by Joël Robuchon (Japanese), Le Bar by Joël Robuchon (lounge), Le Boutique by Joël Robuchon (bakery), Blue Bottle Coffee, and Roberta’s pizza. Also opening soon will be the Institute of Contemporary Art (museum), Gucci, Aesop, Creed, Empresa, Dolce & Gabbana, Celine, Joseph, Eres, Ralph & Russo, and Museum Garage which will bring 800 parking spaces. Some of the brands will be moving from their temporary locations to the final, permanent locations.  

Paradise Plaza, the open-air northern anchor of Miami Design District which is located 2 blocks north of Palm Court, will open in late November with many of the restaurants still finishing buildouts which are expected to open in December and January. Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop GIFT is already open in Paradise Plaza, which will offer more dining options than Palm Court. Connecting Paradise Plaza to Palm Court will be Paseo Ponti, an art-lined walkway which also features the already open OTL (cafe), Cartier and Hermès, amongst others. Also opening in early 2018 will be the Museum Garage which will have spots for 800 cars and will feature eccentric art installations by 5 different artists as the facade. Robins is expected to announce the Sweetbird North Hotel in the next few months. Stay tuned to PROFILEmiami for the most up-to-date coverage of Miami Design District. 

Moshie Mana Expects To Break Ground In Wynwood In Early 2018

Moshie Mana expects to break ground and begin construction on his Wynwood development site within the next 3 months to show the city of Miami that he means business. Mana plans to build the Americas-Asia Trade Center & International Financial Center (TCIFC) where phase 1 of the project will include developing 4.68 million SF over the 8.5 acre site including 1 million SF of "Class A" office space, 75,000 SF of retail and restaurants, a 400-room hotel and 90,000 SF of public space including landscaped parks, gardens and walkways. Mana did not specify which buildings he will break ground on first, but the entire project is not expected to be completed in 2028. Last year, Mana fought back against the Wynwood Business Improvement District over allegations that they were cutting close to $30 million of public benefits from their Wynwood project. Mana says they will still provide $45 million of public benefits with few changes to their original proposal. They were cutting a $10 million cash payment to the commission that was in exchange for a height increase to 24 stories. Mana will still provide $7.5 million to the Overtown CRA and $2.5 million to the commission. They also fought back about claims that they would be changing the phases of the project and were sticking to their original plan. Mana is looking for investors for the Wynwood project and has spent over $350 million on real Estate in Miami, mostly in Wynwood and Flagler Street in Downtown Miami.