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Florida Life

Should Port Miami Keep Their Cranes Or Make Them Flamingos?

Flamingos or Cranes?

Port Miami is the world’s busiest cruise port, surpassing 5.3 million passengers in fiscal year 2016-2017, and a major cargo port.  As such, the port has 260 foot gantry cranes to load and unload ships.  I see the cranes towering over Government Cut every time I drive to and from Miami Beach.  In his book All About Them, branding expert Bruce Turkel states that he made a recommendation to the mayor and County Commission to paint all of the cranes pink and black, thereby creating a flock of 260 foot flamingos.  I love the idea.  I think it would make for yet more photo ops of Miami.  What do you think, cranes or flamingos?

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Commercial Real Estate Florida Life Investment Real Estate Luxury Real Estate Miami Design District Neighborhood News Things To Do

5 Reasons To Visit The Miami Design District

If you haven’t been to the Miami Design District lately and still need a 2018 New Year’s resolution, here is an easy one.  Go visit the Miami Design District.  It is so Miami!  In case you need more reasons than that, here are 5:

  1. Interesting architecture – Okay, between Miami Beach’s art deco district and an abundance of starchitect buildings Miami is full of interesting architecture.  However, in the Miami Design District just about every single building is interesting.  Some have textured exteriors, others vivid colors or geometric designs.  No two buildings are alike and unlike some areas of South Florida that crave and even demand uniformity, the Miami Design District is definitely outside of that box.
    Christian Louboutin– Miami Design District
  2. Plenty of public art – If the architecture isn’t enough to keep you entertained as you explore, there are public art installations sprinkled throughout the district.
    Carole Feuerman Sculpture – photo credit: House & Hive
  3. Unique stores, shops, and restaurants in addition to the luxury brand names.  If small, local, independent shops appeal to you, don’t let the concentration of luxury, brand name designer shops fool you.  There are plenty of small delightful stores and restaurants with a variety of products that you won’t find elsewhere.  The spaces themselves are inviting and the people that I met manning them were helpful, charming and friendly.
    Roses et Pivoines
  4. Institute of Contemporary Art It is free! A generous gift to Miami’s entire community by Miami Design District Associates, who donated the majority of the land, and Norman and Irma Braman, ICA is a bright, open space with installations sure to get you thinking and an outside sculpture garden perfect for selfies.
    The art starts on the outside of ICA MIAMI
  5. Great public spaces to sit and chat, people watch, or enjoy our beautiful weather – the sculpture garden at ICA, the walls around the various planters and water fountains and the meeting bowls are just a few places to grab a seat.  If sitting around is not active enough for you, come up with creative videos to post on #MeetingBowls.  For inspiration, click on the link below.
    Meeting Bowls – A Public Art Project (and meeting space!) by mmmm

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Commercial Real Estate Investment Real Estate

Signing New Commercial Leases in 2018? Remember To Drop The Sales Tax To 5.8%

Publix on Miami Beach FL

If you are a landlord signing new leases in 2018, remember that the state sales tax on commercial leases has dropped from 6% to 5.8%.  As a result, the sales tax rate in Miami-Dade County will drop to 6.8% and in Broward it will drop to 5.8%.  Although the drop in rate may not sound like much, it amounts to an estimated $60 million a year savings to businesses.

Florida is the only state in the nation that charges a sales tax on all commercial leases and Florida Realtors, Florida Chamber, International Council of Shopping Centers, Florida Ports Council, and many others have been working diligently to get the tax reduced in order to keep Florida competitive with other states.  The sales tax is levied on all businesses leases, large and small, regardless of profitability and therefore disproportionally affects small businesses and start ups.  Florida Realtors will continue to work with legislators to get the tax on leases reduced further.

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Florida Life Neighborhood News Palmetto Bay Pinecrest

Happy National Mango Day!

Mango, Mango, Mango

Mangos, delicious as they are or mixed in drinks, salsas, breads, desserts, or just about anything else you can dream up, are also extremely healthy.  Driving around the Villages of Pinecrest and Palmetto Bay, you will see mango stands manned by hot, summering students eager to earn extra money or unmanned stands that work on the trust system with a money box.  Once you purchase your mangos, stop by Pinecrest Wayside Market for a mango milkshake.  Enjoy the season while it lasts, it will be over way too soon!

 

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Restaurants South Miami

Whisk Gourmet Food & Catering Has All The Ingredients To Attract Millennials & Boomers Alike

WHISK’S Marinated Shrimp & Avocado Salad

 

In a recent post about restaurants driving retail traffic, I listed restaurants that have been added to malls and downtowns.  Today’s blog is about one of my favorite local South Miami restaurants, Whisk Gourmet Food + Catering.  A recent blog in OpenTable,  Millennial Dining: How the Share Generation Is Shaping the Restaurant Experience, discusses several features that restaurants find help attract millennials.  High tables, open kitchens, Instagrammable design (and of course, food!), at least one burger and bar seating are all important in creating a dining experience that millennials are drawn to and Whisk has them all.

The home-style Southern cooking is simple yet high quality, using seasonal, local and organic ingredients and the atmosphere is casual and friendly.  Whether you are a millennial or not, you will appreciate both the food and Southern hospitality at this local favorite.

 

 

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Brickell/Downtown Miami Commercial Real Estate Investment Real Estate Neighborhood News Selling

Self-Contained Amenities and Neighborhood Key in The Conrad Brickell Hotel Sale

The Brickell Arch – photo credit Rusty Diaz Photography

Though the pace of commercial real estate transactions in South Florida has slowed down a bit, Miami continues to rack up big sales with the recent purchase of The Conrad Brickell Hotel for $72 million by Mast Capital and Angelo, Gordon and Company.  The 203-room hotel will be managed by HEI Hotels & Resorts, it’s first property in Miami.  At a time when the number of hotel rooms has outpaced demand, this purchase shows that experienced investors believe in the long term viability of Miami as an investment.  Both Mast Capital and Angelo, Gordon, and Company like to purchase value-add properties and it will be interesting to see if they hold onto it or sell it once the planned renovation is completed.

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Environmental Florida Life Hurricanes Pinecrest

Thank You For Being Late Is A Must Read

 

 

I just finished reading Thank You For Being Late by Thomas L. Friedman and think it is a must read for every politician, business leader, employee, employer…basically every one who needs to understand what is going on in the world today.  A timely read, it definitely is not a book to speed read through.  I found myself taking time to reflect on what the author was saying, how it applies to me, my family, my job, my community, my state, my country, and then extrapolate that out to other countries and the world in general.

Although he explores complex and interlacing issues that are accelerating at a dizzying pace due to Moore’s law, he also offers insight, both his own and others’, about how these issues can be addressed.  He acknowledges it won’t be easy, but a lot of the solutions boil down to trust, trees, community, dining room tables and chickens. Yes, chickens.

There were many quotable thoughts in his book, but some of my favorites, especially because of my long real estate career, recent conversations I have had with my husband about moving, and the fact that I live in Florida where hurricanes are a fact of life, several in the latter part of the book really hit home:

“I hope that it is clear by now that every day going forward we are going to be asked to dance in a hurricane….”

“…when people feel protected, respected and connected in a healthy community, it generates enormous trust.”

“When there is trust in a room, people are more inclined to collaborate and experiment – to open themselves up to others, to new ideas and to novel approaches – and to extending the Golden Rule.”

                 ” …the more the world demands that we branch out, the more we each need to be anchored in a topsoil of trust that is the foundation of all healthy communities.”

I have traveled extensively and moved frequently, but settled down in the Village of Pinecrest once my husband and I started raising our family.  In his chapters about Minnesota, I found a lot or similarities with South Florida.  Once you read the book, or if you already have, I would like to hear your thoughts.  Happy reading!

 

 

 

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Brickell/Downtown Miami Commercial Real Estate

Collaboration Is Key In Commercial Real Estate

Wells Fargo Center – Gold LEED Certified

I just completed another successful lease transaction with Andrew Trench and Ryan Holtzman of Cushman and Wakefield.  It is the second office lease we have done together and they are wonderful to work with.  In addition to being the consummate professionals you would expect when dealing with Cushman, they are extremely responsive and readily available.    Collaborating with Andrew and Ryan created a smooth transition for the tenant I represented and is why I look forward to working with them again in the near future.

 

 

 

 

Categories
Environmental Home Improvement

Solar Energy Is Great, But So Is Tree Canopy

The City of South Miami is trying to pass an ordinance that would require new homes to install solar panels.  I am all for solar energy and think if a house or business does not have tree cover and can install solar panels they should.  However, I think instead of mandating it, cities would be better off encouraging solar by showing the economic benefits, fast-tracking permits for new construction that have solar and other sustainable qualities, and/or giving tax credits.

I spoke to a South Miami resident and he likes the idea of solar as well, but didn’t like it being mandated.  He pointed out that his home has an established tree cover so solar wouldn’t work for his property.  A lot of builders tear out old trees and then replant smaller, less shady trees, so another option would be to encourage them to keep the canopy cover!

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Brickell/Downtown Miami Commercial Real Estate Restaurants South Miami

Restaurants Important In Driving Retail Traffic

Pubbelly Sushi

 

Food has always been important in retail centers; all you need to do is check out the food court at any major mall to see how much space is devoted to food.  Increasingly, more formal sit-down restaurants are what is needed to drive traffic to malls, strip centers, or downtowns.  Dadeland Mall added many dining options when they renovated several years ago, Downtown Dadeland is starting to bustle with the addition of The Brick and Barley to their tenant list, and Brickell City Center has a variety of restaurants, including Quinto La Huella, Pubbelly Sushi, and American Harvest to name a few.