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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSubmittal-Sarah Helen Sharp-Biscayne Times Article RE Architect Dean B. Lewishe Boulevard's Design Doctor The 0 Submitte to the pulic record fo tte on '3 City Clerk 4/24/18, 5:10 PM oulevard's Design Doctor Written By John Dorschner — Special To The BT JANUARY 2014 ARCHITECT DEAN B. LEWIS SEEMS TO BE EVERYWHERE, REFRESHING THE OLD AND INVENTING THE NEW ean B. Lewis has quietly become the architect of Biscayne Boulevard. Now 52 years old, he has overseen the restoration of the iconic Vagabond Motel and has designed several new structures along the Boulevard. On the drawing boards are at least another half -dozen Boulevard projects, most of them in Miami's Upper Eastside. In the background, he's become plugged into the inner workings of city regulations, working to create zoning that is helping to fund the Boulevard's revitalization of MiMo motels. For two years he was the design chair of the MiMo Biscayne Association. And he's now chairman of the influential Urban Development Review Board, which advises city planners on major projects such as Midtown Miami and Brickell CityCentre. He's become a master at working within the city's codes, which include a 35-foot height limit in the Upper Eastside. He thinks that height restriction is wrong and will eventually be changed. In this, as in all his endeavors, he backs up his arguments with lessons learned during the decade he spent working in Paris. Biscayne Times: Why did you go to Paris? Dean Lewis: "Mine is necessarily the most fruitful path for an architect to choose, but I think it's one of the most intriguing." BT photo by Silvia Ros not tp://www.biscaynetimes.com/index.php?view=article&catid=50%3Acomr&tmpl=component&print=1&layout.default&gager4option=com_content - SO\\Abl\s\mxii-Vsavt-\\thts N,(\c(14),..k(\zt. Levi\ 5 Page 1 of 7 te Boulevard's Design Doctor Submitted it .he publifn record fo items) L, on City Clerk 4/24/18, 5:10 PM Dean Lewis: I studied first at Ohio State and then abroad in Italy. I think the highest form of education for an architect is travel. I worked for four years for a large firm in Washington, D.C., but when the economy was tanking in 1989, I decided to get registered in Europe, so I went to Paris. Did you speak French? I had three three years of high school French, and that prepared me for a six- month total immersion course in France. My first two employers were generous in giving me the time to do it. For those first few months, I kept my head down, drawing, not saying much. But I'm now fully fluent. In 1994, I joined Arquitectonica and ran the Paris office for six years. One of the main projects was the auditorium in Dijon, France. I also worked on projects in Lebanon, Egypt, and Italy. Did working with European zoning requirements help shape your thinking? Absolutely. In France they have centuries of history. You learn to appreciate where they're coming from. The public space is more important than the private realm. It's less about designing a beautiful building than integrating it first into the environment and then making it a beautiful expression to serve the abstract. The renovated Vagabond Motel will include a restaurant and poolside bar. Images courtesy of DB Lewis Architect needs -- otherwise it's lust sculpture and Eventually you wanted to apply those lessons back in the States? Yes. There's a glass ceiling at any firm, especially at Arquitectonica, which is really a family practice. I always wanted to start my own practice, and Miami tp://www.biscaynetimes.com/index.php?view.article&catid=50%3Aco...r&tmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=8ioption=com_content Page 2 of 7 ie Boulevard's Design Doctor Submitted into the pubrc on 5/7,4 • record V em(s) 4/24/18, 510 PM City Clerk seemed a good place. I had relatives in northern Florida, so it wasn't too far from them. We came here in 2001. My wife {Martine, whom he met in France] trained at L'Ecole du Louvre, and she does interior design and is a real estate agent, so we have a synergy in our practice. I'd say about 20 percent of our work is still in France. Did your French experience have a strong influence on your work here? Yes. Almost every project we work on is not a simple site. Almost all have issues, need special approvals. We've kind of come to specialize in that domain. A lot of colleagues stay away from zoning variances, special approvals. A lot think going to an historic board is taboo, while I appreciate going to an historic board. Mine is not necessarily the most fruitful path for an architect to choose, but I think it's one of the most intriguing. But your practice didn't have any easy start? Some years ago, a person on skyscrapercity.com commented: "Dean Lewis...has had this bad luck of creating wonderful designs for developers who later sell the project to a second party. The second developers have mostly turned to Kobi Karp to design [something] less expensive to build." So you've done quite a few "paper projects"? "The mermaids are iconographic. It goes back to the great villas in Italy," In 2006-2007, we had an economic meltdown that a put a stall on a lot of our projects, most of which were high-rise. In 2004, a lot of money came in through the speculative market. Everybody and their neighbor came down with a developer -- weekend experience I called them. And they were the first ones to drop out when the economy turned. I'd say 50 percent intended to flip the project, and they didn't always tell us that. .tp://www.biscaynetimes.com/index.php?view=article&catid=50%3Aco...r&tmpl=component&print=1&layout.default&page=&option=com_content Page 3 of 7 ie Boulevard's Design Doctor Submi into the public on record lb) ite City Clerk What do you think about critics who say MiMo is an invented concept to promote the Boulevard? 4/24/18, 5:10 PM I don't agree. It's a mid-century phenomenon. Architects were influenced by the coming of age of the automobile, as opposed to walking. You needed a strong architectural statement that people could take in quickly. When I lived on NE 74th Street in the 1980s, I'd give directions by telling people to turn when they saw the three naked ladies at the Vagabond. Quite a few people thought that sculpture was tacky or kitschy. Fair comment? You have to remember that kitschy was always part of MiMo. It was the split- second attraction, that second glance as you go by in the car: Oh, look at that! That is a classic method throughout Europe when you arrive at the corner. The mermaids are iconographic. It goes back to the great villas in Italy and throughout history. A Vagabond renovation was stalled for years. What got it going again? After the first developer failed, the building sat in a gutted state for years, and it was really a diamond in the rough. It was on the demolition list, the unsafe - structures list. The Stephen's [a motel at 6320 Biscayne Blvd. that's another Lewis project] is now in the same boat. The Stephen's Motel will be reinvented as a retail and office center. The catalyst for the MiMo restorations is the new zoning code, Miami 21. I. assisted the city in writing into the code a transfer of air rights. The new code allowed owners of historic -district properties to sell their air rights to developers who wanted to build taller buildings. That gave the owners of the MiMo motels money for renovations. Avra Jain [developer of the Vagabond] was one of the tp://www.biscaynetimes.com/index.php/view=article&catid=50%3Aco...r&tmpl=component&print.1&layout=default&page=&option=com_content Page 4 of 7 le Boulevard's Design Doctor 4/24/18, 5:10 PM first to realize the validity of the concept. Jain has other Boulevard properties. Are you going to be involved with those renovations also? I'm working with her on most of her Boulevard restorations, including the Royal Motel just north of the Vagabond. Stephen's Motel will no longer be a motel. It's going to be a new retail center with a modern curve glass facade in the center, while the two historic bookend buildings will remain -- as office lofts. Starbucks will be in the center building. Submitted into the publ(i%c record for, items) on 5/7,4 I, City Clerk The Bayside Motor Inn, 5101 Biscayne Blvd,, will get a complete makeover. We're also going to do the Pacific Motel and the Bayside Motor Inn, plus commercial projects at 3650 N. Miami Ave., Regions Bank renovations at 36th and the Boulevard, and an office building at 5555 Biscayne Blvd_For other owners along the Boulevard, we've done a commercial building at 61st Street, and we're working on the Morningside Centre at 54th, a showroom project, and Carl's Motel El Padre near 59th, plus the River Motel at 105th that will have 120 suites, restaurant, gym, and an elevated pool terrace. Will the Boulevard eventually become more pedestrian -oriented? In the Upper Eastside, the Boulevard is plagued with a compromise between the pedestrian and the Florida Department of Transportation's desire to move as much traffic as possible. That's problematic -- and it will always be. It's important to remember that it was originally a suburban boulevard -- on the outskirts of downtown from the mid-1920s to the mid-1960s, and these motels popped up as an option to the luxurious hotels of the Beach. Does a 35-foot height limit make tp://www.biscaynetimes.com/index.php?view=article&catid=50%3Aco—r&tmpl=component&print=18dayout=default&page=&option=com_content Page 5 of 7 e Boulevard's Design Doctor 4/24/18, 6:10 PM sense for the Upper Eastside? That limit was a significant down - zoning. I think that came out of a certain constituency -- a post - horse -and -buggy romanticism influence on a new commissioner [Marc Sarnoff], who at the time didn't realize the impact it was going to have. Now, we've designed some good-looking 30- to 35-foot buildings, but truly, 35 feet is too low for a right-of-way of over 90 feet on average, from back of sidewalk to back of sidewalk. Even the writers of the Miami 21 zoning code foresaw a much taller density, in the 50- to 70-foot height range, with terracing down, a transition to the [residential neighborhood]. We still believe that's viable today. With the right project, with the right transitioning, that can be done properly. Submittq 'ito the publi record fo item s Y l.4 on City Clerk Lewis's commercial building at 6101 Biscayne Blvd. is up and running. The point is what we call the "cube of light." When you're urbanizing a city, the buildings should be as tall as the right-of-way is wide, which still allows for daylighting equally of buildings on both sides of the Boulevard. That could be 80 or 90 feet high. In the case of smaller lots, it might be 50 to 55 feet. It was political pressure that brought it down to 35 feet. Nobody wants balconies and terraces overlooking [residential] neighborhoods. But at the same time you're building an urban corridor. There will never be a perfect solution. The MiMo Association was in favor of more height -- at least in the 55-foot range. Are you thinking of Paris, where many areas have five -story buildings? That's exactly it. Otherwise, you're back to suburban sprawl, and tp://www.blscaynetimes.com/index.phOvIew=article&catid=50%3Aco...r&tmpl=componentSigrint=1&layout=default&page=&option=com_content Page 6 of 7 •te Boulevard's Design Doctor 4/24/18, 5:10 PM you're forced to surface -park your project, like a suburb, because I can't build mufti -story where parking's in the building. Now you have to have three parking spaces for every 1000 square feet -- a tough demand to meet.... There's quite a bit of excitement about architecture in Miami these days. Not only Arquitectonica but also Frank Gehry's New World Center in Miami Beach and Herzog & de Meuron's Perez Art Museum Miami. Has Miami reached a golden moment for architecture? Submitted +o the pubij record foi Itemis) on - 5/ Lq City Clerk Milli nail MS011 _ r isi Itti ft Pt( qr kinicit 1)0 til!it‘tk 111411, ''1111 Morningside Center, 5555 Biscayne Blvd., will feature a roof garden,. It's at a very important tipping point. Miami is growing up. This all goes back to Carl Fisher and George Merrick and the first developers in Miami, who had a higher sense of awareness. They wanted more interesting spaces, better architecture. And we've learned to build in a hurricane zone. For a while after [Hurricane Andrew] ravaged Homestead, you had a lot of flat slabs and stucco [in response to new building codes]. But now we've learned what to do. Many architects are interested in working here -- and sophisticated buyers are willing to pay for that. What's happening with your own practice? We have ten architects and engineers -- that includes a team that does plumbing, electrical, and mechanical engineering. We have a dozen projects going right now. We're kind of in the groove. This is our moment. Feedback: Ietters@biscaynetimes.com tp://www.biscaynetimes.com/index.php?view=artIcle&catid=50°/03Aco...r8itmpl=component&print=1&layout=default&page=&option=com_content Page 7 of 7 ;cited out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing ho As I Miami Herald 4/24/18, 5:14 PM Lionel tightbourile, asocial-warker, and his wife, Tanya, a -teacher, have been renting iri hoes -Estates nearMiami Gardens while they search for a home. PATRICK FARRELL - MIAMI HERALD STAFF REAL ESTATE NEWS Locked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing hot spots BY NICHOLAS NEHAMAS itnehamaspeamiheraklcom Submitted into the publi record foniternis) y 2, on 5 nil • City Clerk September 18,.2015 O1z01 PM Updated September 28, 2015 04:17 PM Lionel and Tanya Lightbourne have been house hunting for 11 years — longer than they've been married. They still haven't closed a deal. Their credit is good. They've found financing. But skyrocketing home values have priced them out of South Florida's housing boom, even in the inexpensive North Dade area of Ives Estates where they want to live. Too often the old and creaky homes they can afford fail inspections required by first-time home buyer mortgage programs. ADVERTISING rCked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing hot is l Miami Herald 4/24/18, 5:14 PM Submitted into the public record for eni(s) on City Clerk "We're looking anywhere from $150,000 to $250,000," said Lionel Lightbourne, a social worker in Liberty City. "We're finding stuff in our price range, but we keep getting outbid." Today's top news by email The local news you need to start your day Enter Email Address I'm not a robot reCAPTCHA Proncy- Tema INTERACTIVE TOOL: WHERE CAN YOU AFFORD TO BUY? For South Florida's middle class, the dream of owning is slipping out of reach. Home prices in the region are up nearly 45 percent since 2012, but local wages have stayed flat, lagging well behind inflation. Cash -rich investors, home flippers and foreign buyers are snapping up properties before locals can get a foot in the door. The high prices threaten South Florida's efforts to entice new employers and attract young, creative workers and -entrepreneurs For now, as prices rise in traditional middle-class neighborhoods, buyers are looking at once - overlooked areas that offer good value, even if they're not in the most fashionable parts of town. PROFILES OF EMERGING NEIGHBORHOODS IN MIAMI-DADE AND ROWARD Kelly Morello, a real estate agent based in Weston, said she often tells clients to broaden their search. "There are pocket areas that are within very good school districts and have the right price points and good access to expressways," Morello said. "So many times buyers will say'I didn't know this place was here.' " But those pockets can be hard to find. Si YOU CAN'T BE RELEVANT IF YOU DON'T OWN ANYTHING. Lionel Lightbourne, home buyer A person or family making the median household income in Miami -Dade ($42,926) can afford a single-family home in just 10 of the county's 80 ZIP codes, according to a Miami Herald analysis of home value data provided by online real estate company Zillow. tp://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article35702148.html Page 2 of 13 'Yoked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing hoi Its 1 Miami Herald 4/24/18, 5:14 PM Experts generally say that you can afford a home that costs no more than three -and -a -half times your household income. In Broward, where home prices are rising more slowly and ©vages are higher, the situation is slightly better: 11 of 53 ZIP codes are affordable for single-family home buyers making the county median income of $51,608. (That means the median value of homes in those areas is below $180,600.) In many cases, affordable neighborhoods come with high crime, poorly rated schools or long cornmutes. Many, but not all. Using Zillow data on home values, school ratings from the Florida Department of Education and crime statistics collected from law enforcement agencies by the software mapping company Esri, the Herald set out to identify well -priced neighborhoods in both counties with average or better schools and levels of crime. Median values had to be below $400,000, roughly what a highly educated young couple several years into the workforce could afford. (According to the U.S.Census, the median salary for a South Floridian older than 25 with a graduate or professional degree is $60,688.) In Miami -Dade, those areas include parts of West Kendall, Country Club/Palm Springs North, Hialeah, and the Miami neighborhoods of West Flagler, Shenandoah, Coral Way and the Upper East Side. In Broward, sections of Davie, Miramar and Coral Springs stood out, as well as the Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods of Tarpon River and -Shady Banks, and the Driftwood section of Hollywood. (Click on links to read profiles of select neighborhoods.) Other neighborhoods, such as Allapattah, stood out for their increase in value, driven by investors who are betting current high crime rates will eventually drop, increasing the area's appeal. An interactive tool created by the Miami Herald lets potential buyers explore neighborhoods by median value — and see how those areas match up on school ratings, safety and annual value growth. Submitted into the publi record for ite () on 5/ Z- I '5 . City Clerk Si E NEED SPACE, WE NEED GOOD SCHOOLS, WE NEED A FAMILY AREA. Daphcar Depaliste, home buyer What buyers want For many home buyers, schools are top of mind. While critics argue that A to F school grades handed out by the Florida Department of Education say more about poverty than performance, the ratings do have a big impact on real estate values. The better the school grade, the higher the price for homes in that district. "You have to be buying at the $300,000 range to even think about good schools" from elementary all the way through high cehool,. said Robert Sechriest, who wants to move his family from the Atlanta area to West Miami -Dade or Broward and has been looking for several months. His 7-year-old son suffers from serious allergies back home but breathes easier in the pollen - light air of South Florida. "If you can find a $300,000 house in a nice neighborhood with good schools, you better act quick," said Sechriest, who works for Delta. "Literally you call your real estate agent with a list of 10 places you want to look at, and if it's more than two days since they've been listed, most of them are gone." tp://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article35702148.html Page 3 of 13 rocked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing ho( \ts I Miami Herald The hot market means the pool of affordable homes is shrinking dramatically. 4/24/18, 5:14 PM Submitted into the ubli Waterfront home values �.; , , p �- � record fop ite skyrocket in Miami � �� I ( qa Single-family homes on the water -; j on 5 City Clerk air their value skyrocket in Mi<7rrn and Miami Beach But more surprising r;eighborhoods like AIlapattah anci Sheiiaudoah also grew impressively Annual value Increase(%) 25+ 20-24 15-19 10-14 5-9 NIA To see the full graphic with yearly value growth for each neighborhood, click here. Inventory for homes under $300,000 stands at just two months, said Ron Shuffield, president and CEO of EWM International Realty. A healthy market is generally considered to have between a six- and nine -month supply of inventory. "We're telling ouragents that if they get a call fora home in that price range, just take the listing," Shuffield said. "You're going to sell it." Despite headlines about celebrity mansions and ultra -luxury condos, the real sweet spot for South Florida's real estate activity is $300,000-and-under. The median resale price for a single-family home in Miami -Dade was $278,000 in July, according to the Miami Association of Realtors. Condos and townhomes went for $195,000 in July. $278,000 Median price of a single-family home sold in Miami -Dade County in July. In Broward, the median single-family home cost $312,000 in July while condos and townhomes sold for $137,000, according to the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors. But it's not just run-of-the-mill homes that are selling out. Laurie Daresta said her 5-bedroom house near Parkland Golf & Country Club in Broward stayed on the market for just two days. "We sold for $1.14 million, and it makes me think we underpriced," Daresta said. Housing market blues Study after study shows South Florida is one of the least affordable housing markets in the country. That hasn't always been the case. tp://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article35702148.html Page 4 of 13 eked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing hol is 1 Miami Herald 4/24/18, 5:14 PM For most of its first 100 years, land remained plentiful in South Florida. Bedroom communities sprang up around Miami -Dade and Broward, marketed first for retirees seeking sun and then to families looking for the American dream of a backyard, pool and two -car garage. The crime -ridden years of the late 1970s and early 1980s, when Miami was a portal for illegal drug shipments, kept prices unnaturally low for a seaside city. When a bayfront home on Miami Beach's North Bay Road sold for $3.2 million in 1981, it set a county residential record that went unsurpassed for years. Prices first started ballooning out of control during the bubble of the early 2000s, fueled by easy credit. At its peak in May 2006, the median sales price for a single-family home in Miami -Dade stood at $379,700. When the housing bubble burst in late 2007, many economists thought South Florida would take a decade to recover. But foreign investors smelled a good deal and pounced during the recession with prices at 50 percent of their bubble -era peak. In 2012, the market began to rise from its ashes. Flight capital from foreign countries, the global attention spurred by Art Basel Miami Beach, and the region's value compared to New York, London, Los Angeles and Hong Kong all helped put Miami on the jet -setter radar. As money poured into the region, South Florida became a destination for the world's wealthiest citizens to buy, not just spend the weekend. Today condos regularly sell for $10 million and more. And there are nearly 3,000 homes listed for $1 million or more, a 50 percent increase since 2012, according to EWM International Realty. MIAMI IS THE THIRD LEAST AFFORDABLE HOUSING MARKET IN THE COUNTRY, ACCORDING TO AN ANALYSIS BY ONLINE REAL ESTATE COMPANY TRULIA. But because wages haven't grown since the housing market began recovering in 2012, the latest real estate boom has driven home prices completely out of whack with what locals can afford. To make matters worse, many foreign buyers and investors offer all -cash deals, which carry less risk for sellers than offers from buyers seeking mortgages. Cash deals account for more than half of local home sales, although that's down significantly from highs of 65 percent and more in 2012. Submitted into the publicZ record for ite on ' City Clerk In South Florida, home prices are up 44 percent since 2012, according to the S&P/Case- Shiller Home Price Indices. During that same time, average hourly earnings for locals have grown by 10 cents to $22.70 — less than 0.4 percent. Inflation has been rising more quickly, growing by 1.5 percent between 2012 and 2013. "What the market is doing is providing housing units for people who don't live here yet as opposed to people who do," said Frank Schnidman, a professor of urban and regional planning at Florida Atlantic University. "The market is geared towards people who want to purchase a second home nor find a safe haven for their capital." Many developers are now building luxury condos and mansions at the expense of starter homes. They need to meet their margins, they say, and with land and construction costs soaring, that's hard to do at the lower end of the market. Miami is now one of the nation's most overvalued and least sustainable real estate markets when prices are compared to local earnings, according to property analytics firm Corelogic. tp://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article35702148.html Page 5 of 13 ,c1(ed out 'of boom, buyers hunt for new housing hot +ts I Miami Herald 4/24/18, 6:14 PM Broward's single-family neighborhoods see gains Desirable areas in Fort Lauderdale and Hollywcxxl where sin4e-famrly homes go for 1055 than $300.030„ saw vase:: rise hieer than ;!:orneprr nerghthrhoccis ccoo Annual value increase(%) NI 10+ 5-9 0.5 -land Wow N/A Submitted into the public. on record for ite s), . City Clerk To see the full graphic with yearly value growth for each neighborhood, dick here. The lack of affordable homes could mean the return of a problem local leaders thought they had whipped: brain drain. "We have to make sure Miami is affordable to our young professionals," said Stuart Kennedy, senior programs officer at the Miami Foundation, which has targeted brain drain among other local issues. "This is the young talent that we want to keep and bring into the city. Those younger workers gravitate toward the urban core — the likely cause for the increase in home prices in downtown areas and neighborhoods close to city centers in both counties. "Theres-a-national-trend-towards-young-people coming -back into downtowns," Kennedy said. "The millenial generations want to live in the downtown dense urban neighborhoods, where they don't 'rave to commute -anti 'where they can walk to stnres andrestaurants." If housing and transit costs keep escalating, workers likely will be pushed farther from employment centers, worsening Miami's already brutal traffic congestion. "You'll end up with folks having two-hour commutes one-way," Kennedy said. Already, middle-class South. Floridians spend nearly 70 percent of their income on housing, commuting and utilities, according to a study published this week by Trulia. That makes Miami the third most expensive housing market in the country after San Francisco and Los Angeles. Miami scores poorly even against expensive areas like New York because wages are lower here and public transit harder to access. That gap can have serious economic effects, experts say. "When you have workers spending so much on housing and transportation, it erodes their power as consumers," said Mekael Teshome, an economist at PNC Bank. "That's money they're not spending on other things that could help drive the economy." If the trend continues, local officials and business leaders fear that Miami -Dade will face a worker shortage similar to the one in the Florida Keys, where police officers, firefighters, nurses and teachers are in short supply. Many Keys resorts bus employees from Homestead. tp://www.rniamtherald.corrilnewsibusiness/real-estate-news/artIcle357021-48.html Page of 13 caked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing hol its I Miami Herald 4/24/18, 5:14 PM When Wal-Mart announced plans for a 33-acre shopping center on Rockland Key earlier this year, the company said it would need to build 200 affordable housing units for workers. igt WE S a LID FOR $1.14 MILLION, AND IT MAKES ME THINK WE UNDERPRICED. Laurie Daresta, home seller The construction of new homes is already failing to keep up with job growth in South Florida, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors. Miami had the fifth - largest disparity between job creation and home building in the nation, the report found. Only San Jose, San Francisco, San Diego and New York City fared worse. With affordable homes so hard to find and the high cost of windstorm insurance and property taxes an added burden, local boosters fear South Floridians may simply pick up and leave. Daphcar Depaliste says she hasn't found a home in Miami where she wants to raise her two children — at least not one she can afford. "We need space, we need good schools, we need a family area," said Depaliste, who works in customer service for American Airlines and is renting in North Miami. That's why she's planning to pick up and move to Ocala, where she has her eye on a two- story home with four bedrooms, three bathrooms and a two -car garage, all for $174,000. "That wouldn't get me anything down here," Depaliste said. Investors snatch up condo T deals in Miami -Dade Investors and speculators are i ielpmg to drive up the value condOs and townhomes rn uilexpec-ted parts -of -'s1idrnr and Miami Beach Annual value Increase(%) 0+ 5.19 0-14 5.9 0-4 NIA To see the full graphic with yearly value growth for each neighborhood, click here. Closing the deal When buyers do find a good deal, they have to move quickly. Earvin and Yudi West bought a pre -construction single-family house in Tamarac before the development's model home even opened up. "It was a leap of faith," said Earvin West, who works in finance in Boca Raton. "Being a young professional trying to find a home that's affordable and has all the amenities that we're looking for, it's pretty much impossible unless you're willing to go up to Lake Worth or Submitted into the publi record fo �itteri(s) L.1" on y� t ! I . City Clerk tp://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/articie35702148.html Page 7 of 13 }eked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing hd, As I Miami Herald 4/24/18, 5:14 PM Boynton Beach." While real estate agents say that many young couples fix up the homes they buy, the Wests work and go to school fulfil -nu and -wanted a move in ready home. The couple searched for two -and -a -half years. When they spotted a 3-bedroom, 2,5- bathroom house for $273,000 last year, they knew they had to act fast. "We weren't finding anything except townhomes for $300,000 or $350,000, which seemed insane," West said. They moved in earlier this summer. Condos and townhomes offer a more realistic option for many. The Miami Herald analysis of Zillow data found buyers making the median income in Miami -Dade can afford a condo or townhome in 27 of the county's 80 ZIP codes. In Broward, middle -income buyers can afford to buy a unit in a multi -family building in 30 of the county's 53 ZIP codes. But many buyers have their hearts set on a single-family home. That's what their parents could afford. Why shouldn't it be the same for them? Some developers are going after those buyers. "We think there's a void in the market under $400,000," said Michael Nunziata, division president of builder Central Communities. "A lot of developers have run over to the highest price point category and ignored that segment of the market." Central Communities, a subsidiary of developer 13th Floor Investments, is building 715 single-family homes at three projects in Tamarac over the next five years. Because land is so expensive, Central Communities is focusing on infill development, Nunziata said. Its homes are located on former golf courses. "We have to get creative," he said. Broward condo market stays -stable Values for condos and townhomes nt Fort Lauderdale and Hollywood stayed comparatively stable over the last year, r itit only a few neighborhoods making kgger-than•average gains Fort Lauderdal ,/ '\ Annual value increase(%) 10+ 5-9 -1 and below N/A To see the full graphic with yearly value growth for each neighborhood, dick here. Building smarter Andrew Frey, a developer and urban planning activist, said local governments should encourage developers to invest in mid -rise buildings with fewer parking spaces, more units and better access to mass transit. Submitted into the public record forite (s) V -1 on '5 -tW City Cler tp,//www.miamitterak#.rominewsibuslrress/real- :state-newafartro e38702148.htmt Page 8 of 13 >cked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing h( ots I Miami Herald 4/24/18, 5:14 PM "We need density of other kinds besides condo towers or suburban gated communities," Frey said. "There's whole kinds of urban neighborhoods that don't exist in South Florida... . We don't have brownstones, we don't have row houses, we don't have six -story walk-ups like in the West Village. We don't have these different kinds of [housing] that would achieve a dramatic increase of supply in a way that's on more of a human scale than 40- or 50-story condo towers." ii THEWS W HOLE KINDS OF URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT DON'T EXIST IN SOUTH FLORIDA. Andrew Frey, developer One promising sign is that home price growth is slowing down. Home prices in South Florida are growing at about a 9 percent clip in 2015, compared to double-digit growth in the previous three years. And the market will likely keep cooling down. As currencies in Latin America and Europe plummet against the dollar, foreign buyers are having a harder time affording local real estate. The percentage of homes bought with cash — a good measure of foreign buyers and investors — fell to 54.6 percent in Miami -Dade in May, down about 10 percent over the last year, according to Corelogic. That's giving hope to home buyers like the Lightbournes, who are trying to make the best of their search . "We have house hunting dates," said Tanya Lightbourne, who teaches third grade at an elementary school in Miami Gardens. "We get food and look at furniture and have a day out." Together, she and Lionel make about $85,000 per year. They know they should be able to afford a home. 7777 "We want something to call our own," she said. "Renting is not a good investment. I want something I can pass down to our children." Until then, they'll keep looking. MLAMI HERALD STAFF WRITER DOUG HANKS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT. Nicholas Nehamas: 305-376-3745, elVickNehamas 9H75 ARTICLE INCLUDES COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC INSIGHT NETWORK, AN ONLINE COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE AGREED TO SHARE THEIR OPINIONS WITH THE ML4MI HERALD AND WLRN. BECOME A SOURCE AT ML4MIHERALD, COM/INSIGHT, EVEHTT:3QUTHF'_i';' ;:t "°SIIE94 HOMIGHBORHOODS Get ahead of the crowd with the latest insight from Miami's top real estate trend - watchers at a Miami Herald event designed for home buyers, real estate professionals and investors. Submitted into the public record fo • ite s) PP , on t City Clerk • When: Sept. 29, 8:30-10:30 a.m. • Where: Miami Dade College's Wolfson Campus, 101 NE Fourth St., downtown Miami; Room 2106 • Speakers: Developers Avra Jain of Miami's Upper East Side; Carlos Rosso, president of tp://www.miarniherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article35702148.html Page 9 of 13 ')cked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing hc )ts 1 Miami Herald 4/24/18, 5:14 PM the Related Cos. condo division; Henry Torres of the Astor Companies and Matthew Vander Werff of Little River; Realtors Liza Mendez, Ron Shuffleld and Tina Fella Trelles; Sonja Bogensperger, deputy director of Miami's Downtown Development Authority; Peter Zalewski of Condovultures and Cranespotters websites; Anthony Williams and Fernand Amandi of Bendixen & Amandi; and Nicholas Nehamas and Jane Wooldridge of the Miami Herald Media Company. • Cost: $20 • Infon eatiurr,-registratiron: ifsecurejotformpro.rom/MHBackissues/Neighborhoods HOW WE DID IT To identify well -priced neighborhoods in Miami -Dade and Broward counties, the Miami Herald partnered with real estate data provider Zillow for the month of June. Zillow provided sal.es data by ZIP codefor single-family houses and.condositownhomes in. Miami -Dade and Broward counties. The Miami Herald selected ZIP codes with median value of $400,000 and below, the upper limit that a college -educated, middle-class couple could likely afford. The Herald then supplemented that information with school ratings provided by the Florida Department of Education and personal and property crime statistics collected from law enforcement sources by the software mapping company Esri. The seven neighborhoods profiled here have schools rated B or better and average or low crime, with the exception of Allapattah, which was picked solely for its skyrocketing values. Zillow's home value data excludes foreclosures and smooths out monthly variations in the types oftiornes being sold. -Us fess accurate -for the pricing of individual homes -but provides a better picture for larger geographic areas such as ZIP codes and cities. It also includes data on all closed sales, not just those from multiple listing services used by Realtors. WW1 Values in these areas have risen less than the county average over the past year and meet all the following qualifications: Schools rated B or better, average or low crime, and median value under $400,000. Miami -Dade * West Kendall • Tamiami e The Hammocks • Kendale Lakes • The Crossings • Fountainebleau • Westchester • Northwest Hialeah • South Miami Lakes • Glenvar Heights (condo/townhome) • Aventura (condo/townhome) • Waterfront North Miami (condo/townhome) Broward • Hallandale Beach • Sunrise Submitted into the pub g,1 5 record Ittterir on . City Clerk tp://www.miamtheratricominowsibusinessireat-estafe-riewsiartiee36702148.ittml Page 10 of 13 ',eked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing he pts 1 Miami Herald 4/24/18, 5:14 PM • Coral Springs • Coconut Creek • West Pembroke Pines • West Davie • Southwest Plantation (condo/townhome) • West Deerfield Beach (condo/townhome) Source: Zillow, Florida Department of Education, Esri HOT NEIGHBORH DS Values in these areas have gone up more than the county average over the past year and meet all the following qualifications: Schools rated B or better, average or low crime, and median value under $400,000. Miami -Dade • Country Club/Palm Springs North • South Miami Heights • South Cutler Bay • Hialeah Gardens • East Hialeah • Shenandoah • Coral Way • Upper Eastside (condo/townhome) • El Portal (condo/townhome) • Miami Shores (condo/townhome) • Pinecrest (condo/townhome) Broward • East Davie • Driftwood • Shady Banks Submitted into the publiq, I record fqr ite n(s) on _�4 �« City Clerk • Lauderdale Isles • Riverland • Tarpon River (condo/townhome) • Central Pembroke Pines (condo/townhome) • West Miramar (condo/townhome) Source: Zillow, Florida Department of Education, Esri WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS CAN YOU AFFORD? Our online tool allows you to search for ZIP codes in Miami -Dade and Broward counties where median home values match your price range, and correlate that information with crime rates and public school ratings. Check http://pubsys.miamiherald.com/static/media/projects/2015/affordable-homes/ RESOURCES FOR FIRST-TIME HMI` ,,E BUYERS The Federal Housing Administration offers subsidized loans and other benefits to qualified first-time home buyers, as do Miami -Dade County, Broward County, the city of Miami, the city of Miami Beach, the city of Fort Lauderdale, the city of Hollywood and other local governments. Assistance is also available from nonprofits such as the Neighborhood Housing Services of South Florida and the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America. Many local and national banks also have first-time home buyer programs. tp://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article35702148.html Page 11 of 13 >cked out of boom, buyers hunt for new housing 110 ots I Miami Herald 4/24/18, 5:16 PM SITE INFORMATION About Us Contact Us Newsletters News in Education Public Insight Network Reader Panel SOCIAL, MODULE& MORE Text News Alerts Mobile & Apps Facebook Twitter Google+ Newsletters ADVERTISING Place a Classified Media Kit Commercial Printing Public Notices Shopping MORE Copyright Commenting Privacy Policy Terms of Service Submitted into the public record fqqr ite (s) on City Clerk tp://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/real-estate-news/article35702148.html Page 13 of 13 'Kitschy, cool Vagabond Mote(' )ming back to life on Biscayne Bouley "s MiMo district Miami H... uhrnitted into ic MIAMI-DADE COUNTY record fo it sthe publ�t ; on t_k City Clerk Kitschy, cool Vagabond Motel coming back to life on Biscayne Boulevard's MiMo district BY ANDRES VIGLUCCI November 03, 2013 06:11 PM Updated November 03, 2013 07:12 PM After years in a sad limbo behind a construction fence, the sirens and porpoises at the marvelously waggish Vagabond Motel are looking decidedly chipper under a fresh coat of paint. The re -plumbed fountain will soon come back to life along with the rest of the iconic but long -dormant motel, which has come to symbolize the fortunes of the fledgling Miami Modern historic district on Biscayne Boulevard. The reopening of the fully restored 1953 MiMo landmark, set for Dec. 5, could mark a significant milestone in the slowly gathering revival of the boulevard along the city's Upper East Side. The Vagabond's newest owner, developer Avra Jain, is buying four more of the dozen or so historic but rundown MiMo motels that define the district. She has ambitious plans to turn them into a collection of boutique hostelries and dining and lounging spots for locals and visitors looking for distinctive, affordable alternatives to South Beach. ADVERTISING 1 Kitschy, cool Vagabond Mote` tming back to life on Biscayne Bouley ''s MiMo district Miami H... inRedd invented by Tads Submitted into the publig (+ record for ite , on City Clerk "The boulevard is at the tipping point," Jain said as she led a tour of the bustling, still -unfinished Vagabond restoration. "The demand is there. This isn't contrived. If you change the motels on the boulevard, you change everything." Never miss a Local story. Sign up today for a free 30 day free trial of unlimited digital access. SUBSCRIBE NOW The Vagabond's multi -million -dollar makeover, overseen by architect Dean Lewis, will restore the kitsch -edged 1950s verve that made the motel the gem of the boulevard in its heyday, before family tourism gave way to hookers and drug pushers. Its glorious neon signs are being restored. The mermaid mosaic at the bottom of the swimming pool has been faithfully reproduced using tiles brought from France. A new open-air Cabana Bar will stand by the pool. The interiors will be done up in mid-20th Century Modern style by designer Stephane Dupoux. But Jain says none of this would be happening without a little-known, and previously untried, city program designed to foster renovation of properties designated as historic. The program allows owners to sell "air rights" — meaning development rights they can't use because of historic designation — to developers looking to build bigger in high-rise districts such as downtown. The revenue, which can amount to millions of dollars, must then be plowed back in full into renovation of the historic property. Jain and her attorneys at Greenberg Traurig were the first to figure out how to tap into the transfer of development rights (TDR) program, established when the city's new Miami 21 zoning code went into effect in 2010. 2 Kitschy, cool Vagabond Mote' mming back to life on Biscayne Bouley; ''s MiMo district 1 Miami H... w r1 U The ability to raise money through TDRs, she said, is key to the restoration of the ..J` deteriorated boulevard motels, whose small size and big renovation needs would otherwise make the job financially unfeasible. p., "There's a reason this building sat vacant for so long," Jain said, alluding to failed efforts in recent years by previous owners to resuscitate the Vagabondwhich she �°=® bought for S 1.9 million last year. "Economically no one could make it work. We 0 o will spend $5 million on renovation. Part of this for me was really passion for the " 0 building. But it's otherwise hard to justify spending this kind of money on a 45- room motel." Jain raised S3 million for the Vagabond restoration by selling 440,000 square feet worth of air rights to developers Related Group and Terra Group for use in three high-rise condo projects in Edgewater, Brickell and Coconut Grove. The appeal for the condo developers: the TDRs have sold for $7 to $8 per square foot, considerably cheaper than the cost of buying additional development capacity through the city's Miami 21 "bonus" program, which also permits builders to purchase the right to add volume to their projects, said Lucia Dougherty, jain's attorney at Greenberg. That fain was able to do so was in part because of fortuitous timing, Dougherty said. There had been no demand for the TDR program because no one was building after the real estate collapse. "The good news is, there is a place to sell them because people are building again," Dougherty said. But the process, which Jain and her attorneys described as laborious, took months because the city had not set up rules and procedures for the TDRs. The city also had to establish safeguards to ensure revenue from sale of TDRs is not diverted to other uses. Jain next plans to use TDRs again to restore two other MiMo motels she has purchased — the Royal, a block north of the Vagabond, which she will turn into an annex to the iconic motel; and the Stephens, at 6320 Biscayne, where she will bring in a national retailer. Jain also has contracts to buy two more boulevard motels, she said. 3 Kitschy, cool Vagabond Mote ,ming back to life on Biscayne Boulev "s MiMo district I Miami H... The city's use of TDRs in the MiMo historic district, which runs along both sides of the boulevard from 50th Street to 77th Street, has not been entirely uncontroversial. At the insistence of some neighbors and City Commissioner Marc Sarnoff, who represents the area, the city imposed a 3 5-foot height limit on both sides of the boulevard. That raised strenuous objections from preservationists and property owners, who say the restriction has stalled redevelopment of the district by making it nearly impossible to expand smaller, outmoded buildings to make them viable again. Preservationist Nancy Liebman, co-founder of the MiMo Biscayne Association, argues the city is unwisely allowing the use of TDRs by owners of vacant and non - historic buildings inside the district to, in effect, compensate their owners for the loss of property rights arising from the height restriction. As a consequence, she said, those are being replaced by bland, one- or two-story new commercial buildings that do little to complement the historic buildings in the district. "They're using the TDRs to stop people from filing lawsuits because their property rights are being taken away," said Liebman, a pioneering Art Deco District preservationist who favors lifting height limits on the Boulevard to 50 feet, a scale she contends will allow the mix of uses that revived South Beach. "That's not what TDRs are supposed to be for. It is just creating those one-story buildings that add nothing to the character of the neighborhood. It doesn't give you the infill that creates a destination." Sarnoff insisted the TDRs are working as designed. "You're putting the urban density where it belongs downtown, and you're keeping a street at the scale at which it was designed years ago," he said. "The proof is in the pudding." Still, Liebman heartily applauds jain's use of TDRs to salvage historic buildings. "She is the Tony Goldman of the boulevard," Liebman said, referring to the late preservationist and developer who helped turn around South Beach and Wynwood. "She got it. She is the best thing that's happened here so far. We need more [like] her." 4 Kitschy, cool Vagabond Mote' )ming back to life on Biscayne Boulez ''s MiMo district I Miami H... The historic district was the city's first in a commercial area when it was established in 2006. The hope was it would spur redevelopment around its set of 1950s motels, which grafted bright neon signs and space-age detailing on simple, r-J Bauhaus -inspired Modernist boxes to lure middle-class visitors traveling to Miami 1 by car with their families. 0 v,c,, o E While numerous shops and restaurants have opened along the district to cater to N the gentrifying neighborhoods flanking both sides of the boulevard, only a small :2. - '" handful of motels have been renovated, including the New Yorker and another re- E o baptized Bianco. But those have proven so successful in drawing economy -minded European tourists that they're often fully booked. That prompted Jain, who has redeveloped other urban commercial and residential properties in Manhattan and Miami and is a partner in the Regalia luxury residential tower now nearing completion in Sunny Isles Beach, to take a hard look at the Vagabond. The motel — designed by Robert Swartburg, architect of the famed Delano in South Beach — had been gutted by a former owner who gamely tried to restore it, saving many of its original details and finishes, including terrazzo floors and Dade County pine ceilings, before losing it to foreclosure in the crash. She decidedto take the chance after her Greenberg team persuaded her they could make the TDRs work. Because banks were not making project loans, Jain said, she raised money up front from friends and family. Now she's scrambling to get the Vagabond sufficiently ready for an opening Tiki Party poolside during Art Basel Miami Beach week. Work is more advanced than it seems from the outside, she said. New electrical and plumbing systems have been installed, and windows and wallboards are going in this week. Eventually, the motel's former office will be a casual seafood diner, and Jain hopes the Vagabond will become a gathering place for the neighborhood. For her plans to fully bear fruit, however, will require other developers to follow suit by purchasing and renovating historic motels. That may yet happen. Greenberg's Dougherty and Iris Escarra say other developers interested in using TDRs have approached them. and other deals are hatching. 5 Kitschy, cool Vagabond Mote: fliing back to life on Biscayne Bouley MiMo district Miami H... TDRs, Sarnoff said, are "selling like hotcakes." SUGGESTED FOR YOU What Meghan Markle Was Really Like Before the Fame Science Says This Body Type Is the Most Attractive Now '1.11.1rnitted into the public A —ALLA on City Clerk record fo 'te (s Video Captures the Deadly Moment a Pedestrian Bridge Collapsed Kirstie Alley's Heartless View of Stephen Hawking 6 Pedestrian -friendly Miami 21 zoning S 'e approved - 10/22/2009 - MiamiHerak m Page 1 of 2 Submitted into the publ'c record fo ite s) y t, Eft hefliarni itanti3ieralb on 5 City Clerk Posted on Thu, Oct. 22, 2009 Pedestrian -friendly Miami 21 zoning code approved BY CHARLES RABIN crabin@MiamiHerald.com Miami commissioners on Thursday finally passed the city's most comprehensive zoning code ever -- one that promises a healthier city and friendlier walking corridors -- after making dozens of tweaks before a City Hall packed with neighborhood groups. After more than four years of debate and literally hundreds of public meetings, commissioners voted 4-1 Thursday evening to approve the cornerstone of Mayor Manny Diaz's development plans for Miami. With Thursday's vote, Diaz said, Miami can look to oneday be compared to cities such as Chicago, New York, even Paris. "I'm going to tell you that history will judge us right," he said. The only no vote: administration critic Tomas Regalado. The mayor has sought to transform auto -centric Miami into a more -urban, pedestrian -friendly city. The so-called Miami 21 zoning code would replace a code that critics charge has led to overscaled and intrusive development. The new code encourages mixes of commercial and residential uses along major corridors, seeks to reduce the impact of large-scale development, and requires new buildings to conceal parking while meeting the sidewalk with active fronts like shops, offices and homes. Opponents range from neighborhood activists to some architects who contend the code doesn't do enough to curb overscaled development while forcing new buildings into homogenous templates that limit creativity. Some lawyers argue it will unfairly curtail development rights. Commissioners and residents spent a good portion of Thursday's gathering focused on the plan's most controversial element: a 35-foot height limit implemented on the Upper East Side's historic Miami Modern District during an earlier meeting at the urging of District Commissioner Sarnoff. Some residents like the height limit; others, and most business owners, deplore it. Upper East side activist Fran Rollason suggested raising the MiMo limit to 53 feet, arguing that lowering it "will ultimately run the Mom & Pops out of business." Nancy Liebman, vice president of the MiMo Biscayne Association, said "the MiMo District is not going to survive" if the height limit is not raised to 53 feet. She said it's impossible to expect business owners to spend money restoring their property, then have no way to up its value. Ultimately, commissioners voted 3-2 to limit the height to 35 feet, with Commissioners Joe Sanchez and lttp://www.miamiherald.com/news/m iam i-dade/v-print/story/1296056.html 10/23/2009 Pedestrian -friendly Miami 21 zoning ; approved - 10/22/2009 - MiamiHerald n Page 2 of 2 Angel Gonzalez voting against that element of the plan. Submitted into the publ'c record foy ite (s) V Z„ on /1,4 . City Clerk "We will live to regret this," said Liebman. But others, like Upper East side resident Elvis Cruz, believe the 35-foot height limit "will be an economic stimulus for the area." Cruz had earlier reminded Sarnoff he was elected by consecutive large margins by residents, many whom endorse the height limit. Most other issues discussed Thursday centered around concerns over individual properties. The difficulties in implementing the zoning changes were apparent when separate speakers said they bought their properties with an agreement to build under a specific covenant that now isn't allowed under Miami 21. Still, land use attorney Nelsen Kasdin called the new code a "testament to the process.... This is the most thorough process I've ever seen in any community," he said. Miami Herald Staff Writer Andres Viglucci contributed to this story. © 2009 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved. http://www.miamiherald.com http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/v-print/story/1296056.html 10/23/2009