Soffers Aim To Expand Fontainbleau Aviation & Turnberrry Airport Holdings at Opa-Locka Executive Airport

The Soffer family is seeking a $5 million bond from Miami-Dade County’s Economic Development and Tourism Committee for expansion of Turnberry Airport Holdings at Opa-Locka Executive Airport. The bond would be used for a $28 million project that would renovate public infrastructure, including a 30,000-square-foot hanger and 57,000-square-foot executive and maintenance office for Fontainebleau Aviation. According to the South Florida Business Journal, the billionaire family currently leases 41.4 acres on site. In order to benefit from the taxpayer incentives, Turnberry would need to meet certain job creation requirements. The project is currently estimated to create 120 jobs and would increase the company’s revenue to $26 million in 2020 if the expansion is completed. 

Article by Katya Demina | Images by Turnberry Media & Fontainbleau Aviation

Norwegian Cruise Line Announces Pearl, The Futuristic LEED-Silver Certified Terminal Coming To PortMiami

Not long after Royal Caribbean's Broadway Malyan-designed Terminal A for Symphony of the Seas topped out in PortMiami, Norwegian Cruise Line has announced Pearl, their futuristic new terminal coming to PortMiami. The LEED-Silver Certified terminal is being designed by Miami-based firm Bermello Ajamil & Partners, Inc., inspired by a nautilus' spiral design. Construction is expected to start in May (2018) and completion is expected by fall 2019. Miami-Dade County has pledged to invest $100 million towards building the new terminal, the balance of the funds will be provided by Norwegian Cruise Holdings, LTD.

“Norwegian has been sailing from Miami for over fifty years, longer than any other cruise line, and we are honored to be partnering with PortMiami and Miami-Dade County to construct an iconic terminal that will contribute to Miami’s world famous skyline and strengthen its position as the Cruise Capital of the World,” said Frank Del Rio, president and chief executive officer of Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd.

Renderings via Bermello Ajamil & Partners, Inc.

Royal Caribbean's Crown of Miami Terminal Designed by Broadway Malyan Tops Out in PortMiami

Royal Caribbean’s new $247 million, Broadway Malyan-designed Terminal A has officially topped out in PortMiami. The 170,000 SF, state-of-the-art terminal will be used for mega-cruise ships Allure of the Seas and Symphony of the Seas, which is expected to debut as the world's largest cruise ship in November 2018. Allure of the Seas has previously also been the world's largest cruise ship. Suffolk was the general contractor on the project which has been named Crown of Miami after its unique crown-like shape. The terminal is expected to welcome its first passengers in October 2018. 

3 MiamiCentral Completed & Welcomes Brightline, The Project’s First Office Tenant

Florida East Coast Industries has announced the completion of 3 MiamiCentral, its first mixed-use tower at MiamiCentral and has welcomed its first office tenant, Brightline. Brightline, the nation’s only privately funded inter-city, express passenger rail service, officially moved its corporate headquarters to 3 MiamiCentral; additionally, HNTB, a nationally recognized infrastructure solutions firm, recently signed a lease for its Miami office. 3 MiamiCentral rises 12-stories and features 96,000 SF of rentable Class A Office Space, 35,000 SF of rentable ground level retail space and is adjacent to the MiamiCentral transit station and Two MiamiCentral. 3 MiamiCentral a seven-story parking garage to supply ample parking for Brightline guests, visitors and office tenants. Brightline’s lease encompasses approximately 24,000 SF and HNTB’s lease spans approximately 18,000 SF. Multiple retail spaces make-up the ground floor where Einstein Bros. Bagels and a major grocer. Two MiamiCentral will feature 190,000 SF of Class A Office Space with tenants including Ernst & Young, Cisneros, Moss & Associates, Venevision International Enterprises, Fortress Investment Group, Florida EAst Coast Industries and Regus. Rental rates at Two MiamiCentral are around $33 to $35 SF triple net; and $29 SF at 3 MiamiCentral  

MiamiCentral, the highly anticipated hub for transportation, leisure and business, is a transformational, first-of-its-kind, transit-oriented development, spanning six Downtown Miami city blocks. It serves as the southern terminus for Brightline, the new inter-city, express passenger rail service that opened between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale on January 13. The system will extend to Miami in the coming months and will ultimately connect to the Orlando International Airport. MiamiCentral will also provide connectivity to all forms of transit in Miami-Dade County, including Metromover, Metrorail and soon, Tri-Rail.

“We are excited to have recently relocated Brightline’s new headquarters to 3 MiamiCentral, which is an important component of MiamiCentral and strategically located in Historic Overtown,” said Patrick Goddard, Brightline’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “Downtown Miami continues to transform into a vibrant community, and the addition of this new urban development and passenger rail system will be critical as the city continues to develop.”

“MiamiCentral is set to raise the bar for future office environments and 3 MiamiCentral is the first new standard,” said Daniel Quintana, vice president of development for Florida East Coast Industries. “From the variety of integrated transit options to the desired lifestyle offerings just one elevator ride from the offices, the built-in amenities that come with working at MiamiCentral are truly immeasurable.”

Brightline To Begin Passenger Rail Service Between West Palm Beach And Fort Lauderdale January 8th

Brightline will be launching South Florida into the future in early 2018 as they have announced that they will begin their inaugural rail service between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale the week of January 8, 2018. For the past several months they have made progress toward operational readiness by training employees and test equipment. Simultaneously work on the track between Miami and Fort Lauderdale is wrapping up and is expected to launch in Q1 2018. In December the Brightline locked down final approvals for Phase 2 from the U.S. DOT to begin construction to Orlando in 2018. Brightline also closed on the sale of $600 million in Private Activity Bonds to finance the Phase 1. Brightline has also received approval to sell an additional $1.15 billion in PAB Bonds for Phase 2. Brightline is reportedly also considering alternative financing including a Railroad Rehabilitation and Improvement Financing loan. When completed the Brightline will set the new benchmark for travel by train in America with express inter-city passenger rail service connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, with future service to Orlando. Providing a travel option that lives at the intersection of transportation and hospitality, the service is expected to reduce traffic and provide South Floridians with a simple and intuitive experience from door to destination, and foster new opportunities to explore more of Southeast Florida. Brightline will be the only privately owned, operated and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. 

Brightline Locks Down Final Approvals For Phase 2, To Begin Construction To Orlando In 2018

Brightline can finally begin construction on Phase 2, their new line of tracks to Orlando after gaining federal approval from the U.S. DOT for the transit line. Construction on Phase 2 is expected to kick off in early 2018. Service is expected to soon commence between Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, adding service to Miami soon after. On December 15, 2017, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued a Record of Decision for the privately funded Brightline intercity passenger rail project between Miami and Orlando. The Record of Decision (ROD) represents the final step in the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process after the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) was issued in 2015 and is the last federal environmental approval needed to construct the system between West Palm Beach and Orlando. This decision marks the achievement of another significant milestones for the company as it gears up to launch Phase 1 of its service and start construction north of West Palm Beach. Over the past 4 years, The Federal Railroad Administration worked with the Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard, along with local authorities, cities and counties, on the project's development and issuance of the FEIS. Brightline’s station in Orlando will be located at the Orlando International Airport’s new Intermodal Terminal Facility (ITF) that will be the hub of the future South Terminal complex. The ITF is connected to the North Terminal by a recently completed Automated People Mover and includes a 5,000-space parking garage. SunRail, Central Florida’s commuter rail system, has a planned connection to the ITF. Over the next few months, Brightline will finalize the design for the rail infrastructure and the 70-acre Vehicle Maintenance Facility which will be located on Orlando International Airport property. Construction of the system will create thousands of jobs and provide a much-needed link between Florida’s two most visited and populated regions.

“This is the most critical and final step in the extension of Brightline’s service to Orlando, and we are excited to move forward with Phase 2,” said Dave Howard, Brightline’s CEO. “This was a great year for us as we completed construction on two of our major stations and rail infrastructure, successfully presold tickets and corporate packages to individuals and businesses throughout the region and priced $600 million in Private Activity Bonds to fund Phase 1. We look forward to launching service to Miami and starting construction north to Orlando in the first quarter of 2018.”

The Broadway Malyan-Designed Cruise Ship Terminal For Royal Caribbean's Symphony of The Seas Is Taking Form In PortMiami

Royal Caribbean's new state-of-the-art cruise ship terminal for Symphony of the Seas, the world's largest cruise ship, is rising fast in PortMiami. Framing of the 170,000 SF, Broadway Malyan-design is already complete and the project is expected to be completed and operating by November 2018. In total Costs for the project are estimated to be in excess of $200 million. Royal Caribbean's Allure of the Seas, which has previously held the title of world's largest cruise ship, will also be based at the terminal.

Drama Heating Up Over Downtown's Proposed $800 Million Signature Bridge For I-395

The drama continues to heat up over the design and construction of Downtown Miami's proposed and approved, $800 million Signature Bridge, which would transform I-395. A Miami-Dade judge denied a motion by FDOT to dismiss a lawsuit filed by former Miami City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who challenged the state's controversial choice of the $800 million "The Fountain" design by Archer Western and The de Moya Group. Sarnoff was a major advocate to get the bridge redesign approved, working with Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado to hold FDOT to their pledge to include the Signature Bridge as part of I-395's replacement. Sarnoff's case alleges that FDOT violated their settlement agreement via their handling of bids to design and build the bridge by manipulating scoring to allow the Archer Western and The de Moya Group's proposal to win. Another design by contractors Fluor, Astaldi and MCM, which finished in second, was allegedly the favorite design by community representatives. In their motion to dismiss, FDOT argued that the court venue was improper as another case is currently under review by Florida's Division of Administrative Hearings. That case is scheduled to be heard in November and December of this year (2017). Check-out the winning bid, "The Fountain" by Archer Western and The de Moya Group here.  

Resorts World Moves 1-Step Closer To Reality, Submits Replat To Redevelop Bus Terminal

Resorts World has moved another step closer to becoming a reality after submitting their proposed replat of Awana Forest to Miami City Planners. The replat includes the county bus terminal with the Adrienne Arsht MetroMover, which Resorts World previously won county approval to redevelop in March of this year (2017). Their proposal includes redeveloping the terminal in conjunction with retail space and a 36-story, Arquitectonica-designed residential hotel tower. The hotel tower will feature 300 hotel rooms and an unspecified number of residential apartment or condo units. The project is being developed by Resorts World Miami LLC with a total cost projected to be $200 million. 

Brightline Gears Up to Begin Service Between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale

Brightline, the only-privately-funded express passenger rail system in the country, is gearing up to begin service between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale after completing the Palm Beach Brightline Station in late may, receiving the fifth of their trainsets and ongoing track-work. BrightPink, the 2nd trainset to join Brightline, features many innovations from its boarding platform and aisles that exceed ADA compliance standards to complimentary Wi-Fi, powered by multiple antennas on every car. Each Brightline trainset is 100% Buy America compliant with components from more than 40 suppliers across 20 states and shows the ongoing commitment of private investment towards transportation infrastructure benefiting the public. 

Brightline will help increase public transportation, get people off the congested roadways, increase business and for the first time begin to connect a state that has lacked any real form of transportation. Introductory express service will begin between West Palm Beach and Fort Lauderdale later this summer (2017), followed by initial service to Miami in late August with an official grand opening expected in late September.