MIAMI | Development Thread

[pj3000]

Spare me please! I do know you are interested in Miami but it's not just real estate & tourism that are the sole engines of Miami's economy! That title is more adept to a city like Orlando than Miami's!

Sure, there are other engines of the economy in Miami. But they are nowhere in the same league as other major cities in the US, in terms of effect that they have on overall civic economic health. Can those other industries truly succeed and allow for actual middle class prosperity (the foundation of any "real" major city) when a real-estate based economic form has become so dominant and unstable?

Miami is still a young city; basically established for tourism and likely will always remain primarily a tourism-centered economy. Unfortunately, in many respects, tourism is often intricately tied to the extreme boom and bust types of real estate economy that is the problem here. Real estate prices were so incredibly and unrealistically inflated, that the continued fall of those prices has been terribly damaging to the establishment of a consistent financial atmosphere in the region -- that's simply not good for the types of commerce which create sustainable prosperity in urban centers.

[bobdreamz]

^ well couldn't one could say the same for Pittsburgh? It's economy basically revolved around steel and now it's a rust belt city.

[pj3000]

^ well couldn't one could say the same for Pittsburgh? It's economy basically revolved around steel and now it's a rust belt city.

No, not at all. Equating a steel/manufacturing-based economy with a tourism/real estate one just does not make any sense in terms of the respective prosperity they bestow on a region. You just don't get the huge disparity between the haves and the have nots in society with an economy that grew due to manufacturing. Instead, you get a strong, well-paid working class that becomes more educated with each generation.

Pittsburgh's industries created huge amounts of wealth and a very prosperous, large middle class. Additionally, the wealth created by manufacturing engendered so much innovation and many other industries, organizations, cultural institutions, etc. Tourism and real estate simply cannot do that.

Sure, Pittsburgh hit some very hard times due to the shock of the collapse of the American steel industry, but so many other established economic drivers were still in place, and have built Pittsburgh into a very different place than it was 30 years ago. Pittsburgh is a major healthcare, technology, and educational center, as well as financial center (with PNC --the 6th largest US bank in terms of assets-- and BNY Mellon, specifically)... much of that due to the past largesse of steel. And it still retains a strong corporate headquarter and production presence (US Steel, Heinz, Alcoa, PPG, Westinghouse, Mylan, among others).

Have you happened to hear anything about Pittsburgh recently?

[Prahaboheme]

Spare me please! I do know you are interested in Miami but it's not just real estate & tourism that are the sole engines of Miami's economy! That title is more adept to a city like Orlando than Miami's!

Is it really adept to a city "like" Orlando? If anything Orlando is leading the state of the recession with non-tourism based jobs.

[Dale]

And in addition to that Orlando is in the best fiscal shape of any Florida city and is poised to lead the state in population growth through 2040.

[QuantumX]

What this city went through in the last decade is unlike anything I have ever experienced in my 35 years of being a skyscraper aficionado and studying skyscraper booms in other cities. That is how I know how absolutely incredible it really was, and developer interest in Miami in this decade is still very strong as evidenced by the very articles about development here in Miami just recently posted. That Time Magazine article means nothing to me because, for one, all cities have problems that are specific to those cities. I'm not saying it's telling lies, but if Miami isn't a major city now, I think it won't be long before it will be.

Real estate driven economy or not, there is a lot of money and power behind people who can afford to own a 50-story penthouse, which we now have lots of here in Miami, and I think what Miami will become in the future depends a lot on how much those people who can afford a 50-story penthouse want to invest in the area where they own property. No doubt many will want to put at least a regional corporate headquarters here in Miami, and the economy will become more diverse as result. Miami is not going to stay the same. The genie is out of the bottle now. We just don't know what all it's going to become, but I think it will be considered a major city by many people one day.

Now getting back to this ridiculous Miami Heat metamorph - As I've asked before on SSC, did anybody seriously expect them to go all the way when this team was first brought together last year? Did anybody actually say they better win the NBA championship? I certainly hoped they would go all the way, but I certainly didn't expect them to. Hey, they made it to the finals. Sometimes, they lived up to the hype and other times they didn't, particularly the NBA finals, but they at least made it there.

[QuantumX]

Anyway, show me the perfect city in the U.S. and I'll go live there, but if it's out of the sunbelt, it's too cold. Plus I like being near the ocean.

As far as whether Miami is a major city or not, who set the criteria? We now have one of the largest skylines in the country and that is continuing to grow. Developers wouldn't be as interested in further developing Miami as much as they are if they didn't consider Miami a major city or at least on the fast-track to becoming one. A major city doesn't have to have a large skyline, but a city with a large skyline is usually a major city, and if anybody is going to start with the mostly condos argument again, see what I have to say about that above already.

Our tourism industry is large enough to warrant the A380 landing here along with only four other "major" U.S cities. I think that the A380 landing here is pretty major, even though we did have the Concorde at one time.

We've been known for years as the Cruise Capital of the World (probably Fort Lauderdale is now) and the Cargo Gateway to the Americas with a pretty big shipping industry or we wouldn't be building a tunnel. DUH!

Along with the American Airlines Arena, we now have a new Performing Arts Center and a new Opera House. We have a new museum under construction and new baseball stadium.

Our financial district is one of the largest international banking centers in the country with a Spanish bank soon to put a new tallest on Brickell Avenue unless someone else puts a new tallest in the Brickell Financial District or in the CBD first. Phase 2 of the original Brickell Financial Center which was originally planned at 903 feet is being redesigned, but is still a go. Brickell Citicentre, which the Miami Herald compared to New York's Rockefeller Center could start construction by the end of this year. At least three other new tallest buildings for this city are planned. What we will actually see make it to construction, who can say? But if Miami wasn't a major city already, all this wouldn't be on the drawing board and all of what was built in the last decade wouldn't have been built.

[pj3000]

Your points are well taken, QuantumX. However, touting current and future real estate developments and tourism does nothing to dispel the notion that "the Magic City still lives under its 20th-century illusion that tourism and condo construction are the basis of a modern economy" and that Miami's economy will continue to be defined by industries which do little to build a stable financial environment with a prosperous middle to upper-middle class... which again, provides the sustainable economic foundation of a major city. What you're bringing up is exactly what the article is talking about.

Wealthy people buying "50 story penthouses" and owning property for income, as future speculation investments, and/or for vacation homes does not translate into the type of investment in Miami necessary to transform the economy into something with much greater substance -- especially when many of these buyers are internationals. Having Canadians, Venezuelans, Brazilians, etc. buying a significant percentage of the property sold in Miami is simply not a realistic method of building a stable, diversified economy in South Florida, which insulates it from the massive booms and subsequent busts that have characterized Miami for much of its existence.

As the article (which I think was a broad simplification and poorly written, by the way) did, you are right to bring up Miami's port operations and its financial industry. Yet, like the article stated, "nor has Miami found a way to turn its robust trade and banking sectors — some $95 billion worth of imports and exports moved through Miami last year, a 21% increase over 2009 — into equally vigorous job-creation engines". No mega real estate development has the power to change that. This is the truth about Miami right now, like it or not.

And, the financial district you mention, while large, is a Latin American center of banking... serving the needs of Latin American investment interests in the US. Remember, for all of the numerous banks located along Brickell and in downtown, Miami does not have a single Top 50 bank headquartered there. Not one. That's very telling of the fact that a real-estate and tourism-based economy does not create the type of LOCAL prosperity which requires, and thus engenders, the need for the foundation of a major local banking presence.

[llamaorama]

And, the financial district you mention, while large, is a Latin American center of banking... serving the needs of Latin American investment interests in the US. Remember, for all of the numerous banks located along Brickell and in downtown, Miami does not have a single Top 50 bank headquartered there. Not one. That's very telling of the fact that a real-estate and tourism-based economy does not create the type of LOCAL prosperity which requires, and thus engenders, the need for the foundation of a major local banking presence.

But isn't it good for a city to exploit its competitive advantages? Another thing about tourism is that there is a difference between just having a resort, restaurant, or cruise port, and having the headquarters of international resort and restaurant chains, and cruise line home ports. Maybe that is another thing Miami could take advantage of?

[pj3000]

But isn't it good for a city to exploit its competitive advantages?

Another thing about tourism is that there is a difference between just having a resort, restaurant, or cruise port, and having the headquarters of international resort and restaurant chains, and cruise line home ports. Maybe that is another thing Miami could take advantage of?

Absloutely.

I'm not suggesting that what Miami does have is a negative. Quite the contrary, actually.

The question is, "how can Miami leverage those competitive advantages to create the type of robust economy that is a hallmark of a "major city" and thus narrow the widening income gap present in Miami?"

A real estate and tourism-based economy by its very nature simply cannot do that. The point is that Miami cannot keep going to the same well and expect different results, if it in fact does hope to grow into a more substantial economy and a city with a skilled and educated workforce.

[QuantumX]

Your points are well taken, QuantumX. However, touting current and future real estate developments and tourism does nothing to dispel the notion that "the Magic City still lives under its 20th-century illusion that tourism and condo construction are the basis of a modern economy" and that Miami's economy will continue to be defined by industries which do little to build a stable financial environment with a prosperous middle to upper-middle class... which again, provides the sustainable economic foundation of a major city. What you're bringing up is exactly what the article is talking about.

No, no, no! This is not what I'm bringing up and the points that you seem to think I'm making are not actually the points I'm making. You are simply arguing what you want to argue regardless, which is why I've concluded there is no point arguing with you.

Wealthy people buying "50 story penthouses" and owning property for income, as future speculation investments, and/or for vacation homes does not translate into the type of investment in Miami necessary to transform the economy into something with much greater substance -- especially when many of these buyers are internationals. Having Canadians, Venezuelans, Brazilians, etc. buying a significant percentage of the property sold in Miami is simply not a realistic method of building a stable, diversified economy in South Florida, which insulates it from the massive booms and subsequent busts that have characterized Miami for much of its existence.

Again, this is not in response to the point I'm making. You are making the point you want to make regardless without really comprehending what I'm saying.

A real estate and tourism-based economy by its very nature simply cannot do that. The point is that Miami cannot keep going to the same well and expect different results, if it in fact does hope to grow into a more substantial economy and a city with a skilled and educated workforce.

This I agree with. I have no argument with this. You say my points are well taken, and I can tell that some are, but you are also missing many of them. Some of the points you think I'm trying to make and that you think you're responding to aren't actually the points I'm making.

Anyway, on this note, I'd just like to mention that I work for one of Fortune Magazine's Top 100 Companies to Work for in this country, and it's not a cruiseline or a hotel or real estate company or anything related to tourism. It's healthcare, and it's a large company with many outpatient center throughout South Florida. We have a lot of "baby boomers" reaching that age where they need more healthcare.

I don't see Miami as drinking from the same well as they have since I moved here in 1984. A more stable more diverse economy is on the way. The city is attracting more wealth with developer interest off the scale. I'm not talking about people who can afford to own a 50-story plus penthouse owning another penthouse. I'm talking about the city attracting more wealthy people who might want to invest in this city in a number of different ways which will eventually lead to a more diverse, stable economy. It's not going to happen over night, but the city is changing for the better on almost a daily basis.

In the last decade, this city saw one of the biggest building booms in the history of this planet. It was too much, too fast, but we are recovering and it created unprecedented interest in this city. The magnitude of the boom was such that inertia is at work now and continued development of all kinds is almost assured. The Miami skyline is now its own advertisement. I've taken enough pictures that show that. We saw radical change in the last decade and more radical change is on the way. A more stable, diverse economy is on the way, and there is nothing you can do to stop it!

[pj3000]

No, no, no! This is not what I'm bringing up and the points that you seem to think I'm making are not actually the points I'm making. You are simply arguing what you want to argue regardless, which is why I've concluded there is no point arguing with you.

Again, this is not in response to the point I'm making. You are making the point you want to make regardless without really comprehending what I'm saying.

This I agree with. I have no argument with this. You say my points are well taken, and I can tell that some are, but you are also missing many of them. Some of the points you think I'm trying to make and that you think you're responding to aren't actually the points I'm making.

Anyway, on this note, I'd just like to mention that I work for one of Fortune Magazine's Top 100 Companies to Work for in this country, and it's not a cruiseline or a hotel or real estate company or anything related to tourism. It's healthcare, and it's a large company with many outpatient center throughout South Florida. We have a lot of "baby boomers" reaching that age where they need more healthcare.

I don't see Miami as drinking from the same well as they have since I moved here in 1984. A more stable more diverse economy is on the way. The city is attracting more wealth with developer interest off the scale. I'm not talking about people who can afford to own a 50-story plus penthouse owning another penthouse. I'm talking about the city attracting more wealthy people who might want to invest in this city in a number of different ways which will eventually lead to a more diverse, stable economy. It's not going to happen over night, but the city is changing for the better on almost a daily basis.

In the last decade, this city saw one of the biggest building booms in the history of this planet. It was too much, too fast, but we are recovering and it created unprecedented interest in this city. The magnitude of the boom was such that inertia is at work now and continued development of all kinds is almost assured. The Miami skyline is now its own advertisement. I've taken enough pictures that show that. We saw radical change in the last decade and more radical change is on the way. A more stable, diverse economy is on the way, and there is nothing you can do to stop it! :haha: wow, if that isn't blind Miami boosterism at its unnecessary finest.

Then you need to do a better job communicating what points you ARE trying to make.

What are those points besides saying something along the lines of..."people with wealth are buying here, developers are still very interested in building here... so a more diverse, stable economy is going to happen simply because it's just going to.

Why? Tell us. Give some actual support to that declarative assumption other than just stating that it will because there's "inertia at work", the skyline being proof of that, and that "wealthy people who might want to invest in the city". And when someone who is speaking to the challenges Miami faces presents valid, well-supported points, don't accuse them of "arguing what you want to argue regardless" and saying that they are just not comprehending what you're saying. Sorry, but we're a lot smarter than that on this forum.

As far as wealthy people investing in Miami to grow a more diverse, stable economy... a "build penthouses for the wealthy and good jobs for our population will come" theory is a far-fetched pipe dream. Companies that would bring large numbers of well-paying, mid-level jobs have long shied away from Miami despite the many efforts of state and local officials over the years because of its dismally-low numbers of educated/skilled workers. And, when a large portion of the jobs in Miami are related to tourism and retail, workers are stuck in hourly, lower-wage jobs with little opportunity to move up in economic stature because there simply is nowhere to go... those jobs are what largely characterize those industries. It's an ugly cycle.

So, unless Miami-Dade finally decides to tackle some of the underlying institutional structures (EDUCATION anyone?) which prevent the real development of a prosperous middle class and tax base, large employers will continue to look elsewhere (like Atlanta, Dallas, Houston, Raleigh, Charlotte, Phoenix, etc.) and we'll continue to have this discussion after Miami's next real estate boom... and Miami will continue to be a leader in the divide between rich and poor. But maybe this time its different, right?

[QuantumX]

'Sigh' Okay.

[brickell]

The magnitude of the boom was such that inertia is at work now and continued development of all kinds is almost assured. The Miami skyline is now its own advertisement. I've taken enough pictures that show that. We saw radical change in the last decade and more radical change is on the way. A more stable, diverse economy is on the way, and there is nothing you can do to stop it!


Q, I agree with you that Miami has changed immensely over the last decade, much of it for the better. But your formula for growth does not follow. You're not providing any proof that B (diverse economy) follows A (skyline growth).

[QuantumX]

Q, I agree with you that Miami has changed immensely over the last decade, much of it for the better. But your formula for growth does not follow. But, you're not providing any proof that B (diverse economy) follows A (skyline growth).

I understand, but we didn't just see skyline growth here in Miami. We saw the largest building boom in the history of this city and one of the largest buildilng booms in the history of this country and this planet. I know this more than many other forumers here and elsewhere because I've been observing "booms" in other cities since I was a teenager, which was a long time ago. It was too much, too fast and fueled by a lot of speculative greed, but we are recovering okay and went from having an almost negligible skyline at the end of the 20th century to what some statisticians are now calling the third largest skyline in the country at the beginning of the 21st century even though Houston currently as buildings that are taller as do many other American cities. That's absolutely phenomenal!

Astronomer's use the term magnitude to gauge the brightness of a star, and here in Miami, we had something like a supernova, and it brought unprecedented attention to this city and unprecedented interest in this city, so much so that we already have another "boom" starting up in this decade with projects like Brickell Citicenter, Banco Santander, and I know BFC 2 is still "Go," but being redesigned because I just spoke to the developers a few days ago. This is what I mean by inertia created by the magnitude of the boom just like new stars are formed by the blast of a supernova as it travels through space and strikes clouds of far away star dust.

With a "normal" boom which is what we had here in the 80s (well, sort of), of course "B" wouldn't follow "A," but this was by no means a "normal" boom, and I did say that as I have many times before and this is what I believe will make the difference this time. I think the new unprecedented interest in Miami created by an unprecedented building boom is what is going to lead to a more diverse economy because it was just that huge. It's simply the fallout from the incredible explosion that caused people to look this way. I can name at least three people in the Miami forum on another website who actually moved here because of the boom. I'm sure a lot of younger members of this forum and others don't understand where I'm coming from because they simply don't have a feel for a what a "normal" rate of development is in the way I do having observed this phenomenon for as long as I have as I've already said.

There is no formula for what could happen next! Almost anything could happen here now, and this isn't just blind boosterism at its finest though I appreciate the compliment. I'm not blind to what pj3000 is saying. I just don't think it applies anymore. And we when have people who bash this city on almost a daily basis under the guise of an honest opinion, Miami needs somebody like me. Yes, it is necessary.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Miami firm to design luxury resort.

The developer of the 13.9-acre plot of land the Miami Herald occupies tapped one of Miami’s own firms to design its Resorts World Miami.

BY ELAINE WALKER, DOUGLAS HANKS AND HANNAH SAMPSON
ewalker@MiamiHerald.com

After considering architects from around the world, Genting Malaysia Berhad decided to choose one of Miami’s own to design the $3 billion mixed-use project Resorts World Miami.

Genting Group Chairman and Chief Executive KT Lim announced the hiring of internationally known Arquitectonica to create the master plan during a Thursday evening reception for more than 200 business and civic leaders at Miami’s Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts.

The event is part of a broader effort by Malaysia-based Genting, Asia’s third largest casino company, to quickly assimilate into the local community just three weeks after paying $236 million for the 13.9 acres of waterfront land occupied by The Miami Herald and previously owned by its parent, McClatchy Co.

“I believe Miami is destined to become one of the greatest global cities in the world,” Lim said Thursday evening.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When we have powerful developers saying things like this these days:previous:, I just don't see the Miami economy not becoming more diverse. PJ3000 might not think Miami is a major city, but apparently a lot of big people do or think it soon will be.:tup:

[lviz]

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[simms3_redux]

Quantum, you're having a Miami orgasm. I understand why, but let's rationally discuss PJ3000's debates.

I used to be envious and disgusted with Miami at the same time. There are a few things Miami has going for it besides momentum that are keeping investors at the trough. Miami has a huge underclass of Hispanics who are not as educated as their grandparents or in some cases parents who brought them over, but are trending better that way. An analogy to Miami as a whole is Hialeah. A ghetto turned chongaville turning middle class (losing population to gentrification).

Miami is really trying to make itself an actual home to all of the foreign money. Its chamber has the subliminal message of "when you come vacation here or party here, maybe you'll think about staying." It's working. Miami is actually using its real estate and service industry fueled tourist industry to sustain a growing city.

Swire is interested in Miami, and they are about as selective an international firm as it can get. They have scoop and educated projections for their investments in Miami (and they have been in Miami since Courvoisier Center on Brickell Key!).

Now to PJ3000's point, Pittsburgh is one of the healthiest and most vibrant cities in the country. I am very excited for your new 40 story LEED Platinum PNC headquarters (among other things going up and going on). :)

Now Pittsburgh also has Pitt and Carnegie Mellon. When I was looking at Carnegie Mellon (and I made it in there and to Penn, chose school in Atlanta instead), it had fallen through the ranks a little bit. Now it's right back up there and climbing and so is Pitt. The favorite neighborhood of that time was Oakland, where the universities are, but now it seems to be even closer in, in downtown and along the rivers. Pittsburgh is not a rust belt city. It is clean, vibrant, wealthy-ish, and has little to do with steel anymore. If Pittsburgh can make that transition, Miami will prove to its investors that it is making that transition. It is a multi-decadal approach.

Miami is making strides in its port, banking, the arts scene, and of course in its market that caters to the wealthy. Few other cities can claim "the wealthy" as a piece of the economy like Miami can, and that will never go away. If the Great Depression hits, rest assured the wealthy will be in Miami. Speaking of which, during Pittsburgh's great moments back in the day, "the wealthy" used to call on Jacksonville before there was a Miami. The Carnegies, the Astors, the Vanderbilts, the Goulds, Henry Flagler, etc all lived in or vacationed in or developed in NE FL before Flagler moved south. The rest is history.

[pj3000]

“I believe Miami is destined to become one of the greatest global cities in the world,” Lim said Thursday evening.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

When we have powerful developers saying things like this these days:previous:, I just don't see the Miami economy not becoming more diverse. PJ3000 might not think Miami is a major city, but apparently a lot of big people do or think it soon will be.:tup:

Citing a resort real estate developer's media press conference soundbite as evidence of this notion is such surface-level thinking. I mean, come on, you're actually citing that as proof to go along with your personal feelings? This type of stuff epitomizes stereotypical Miami... style over substance.

All I'm saying is, it still amounts to hype and speculation when you're claiming that this building boom will bring a more diverse, vibrant economy to Miami simply because this boom is bigger and different. Like brickell said, you're still trying to claim that A=B... and that just doesn't cut it if you're going to make large pronouncements.

Companies that would bring and develop a diverse workforce to Miami are not going to establish or relocate because condo towers, retail developments, and entertainment venues have been built at record pace. And guess what? They're not. Will they in the future? Maybe, and I hope they will, because I have a vested interest in Miami. I went to UM for undergrad, hold an adjunct teaching position there, and own a home blocks away from where all this crazy condo construction has been going on. I have a lot of love for Miami and want to see the city progress in a number of areas. But that progress will not be the result of condos or resorts being built. Not as flashy as a new luxury resort, but certainly the type of development that can have a much more profound effect on the overall civic environment:

The UM Life Science & Technology Park state-of-the-art facilities will accommodate companies and institutes of all types -- from locally grown University start-ups to global entities. As a gateway to the Americas and the world, Miami offers a strategic location for companies seeking to establish sales, marketing and lab space to penetrate the U.S. markets, and/or regional office space to service markets as a distribution center for Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean.
http://www.umlsp.com/images/property.jpg

See, developments like this are the types of economic boosts that most cities focus on... and then the skyline additions come as a result. The other way around doesn't work. You may think it does, but it doesn't. If there is really going to be a "New Miami", then it will be built on developments like this in a number of industries... and not on the newest proposal for a condo/hotel tower complex going up in Brickell.

So, I don't say all of this to "bash" Miami at all. On the contrary, I hope articles like the one from Time that produced this discussion serve to wake Maimians the fuck up so they they quit getting hard-ons every time a new condo tower/hotel/shopping/resort/casino is announced and then define their so-called "New Miami" by these types of developments. It just comes off as such shallow bullshit.

Will Miami become a major city (if it's not already)? Yes, most likely. But what kind of major city will it be? That was part of the original point in the article... can it become a major city like Chicago (actually, Atlanta or Dallas are probably more realistic examples) or will it continue on as a playground for the wealthy as the divide between its citizen classes grows? How can Miami leverage its attributes (large port, financial presence) to create a diverse economy when companies are well aware that among major sunbelt cities, it offers the least in terms of an educated, skilled workforce and the least in terms of cohesion between existing (non tourism related) industries? Those are the related questions that need to be considered, and all you are doing is citing more real estate/tourism development and your own personal notions about this "build condo towers for the wealthy and a diverse economy with a prosperous middle class will come" hypothesis.

[bobdreamz]

Miami City Ballet the toast of Paris
By Jordan Levin, Miami Herald

We may be sweltering here in South Florida, but on the other side of the Atlantic, Miami City Ballet is enjoying a different kind of summer heat. Miami's hometown ballet troupe, in the middle of its debut season in Paris, has lit the city on fire. The company's three-week season at historic Theatre du Chatelet, which began July 6 and continues through Saturday, has been a success, with regular standing (even screaming) ovations from sold-out audiences filling the 2,500-seat theater.

The enthusiastic reception has startled artistic director Edward Villella.
"I just ... I'm stunned, wonderfully stunned," said Villella, reached backstage shortly before Wednesday's show.

"It's the biggest success the company has had in 25 years. We are the talk of Paris. People are clamoring for tickets. They stop me in buses and restaurants. They have grabbed me in the aisles and told me they've never seen dancing like this.

"We prepared, we worked hard, but this is way beyond our wildest expectations."

Chatelet director Valery Colin said he is pleased by his choice for his theater's annual Les Etes de la Danse summer dance festival. "It's very, very, very good results for Miami City Ballet ... and it's fantastic for Les Etes de la Danse because we know we made a good choice," Colin said.

The festival, launched in 2005, appeals to Parisian audiences hungry for cultural events during the slow season, as well as summer tourists. Previous festival artists have included the internationally celebrated San Francisco Ballet, the National Ballet of Cuba and the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

A feature in Le Monde, one of Paris' leading newspapers, cited MCB as a prime example of Miami's cultural explosion, and praised the troupe's "sophisticated elegance, with a je ne sais quoi of modesty and generosity that makes all the difference." London's Financial Times described the audience's reaction as "rapturous," noting that "the dancers' exuberance and faith in the steps are infectious, and theirs is an all-American musicality that sheds new light on ballets that have grown formulaic and dull on this side of the Atlantic."

As did their triumphant Manhattan debut in 2009, MCB's success in one of the world's cultural capitals — home to the historic Paris Opera Ballet and a sophisticated, demanding dance audience accustomed to world-class troupes — could launch the company to a new level of international prominence. Villella said Chatelet officials have already asked if MCB would consider returning in 2014, and the troupe has been approached regarding a similar festival in Spain.

MCB's New York season convinced Marina de Brandt, president of the festival and a supporter and friend of Villella since his days as a star at New York City Ballet, that the Miami troupe was ready for Paris. She and Colin originally planned to present MCB along with other troupes, but after a visit to Miami last spring, they decided to offer a solo gig.

Elizabeth Platel, director of the Paris Opera Ballet school, said MCB's expertise and aplomb in the works of George Balanchine, and a repertoire that struck a balance between dense, powerful Balanchine works new to Paris, such as Symphony in Three Movements and Ballet Imperial, and his beloved, lighter ballets, such as Tarantella, Western Symphony and Square Dance, had proved to be a smart and appealing mix. The Balanchine works are balanced by masterful, modern dance crowd-pleasers such as Twyla Tharp's In the Upper Room and Paul Taylor's Pomethrean Fire, and lyrical Jerome Robbins ballets such as Afternoon of a Faun.

"Audiences are very demanding because they have a lot of choice and they know a lot of different companies," Platel said. "They know Balanchine, and [the Paris Opera Ballet] has a very high level, and we have a lot of Balanchine and Robbins. [MCB has] a different way of dancing from what we are doing in Paris ... and the energy given by the dancers is great."

Reviews of MCB outside the troupe's home city often praise the dancers' energy, attack, sharp timing, sensitivity to music, understanding of the Balanchine repertoire — as well as a contagious enthusiasm that can be rare in classical ballet. This last quality has apparently been particularly charming to Parisian audiences.

"The success has been because of the quality of the company and their dancing, but also the joy of the dancers," Colin said. "They are so happy to be on stage that the audience feels it."

Villella says the dancers are at the top of their game. "I am so proud of our dancers — they're fantastic," he said. "Everyone is dancing brilliantly. I'm sounding like this proud papa, but that's what I'm feeling

[mechanesthesia]

I might be a little late to the discussion, but I wanted to add my 2 cents.

I agree that tourism and real estate are pretty much the only industries that Miami has, and they are not really viable for economic growth. People are actually getting "Hospitality & Tourism" degrees to work in as a front desk agent at a hotel getting paid just a little over minimum wage! And when they finally get promoted to management, they just get a few dollars more. People who have studied other subjects are right now being screwed due to the unemployment rate, the economy, and the lack of industry. We need good jobs and good industries that will make people want to move here because of it. Not just a "vacation home." Yes, a lot of wealthy people are buying homes in Miami... And they'll stay there for 2 weeks in a year, and you'll never see them. That's what a lot of these condos are, vacation homes from people who do not contribute to the economy or industry. They don't work here or shop here or eat here. It's no wonder there is a lack of actual "stuff" in downtown compared to any other downtown or compared to a "regular" neighborhood like Hialeah, South Miami, Kendall, etc. It's because people don't actually "live" there. They just work there or vacation there.

Things are changing though. The whole healthcare push is great. With the new UM building in downtown and the proposed FIU "Medical City" [which I haven't heard of lately], those are beneficial changes that will create jobs and and industry for ourselves which will attract people for more than just a few weeks vacation. And better yet, it's something that's actually focused on the people that actually live here, instead of the tourists that are here temporarily. Also, the recent housing bubble bursting, causing the prices to fall in downtown is causing more "regular" people to move there, instead of snowbirds, which is a positive change for a more "liveable" downtown.

But we need more than just healthcare. It's ludicrous that some people are actually considering moving out of Miami just so they can get a job in their field, because all there is here is tourism.

Also, I agree that education is definitely needed. We are a joke compared to the rest of the country in terms of education.

[202_Cyclist]

Affluent Buyers Reviving Market for Miami Homes

By DAVID STREITFELD
July 26, 2011

"MIAMI — South Florida is the default capital of the country. Here in Miami-Dade County, one out of five households with mortgages is in foreclosure. Nearby Broward and Palm Beach counties are not far behind. Nearly 200,000 South Florida families are stuck in the mire of default.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2011/07/27/business/jp-BOOM/jp-BOOM-popup.jpg
Grant Stern was forced to downsize when his landlord sold his three-bedroom condo, but he pays more in rent for a two-bedroom. (Image courtesy of the NY Times)

And yet much of Miami is gripped by a housing mania as the oversupply of distressed homes dries up and foreigners and investors swoon. Only a few years after it seemed there were so many unwanted high-rise condominiums that the only solution was to tear some of them down, there are plans to build even more..."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/27/business/affluent-buyers-reviving-market-for-miami-homes.html

[bobdreamz]

^ thanks for the article & it's amazing that just a little while ago people thought it would take years for the condo glut to be absorbed. Tomorrow the city of Miami gives final approval for the massive Brickell CitiCentre project proposed by Swire properties. Miami has the advantage over other overbuilt cities in that it attracts many International investors from South America & Europe.

[bobdreamz]

from Wikipedia:

The Miami area was first inhabited for more than one thousand years by the Tequestas, but was later claimed for Spain in 1566 by Pedro Menéndez de Avilés. A Spanish mission was constructed one year later in 1567. In 1836, Fort Dallas was built, and the Miami area subsequently became a site of fighting during the Second Seminole War.

Miami holds the distinction of being "the only major city in the United States conceived by a woman, Julia Tuttle," who was a local citrus grower and a wealthy Cleveland native. The Miami area was better known as "Biscayne Bay Country" in the early years of its growth. Some published reports described the area as a promising wilderness. The area was also characterized as "one of the finest building sites in Florida."
The Great Freeze of 1894–95 hastened Miami's growth, as the crops of the Miami area were the only ones in Florida that survived. Julia Tuttle subsequently convinced Henry Flagler, a railroad tycoon, to expand his Florida East Coast Railroad to the region, for which she became known as "the mother of Miami."
Miami was officially incorporated as a city on July 28, 1896 with a population of just over 300.

So Miami has ties to Cleveland! Happy Birthday Miami !!!! :cheers:


http://images.vector-images.com/119/miami_city_seal_n6338.gif

[Dale]

So ? Orlando was founded by a mouse.

[bobdreamz]

^ hahahaha!

[pj3000]

So Miami has ties to Cleveland! Happy Birthday Miami !!!! :cheers:


Not just ties... Miami basically owes its existence (as we know it) to Clevelanders.

Everyone knows about Julia Tuttle. But Henry Flagler was a Cleveland-based agent of Rockfeller-owned Standard Oil. And the other "founders" of Miami, William and Mary Brickell, were also from Cleveland. The Ratner real estate family -- responsible for much early art deco hotel development on Miami Beach (hence the name "Clevelander" for one) -- is also from Cleveland.

And, of course, there's this new Cleveland transplant to Miami named LeBron James :)

[bobdreamz]

^ ah thanks PJ! I knew about Flagler but I thought he was from Hyde Point, New York. I didn't know the Brickell family was from Cleveland or the Ratner family as well.

[pj3000]

^ Flagler was born in NY, but moved to northern Ohio as a teenager. He later became a business partner of Rockefeller's in Standard Oil in Cleveland. Julia Tuttle's family gave Rockefeller his first job and they became friends... that's how she became acquainted with Flagler -- through Rockefeller... and the rest is Miami history!

[bobdreamz]

^ the irony & strange twists that led to the development of Miami via Cleveland is certainly bizarre! It wasn't from Floridians but people from a cold & industrial city!

[Dale]

My great-great grandfather was one of the early settlers of Miami.

[pj3000]

^ yeah, I think it's always interesting to learn the founding histories of cities. I think some of the wealthy people just wanted to get the hell out of the cold, dirty, industrial nastiness of a Cleveland winter!

[brickell]

We also get the Cleveland Orchestra every winter.

My great-great grandfather was one of the early settlers of Miami.

I've never been able to find the stats to back it up, but I remember hearing that even as late as 50s and 60's, some obscene % of residents in Miami was made up of immigrants from the rest of the south (namely Georgia). Miam-uh indeed.

[Dale]

We also get the Cleveland Orchestra every winter.



I've never been able to find the stats to back it up, but I remember hearing that even as late as 50s and 60's, some obscene % of residents in Miami was made up of immigrants from the rest of the south (namely Georgia). Miam-uh indeed.

I still meet 'Miami Crackers' now and again. Just met a gentlemen in his 60's who said he grew up in Miami. He has a discernible Southern accent.

[dave8721]

Plans for Gentings "Resort World Miami" on the Miami Herald land:
6 to 8 towers, up to 700 feet tall each, at least 4 hotels, underground parking, at least 2 dozen restaurants, a wide bayfront retail-fill promenade linking the site with Museum Park to the south...

A potential casino would go on the upper floors of a tower rather than at ground level.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/07/30/2338354_p2/genting-plans-to-bring-life-to.html

[brickell]

huuuuuuggggggeeeeee

[Dale]

Downtown Miami is soon to become a major destination point. People are going to be taking cruise ships TO DOWNTOWN.

[Prahaboheme]

Love the vision, like so many other grand ideas that ultimately did not see the light of day.

[pj3000]

I think we need to read what the announcement actually stated:

The site will likely include somewhere between six and eight towers. Under current zoning, each can be up to 700 feet tall, but Fort-Brescia says they will be built at a variety of different heights.

That's a lot different than saying "6 to 8 towers, up to 700 feet tall each", as the above post stated.

That being said, this development seems like it should really serve to connect the Omni area with the rest of downtown and it should complement the adjacent performing arts centers quite nicely. If anything, it is so much more welcome than that awful proposal to erect skyscraper-sized billboards on the site.

[bobdreamz]

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6126/5993796908_635221d1a1_b.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jortegafigueiral/5993796908/

[Complex01]

Oooo very nice...

[N830MH]

My great-great grandfather was one of the early settlers of Miami.

Wow! I didn't realize know that. You have your great-great-grandfather who live in South Florida for a long time. Is he dead or alive?

[Dale]

Wow! I didn't realize know that. You have your great-great-grandfather who live in South Florida for a long time. Is he dead or alive?

Hehe, no, I think he died in 1911. He apparently got run over by a horse-drawn wagon, while in Miami, and later died as a result of those injuries. :(

But fortunately not before having my great-grandfather ... so that I could exist. :yes:

[caltrane74]

^ thanks for the article & it's amazing that just a little while ago people thought it would take years for the condo glut to be absorbed. Tomorrow the city of Miami gives final approval for the massive Brickell CitiCentre project proposed by Swire properties. Miami has the advantage over other overbuilt cities in that it attracts many International investors from South America & Europe.


And Canada! - Actually the largest share of the purchasers of international origin are from Canada. Guess Canada is not considered International or Foreign. :haha:

[bobdreamz]

A Mini-Housing Boom For Miami, With Foreign Flavor
by NPR Staff
August 21, 2011

While housing demand sputters among Americans, foreign buyers are flocking here for cheap deals.

For the 12 months ending in March, sales to foreign buyers totaled $82 billion, up from $66 billion in 2010, according to the National Association of Realtors. And while international buyers are unlikely to turn the US housing market around, they are making a big difference in states such as Florida.

Today, thanks to foreign buyers, home sales are so good in Miami that more houses and condos could sell this year than during the boom year of 2005.

"All of the buildings that everybody thought would never fill up, they're all full," Oliver Ruiz, a managing broker of Fortune International Realty in Florida, tells Sullivan.

read more: http://www.npr.org/2011/08/21/139835721/a-mini-housing-boom-for-miami-with-foreign-flavor

[Private Dick]

"All of the buildings that everybody thought would never fill up, they're all full," Oliver Ruiz, a managing broker of Fortune International Realty in Florida, tells Sullivan.

Sure they are -- if by "full", he means "purchased by foreigners who will likely never live in them or only periodically occupy them".

I don't really see more part-time residents as a positive thing at all for creating a more vibrant downtown Miami.

[dave8721]

Sure they are -- if by "full", he means "purchased by foreigners who will likely never live in them or only periodically occupy them".

I don't really see more part-time residents as a positive thing at all for creating a more vibrant downtown Miami.

They are "full" of the people those foreigners rented the units out to which is a positive thing for creating a vibrant downtown Miami.

[Dale]

They are "full" of the people those foreigners rented the units out to which is a positive thing for creating a vibrant downtown Miami.

Smackdown!

[Private Dick]

They are "full" of the people those foreigners rented the units out to which is a positive thing for creating a vibrant downtown Miami.

Really? From what a South Florida real estate broker friend of mine tells me, the vast majority of the new wave of foreign buyers are buying them as second homes and as investment properties, and not renting out. Most of the condos-turned rentals are being rented out by management companies for the developers and original owners to recoup some revenue lost over the past few years, since many of them were purchased as investment properties to begin with.

[bobdreamz]

The Port of Miami has given the greenlight to begin reinforcements of its cargo port — work required before its deep dredge project begins next year. The U.S. unit of Brazilian giant Odebrecht S.A. has clinched the project.

http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2011/09/07/18/37/zpa4s.Em.56.jpg
Port of Miami officials say the upgrades to the cargo wharfs, including steel and concrete reinforcement to the piers where ships tie up, are needed before the port is dredged beginning next year.
Peter Andrew Bosch /Photo

By Martha Brannigan
mbrannigan@MiamiHerald.com

The long, narrow island port that boasts an outsized role as a key economic engine for Greater Miami is about to get a major upgrade.

Odebrecht Construction Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of the giant Brazilian conglomerate, Odebrecht S.A., is set to begin work this month on improvements to the Port of Miami’s wharfs after Miami-Dade County Commissioners last week awarded a $57.1 million contract to the firm.

Officials for the county-owned port say the upgrades to the cargo wharfs, including steel and concrete reinforcement to the piers where ships tie up, are needed before the port is dredged beginning next year.

“What this project does is it deepens and strengthens the wharfs,’’ said Juan Kuryla, deputy director of the port, which will deepen the port to 50 feet from the current 42 feet. The dredging project — slated to begin next summer and finish by early 2014 — is designed to help the port compete for business from the large ships that will begin crossing the Panama Canal in 2014 after that channel is expanded.

The dredge is one of several improvements designed to help the port maintain a competitive edge as it bids for an increased share of cargo business. Other changes include a tunnel under the bay to connect I-395 directly with the port and relieve truck congestion in the downtown area and rail service to link the port directly to the Hialeah railyard.

Aside from its glamorous role as a top cruise port, the Port of Miami is one of the top 11 container ports in the United States. The facility, which sits on a 522-acre island, handled some 7.4 million tons of cargo and 850,000 TEUs, or ton equivalent units of cargo in 2010.

Kuryla said Tuesday the port plans to issue a notice to proceed, the greenlight for Odebrecht to begin work, “within 15 days.’’

Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/09/06/2395311/port-of-miami-to-upgrade-cargo.html#ixzz1XO2l7CW1

[bobdreamz]

Malaysia targets Port of Miami for regional shipping hub
By Scott Blake

Malaysian trade officials have high hopes for Miami. They aspire to make the Magic City a stronger entry point for shipping Malaysian imports throughout the United States, Latin American and the Caribbean.

Since opening five years ago, the Malaysian Trade Center near Miami International Airport has been working toward that goal. However, progress has been hard fought due to the recession.

"We will intensify our promotion efforts by riding on [Miami's trading] platform to expand Malaysia's exports both in terms of markets and the range of products traded," says Jonathan Rao, director of the Malaysian Trade Center. "We want to join this bandwagon along with others who are already here."

Last year, however, Malaysian imports into Miami fell to a total value of $137 million. That was down from $157.9 million in 2009 and $211.4 million in 2008, according to US Customs and Border Patrol data.

Mr. Rao attributes the drop to the United States' economic slump, but business is looking better this year. In the first half of the year, goods coming into Miami from the Southeast Asian nation totaled more than $100 million, Mr. Rao says.

Most of the imports were electronic parts and rubber products, according to data from Enterprise Florida, the state's economic development agency.
Trade data also show that Florida, as a whole, is doing more business with Malaysia. The value of both imports and exports between Florida and Malaysia totaled $418.9 million last year, up more than 25% from 2009. Imports accounted for most of that total — about $298 million.

Read more : http://www.miamitodaynews.com/news/110908/story5.shtml

[brickell]

Genting releases their plans for Resort World Miami. Since this is a press release I assume it's ok to post a good chunk of it.
http://www.rwmiami.com/news.html



Genting Group Unveils $3 Billion Master Plan For Resorts World Miami
Arquitectonica-designed Destination Resort to create tens of thousands of jobs, draw
millions of tourists from around the world, and anchor new three-mile Baywalk along
downtown Miami waterfront.

Miami, FL – September 14, 2011 – One of the most prized pieces of waterfront land in
Florida will soon come alive with Resorts World Miami, a Destination Resort featuring
iconic skyscrapers sporting designs inspired by a coral reef and serving as the
centerpiece of a new three-mile Baywalk that will activate the city’s waterfront. Resorts
World Miami, which represents a $3 billion investment by Genting Group, comprises
approximately 10 million square feet of mixed-use development, making it one of the
largest development projects in Florida history.

“Resorts World Miami will accelerate Florida’s evolution as a global destination at the
crossroads of the Americas,” said Mr. KT Lim, Chairman and Chief Executive of Genting.
“Most importantly, Resorts World Miami will boost confidence in Florida’s economy,
creating 15,000 direct and indirect construction jobs and 30,000 permanent positions on
an ongoing basis, attracting more inbound investment, and substantially increasing the
tax base for the city, county and state.”

Rising from 13.9 acres of bayfront land currently housing the Miami Herald Media
Company, Resorts World Miami is located in the heart of the City of Miami, midway
between Miami International Airport and Miami Beach.

“Resorts World Miami introduces a new vocabulary of architecture to Florida, one that
is inspired by the ocean and Florida’s coral reefs,” said Bernardo Fort-Brescia, Co-Founder and Principal of Arquitectonica, the world-renown architecture firm based in
Miami. “At Resorts World Miami, building designs echo familiar forms that are part of
our identity, including tropical fish and seashells. When you describe Miami and Florida,
you inevitably come back to the water. We have captured that relationship with Resorts
World Miami’s design.”

Resorts World Miami includes a series of four hotels with a total of 5,200 rooms and two
residential towers featuring 1,000 units. The towers take on sculptural forms that
change from every perspective. Each building is designed with outside balconies
adorned with LED-lit exteriors, creating a jewel-like effect that will illuminate the Miami
skyline each night. The Destination Resort will include a super-luxury hotel, a
contemporary hotel, a convention hotel, and a family hotel, offering a lodging option for
each segment of the market.

The towers sit atop an 8-story podium where guests can immerse themselves in a
double-story, 250,000 square foot luxury retail galleria; more than 50 restaurants,
lounges, bars and nightclubs; a high-tech multimedia entertainment area showcasing
the music and culture of Florida and South America; and 700,000 square feet of
convention and meeting space which includes a 200,000 square foot column-free
ballroom, the largest in the United States. A casino will be included if Florida’s
legislature and governor approve Destination Resort legislation.

Each level of Resorts World Miami is designed with outdoor terraces offering
spectacular unobstructed views of Biscayne Bay, downtown Miami and Miami Beach.
The podium’s rooftop features a 3.6 acre outdoor lagoon – a size equivalent to 12
Olympic-size swimming pools – and natural sand beaches that will enable guests to
swim from Biscayne Boulevard to the edge of Biscayne Bay, a distance of more than
1,000 feet. Each hotel will also have a private swimming pool.

Resorts World Miami will be the highlight of a three-mile Baywalk beginning at the
Miami River and running north to Margaret Pace Park. The Baywalk will link Bayfront
Park, Bayside Market Place, American Airlines Arena, Museum Park, the Miami Art
Museum currently under construction, the new Miami Science Museum currently under
design, the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts and the Omni Center. All will
be connected by new public spaces and pedestrian, jogging, and cycling paths that will
activate this stretch of partially completed Miami waterfront.

Resorts World Miami has been designed – and will be constructed – in accordance with
all applicable zoning codes and regulations, including Miami 21, the City of Miami’s
comprehensive zoning code. The project has been conceived with an emphasis on
sustainability and LEED-certified solutions, including three levels of below-grade parking.

[brickell]

With pictures....

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/2451/rend1.png
http://img819.imageshack.us/img819/4275/rend2.png
http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/8623/rend3.png
http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/1900/rend4.png

[skyscraperfan23]

I Hope this gets built soon.

[Private Dick]

Could it look any cheesier? I think Arquitectonica should hang it up.

It might end up looking cool in real life, but in these pictures - I totally hate it.

I'd like Miami to evolve into a cool city, not a place that evokes thoughts of Vegas or Disneyland.

[Dale]

Could it look any cheesier? I think Arquitectonica should hang it up.

It might end up looking cool in real life, but in these pictures - I totally hate it.

I'd like Miami to evolve into a cool city, not a place that evokes thoughts of Vegas or Disneyland.

Yeah, like there's anything like that at Disneyland.

Here's what's going to happen: folks like you (in Miami) are going to scream and stomp their feet ... until the design gets watered down. Then you'll still consider it a monstrosity, but you will have succeeded in getting a less interesting monstrosity.

[patriotizzy]

Please let this go through. We need this!!!!!! Looks so slick!

[Private Dick]

Yeah, like there's anything like that at Disneyland.

Here's what's going to happen: folks like you (in Miami) are going to scream and stomp their feet ... until the design gets watered down. Then you'll still consider it a monstrosity, but you will have succeeded in getting a less interesting monstrosity.

I wouldn't know nor care if there's something like it at Disneyland. I said it evokes thought of Vegas or Disneyland -- meaning cheesy fluff -- certainly not something that jibes with an emerging urban environment. But whatever, like I said, maybe it will look cool in real life.

And -- I'm not "in Miami", so this one will not be screaming and stomping feet. I just happen to think that Arquitectonica's designs jumped the shark years ago -- starting with its Westin Times Square and including the Sheraton in Phoenix.

Hopefully, the firm's design for Brickell CitiCentre will be an improvement over this overwrought crap straight from the Vegas Strip. Considering that Swire is a British/Hong Kong developer and Genting is Malaysian, CitiCentre has at least that going for it.

[Dale]

I wouldn't know nor care if there's something like it at Disneyland. I said it evokes thought of Vegas or Disneyland -- meaning cheesy fluff -- certainly not something that jibes with an emerging urban environment. But whatever, like I said, maybe it will look cool in real life.

And -- I'm not "in Miami", so this one will not be screaming and stomping feet. I just happen to think that Arquitectonica's designs jumped the shark years ago -- starting with its Westin Times Square and including the Sheraton in Phoenix.

Hopefully, the firm's design for Brickell CitiCentre will be an improvement over this overwrought crap straight from the Vegas Strip. Considering that Swire is a British/Hong Kong developer and Genting is Malaysian, CitiCentre has at least that going for it.

See there ? We've got a non-Miamian so worked up that he missed where I took pains to notate 'people like you (in Miami).'

Cheesy, my ass. It's breathtaking.

[RobertWalpole]

with pictures....

fantastic!!!

[Private Dick]

See there ? We've got a non-Miamian so worked up that he missed where I took pains to notate 'people like you (in Miami).'

Cheesy, my ass. It's breathtaking.

Well, if you want to be a jerk about it...

Only someone from Orlando would find it "breathtaking".

[futuresooner]

It looks ok, not really overwhelmed by it. I will say that Arquiteconica needs to tweak their designs for stuff in Miami, because it is always glass and curves that look ridiculous or a big glass box with one side virtually a blank wall, i.e. Marquis.

The key to this, whatever you wat to call it, getting off the ground is the Miami Herald selling and then seeing if this even get financed..

[sobchbud1]

Genting is serious! The Miami Herald's land is already in the bag for $267milion. A couple of adjacent parcels are theirs too. They just revealed today that Genting has already purchased the debt for the adjacent Omni Mall for $106 million. It's all moving at a breakneck pace. The plan is to put the casino in the Omni and open in 2012. The rest of the plan will complete as early as 2014. They are already a huge resort destination company with assets at 43 billion. Genting already owns a majority of Norwegian Cruise Line investing billions in new ships. I don't think financing is a problem. The remaining piece is the granting of gambling by the state of Florida. Notice the hard sell in the video as "Florida" is mentioned in every other sentence.
wfnLzgNi3VQ

[N830MH]

Genting releases their plans for Resort World Miami. Since this is a press release I assume it's ok to post a good chunk of it.
http://www.rwmiami.com/news.html

Wow!!! Sound wonderful!!! I can't wait see it!!! I think they awaited for County approval. They can start constructions new super tall tower.

Hehe, no, I think he died in 1911. He apparently got run over by a horse-drawn wagon, while in Miami, and later died as a result of those injuries. :(

But fortunately not before having my great-grandfather ... so that I could exist. :yes:

Wow...I didn't know that. That was 100 years ago, huh? Unbelievable! He could be over 140 years old today.

[lfc4life]

Well, if you want to be a jerk about it...

Only someone from Orlando would find it "breathtaking".

in todays economy beggars can't be choosers, this project will create thousands of jobs during construction and upon opening, it will give tourists another reason to visit miami

[brickell]

I'm sort of meh on the design, could be hideous or could be fantastic. We'll have to wait and see if/when it gets approved and built. Miami has history of fantastic projects that never happen. Genting seems to be serious and has the bank to do it though.

Considering the state of the world, the fact that they're announcing a 3 billion dollar investment into the city is thumbs up from me. Most cities would kill for something like this. Construction wise, Miami is already turning the corner out of the recession. Hopefully the jobs follow.

[Dale]

Well, if you want to be a jerk about it...

Only someone from Orlando would find it "breathtaking".

^ Says the poster from Pittsburgh.

[Private Dick]

I'm sort of meh on the design, could be hideous or could be fantastic. We'll have to wait and see if/when it gets approved and built. Miami has history of fantastic projects that never happen. Genting seems to be serious and has the bank to do it though.

Considering the state of the world, the fact that they're announcing a 3 billion dollar investment into the city is thumbs up from me. Most cities would kill for something like this. Construction wise, Miami is already turning the corner out of the recession. Hopefully the jobs follow.

I agree -- it could be hideous or it could be fantastic -- and its a positive economic sign for Miami. I just think it's cheesy looking (though the photos with the fireworks don't help much), especially for a project that will be in an emerging urban area. Again though as I said originally, in real life it might end up being really cool.

It just seems out of place at that location to me. A mega resort in downtown Miami just doesn't do it for me -- but I just may prefer a much different type of urban environment. I love Miami -- I went to college there and my fiancee is from there, so I visit all the time and pay close attention to what is happening around town. I'd just like to see Miami become more Chicago and less Vegas -- and this proposal strongly suggests the latter unfortunately.

Projects like this seem to belong on the Beach, not in downtown -- and I think it is totally indicative of many of the types of designs Arquitectonica has come up with in recent years -- meaning ones that do not complement the context of their present or future surrounding urban environments.

[skyscraperfan23]

I agree -- it could be hideous or it could be fantastic -- and its a positive economic sign for Miami. I just think it's cheesy looking (though the photos with the fireworks don't help much), especially for a project that will be in an emerging urban area. Again though as I said originally, in real life it might end up being really cool.

It just seems out of place at that location to me. A mega resort in downtown Miami just doesn't do it for me -- but I just may prefer a much different type of urban environment. I love Miami -- I went to college there and my fiancee is from there, so I visit all the time and pay close attention to what is happening around town. I'd just like to see Miami become more Chicago and less Vegas -- and this proposal strongly suggests the latter unfortunately.

Projects like this seem to belong on the Beach, not in downtown -- and I think it is totally indicative of many of the types of designs Arquitectonica has come up with in recent years -- meaning ones that do not complement the context of their present or future surrounding urban environments.


Miami is a mixture of chicago and las vegas.

[Private Dick]

Miami is a mixture of chicago and las vegas.

Yeah... right. Keep trying to convince yourself of the Chicago portion of that statement.

[Dale]

^ Envy, pure and simple.

[lfc4life]

Miami is a mixture of chicago and las vegas.

las vegas has become more like miami last 10 years than the other way round, it tried the orlando disneyworld theme from 1989 to 2001 but has since moved further south with its themeing, all the condo towers (allure, sky las vegas, panorama, palms place et al) that went up in vegas last 5-8 years look like they were transported straight from miami

[skyscraperfan23]

las vegas has become more like miami last 10 years than the other way round, it tried the orlando disneyworld theme from 1989 to 2001 but has since moved further south with its themeing, all the condo towers (allure, sky las vegas, panorama, palms place et al) that went up in vegas last 5-8 years look like they were transported straight from miami

I Doubt it, Miami is gonna be even bigger soon, plus they need even more glass buildings.

[sobchbud1]

I'd just like to see Miami become more Chicago and less Vegas -- and this proposal strongly suggests the latter unfortunately.


http://www.bizjournals.com/southflorida/news/2011/09/15/genting-group-interested-in-bayside.html

Well at least from the waterfront it will begin to resemble Chicago.
Unlike most resorts that are often a world into themselves, this will be located in downtown and connected with the Metromover. Visitors will have easy accessibility to to all of downtown and its attractions. Genting, is interested in partnering with the city in redeveloping Museum Park to the south and taking over Bayside Marketplace, as well as integrating Margaret Pace Park to the North. It aims to create a world class waterfront experience that will stretch from the Miami River to Margaret Pace. They also seek to integrate and partner with the Adrian Arsht Performing Arst Center with their project. It seems the "all within the resort" aspect might not apply as the they seem to be maximizing the existing amenities already there and creating a district wide experience. Besides, investing $3 billion in an area with 4 hotels and a 700,000 sq ft convention center (the largest in South Florida) is bound to spur outside development in the surrounding Omni neighborhood that will foster the street activity that urbanists crave.

One of Miami's strengths is its tourism industry. I'm bemused by the implication of not maximizing its potential as a leader in it. Every city in the world would give its left nut for a project like this. The fact is Miami where it will happen, and the faith to propose something this ambitious speaks volumes about its potential. It can only enhance its industry and will likely be a lure for others. This project if realized will beget windfalls in every conceivable economic sector as well as raise Miami's profile and "intangibles" on the world stage.

[QuantumX]

Quantum, you're having a Miami orgasm. I understand why, but let's rationally discuss PJ3000's debates.

OH, JESUS! PLEASE! A lot more is going to have to come out of the ground before I come anywhere near having orgasms over the Miami skyline.

Companies that would bring and develop a diverse workforce to Miami are not going to establish or relocate because condo towers, retail developments, and entertainment venues have been built at record pace. And guess what? They're not. Will they in the future? Maybe, and I hope they will, because I have a vested interest in Miami.

PJ3000 this is what I was saying. I certainly wouldn't call it a major city now. Back when we were talking about airports, you said anything in New York is more centrally located than anything in Miami. And I said that spoke volumes about where you're really coming. You asked me what I meant and I didn't want to get into it with you then, but to me, it just said there was no point in arguing with you about any of this because you'll just hold on to your point of view no matter what and cherry pick the arguments to back it up. Some people will make themselves right no matter what. What you said indicated bias whether you think you were being facetious or not. That's why I haven't been back here, but I came back to catch some of the response to this Genting proposal. I'm quite busy on a another skyscraper website, and there really isn't the time for this.

Love the vision, like so many other grand ideas that ultimately did not see the light of day.

I think this is different though because of the developer behind it.

I think we need to read what the announcement actually stated:

The site will likely include somewhere between six and eight towers. Under current zoning, each can be up to 700 feet tall, but Fort-Brescia says they will be built at a variety of different heights.

That's a lot different than saying "6 to 8 towers, up to 700 feet tall each", as the above post stated

Well, here is what I read from the Thursday 09/15/2011 edition of the Miami Herald. I have it right here in front of me.

"At each four corners, overlooking the lagoon, would stand 65-story hotel towers whose irregular, biopmorphic shapes are taken from coral formations and the sea life that inhabits them."

So 650 feet maybe?

Really? From what a South Florida real estate broker friend of mine tells me, the vast majority of the new wave of foreign buyers are buying them as second homes and as investment properties, and not renting out. Most of the condos-turned rentals are being rented out by management companies for the developers and original owners to recoup some revenue lost over the past few years, since many of them were purchased as investment properties to begin with.

Whatever you want to believe. All of Miami's towers are very well lit at night now, and I have the pictures to prove it.

Could it look any cheesier? I think Arquitectonica should hang it up.

It might end up looking cool in real life, but in these pictures - I totally hate it.


Actually, when I first saw it, I thought it looked gaudy as all hell and more like something that would fit better in Dubai than in Miami, but when I read that the buildings were to be taken for giant coral formations, being a scuba diver myself, I suddenly saw that and thought "Now that makes the project very Miami" and something a little new and different in architecture. Hopefully, it will turn out looking better than the renderings. From my experience, buildings usually do.

Miami is a mixture of chicago and las vegas.

Yeah... right. Keep trying to convince yourself of the Chicago portion of that statement.

Actually, the way Miami stands on its waterfront does remind me a lot of Chicago, and we have a river of its namesake running through the middle of downtown, and Miami even has an Edgewater district like Chicago, and it will certainly look more like Chicago in the future than any other American city.

Anyway, Private Dick, pj3000, prahaboheme, whomever... believe what you want to believe. I'm too busy on another website to be concerned with it where I'm moderator of the Miami forum, moderator of the Florida forum, and where I also happen to be a North American moderator. I didn't ask to be a moderator, I was chosen out of the Miami forum because of my "ability to conduct myself in an unbiased and respectable manner." So that is who I am. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do on another website.

[Private Dick]

I'm too busy on another website to be concerned with it where I'm moderator of the Miami forum, moderator of the Florida forum, and where I also happen to be a North American moderator. I didn't ask to be a moderator, I was chosen out of the Miami forum because of my "ability to conduct myself in an unbiased and respectable manner." So that is who I am. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have work to do on another website.

We are all very proud to have been associated with such an outstanding person! You should really put that stuff on your resume.

-----

Jeez, what a total nipple that guy is. Who says that kind of stuff? He posted some nice Miami photos, but with that type of attitude I'm glad he's taking his marbles and going to play with the other kids down the street.

I'm rather new to this discussion on Miami, so I went back a few pages to see what QuantumX was referring to in his above post -- the people who he was going back and forth with were for the most part presenting rational, well thought out opinions, while he was having a hard time keeping a coherent argument together.

[Illithid Dude]

Jeez, what a total nipple that guy is.

Hahahaha! That's my new insult.

[schlaboong]

Is anyone else the least bit suspicious in Genting's apparent interest in paying for the development and maintenance of Museum Park? I understand that a completed Museum Park makes the overall area more attractive as a destination but $30 million + is a lot to pay for an asset you don't own. Am I being a conspiracy theorist or does this smell fishy to anyone else?

[sobchbud1]

Is anyone else the least bit suspicious in Genting's apparent interest in paying for the development and maintenance of Museum Park? I understand that a completed Museum Park makes the overall area more attractive as a destination but $30 million + is a lot to pay for an asset you don't own. Am I being a conspiracy theorist or does this smell fishy to anyone else?

I might be wrong and naive, but I see it as an attempt to sweeten their proposal and express their commitment to the city. In the grand scheme, 30 mil is chump change compared to a 3 billion dollar investment. Genting's Chairman KT Lim has been a visitor and fan of Miami. Up until now he has been a passive force. Is it possible civic pride may be a factor? Miami's branding and image is intrinsic to its marketing as a destination. At face value, the ability to control Miami's waterfront only enhances their plans to create a mega resort with 4 hotels and the largest convention center (700,000 sq. ft) in South Florida. Remember, Genting owns majority share of Norwegian Cruise Lines. The possibility of dictating how passengers spend their time on land pre and post cruise seems like good business sense, considering the concessions and other revenue generating possibilities that are involved. Disney does it very well with their theme park/cruise operation. Filtering and monopolizing the traffic on the entire waterfront only validates their investment spending 260 mil+ on land not on the beach. Their Sentosa resort has a Universal Studios Theme Park. There won't be a theme park in Miami, so it might be an attempt to maximize the creation of a destination resort that they desire within a form that they can shape and control. I might be grossly wrong, but its exciting to think that the things they are proposing that would vastly improve Miami's profile can be accomplished by private means rather than by public funding.

[bobdreamz]

http://img847.imageshack.us/img847/2451/rend1.png

I'm sorry but this is quite hideous! A big huge M on the bayfront skyline?

http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/1900/rend4.png

A 8 story podium encompassing the whole project? Where is the downtown street interaction? This looks like a Las Vegas/ Orlando type of resort where one is enclosed like a casino and it doesn't belong in the heart of downtown Miami. You think Arquitectonica would have learned from the failure of the Omni mall immediately to it's north. Quite disappointing to say the least.

[simms3_redux]

^^^^Bobdreamz,

I always hope for continued development and success in Miami, but I sincerely think this thing will not be built either at all or in its current form. No worries. This would even be a large project for Macau or Dubai or any other BOOM town in the world, let alone a city in America (especially one that has seen a volatile past couple years). No American developer would put anything like this up anywhere in our country, as he would know a) its size is just plain out of context, b) it's unfeasible, and c) our communities have a say and this says NIMBY galore all over it.

Cities all across the fruited plain with massive developments on hold have seen those development rejuvenated and restarted on much more human and time sensitive scales. That's probably (hopefully) what's going to happen here. I agree that it's pretty fugly. Coral or not, I have never scuba dived and I don't look at this building and think, hmmm that's coral!...It really fits in well.

[RobertWalpole]

Miami is awesome. I hope that this is built!

[bobdreamz]

The Miami Int'l. Airport's new people mover system to the InterModal Center has opened. However it only serves the Rental Car facility portion. The link with the new Metro Rail station will open by April 2012 when construction & testing will be complete.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/jesusf80/001.jpg

^ Elevators to the MIA people mover.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/jesusf80/002.jpg

^ Walkway to the station.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/jesusf80/003.jpg

^ Entrance to the station.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/jesusf80/030.jpg

^ Inside the station and it looks to be very busy.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/jesusf80/031.jpg

^ Waiting for the people mover.

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/jesusf80/007.jpg

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j319/jesusf80/033.jpg

^ inside the people mover trains.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/8739/1109091.jpg

All pics courtesy of FtLaudude

[brickell]

New condos slated for Brickell

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/17/2459039/new-condos-slated-for-brickell.html#storylink=misearch

Miami’s first new condo high-rise since the housing bust is set to begin construction next spring, developer Newgard Development Group announced Monday.

Called Brickell House, the $170 million project is part of a new wave of condo towers planned for downtown Miami, which saw development grind to a halt after the building frenzy that lasted from 2003 to 2008.

“Almost all of the [outstanding] inventory that we had has been absorbed in the last 18 months,” said Harvey Hernandez, managing partner and chairman of Newgard Group. “It could not be a better moment for us to launch a project.”

The 46-story tower is slated to have 374 residences, ranging from one bedrooms to penthouses. Specs include a rooftop sky deck, pool on the 46th floor and an automated robotic parking garage. ...

http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2011/10/17/19/49/xlcpS.Em.56.jpg



http://brickellhouse.com/ (http://brickellhouse.com/)

[skyscraperfan23]

New condos slated for Brickell

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/17/2459039/new-condos-slated-for-brickell.html#storylink=misearch



http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2011/10/17/19/49/xlcpS.Em.56.jpg



http://brickellhouse.com/ (http://brickellhouse.com/)


Nice.

[Dale]

So, by my reckoning, a half-dozen towers or more may be starting next Spring in Brickell. That's a mini-boom! Katie bar the door if gaming is approved.

[colemonkee]

There's an ad for Brickell House right now in Nexus, American Airlines' Spanish language in-flight magazine. So they're definitely marketing it. The render from the water looks pretty cool.

[Private Dick]

Just what Miami needs...:rolleyes:

Miami casino would be bigger than Vegas competitors

The proposed Genting resort is larger than what Vegas Strip hotels offer gamblers — but the developer says that’s the point.

BY DOUGLAS HANKS

Can Miami handle the biggest casino in the world?

That was the question raised Wednesday as local leaders pored over a bill designed to bring three large casino resorts to South Florida, including one by Malaysia’s Genting Group. Genting is the only developer to detail its plans for the Sunshine State, proposing a $3.8 billion waterfront resort that will be larger than any hotel on the Las Vegas Strip and contain four times as much gambling space.

“When you look at the enormous size and scope of some of these projects, it just doesn’t make sense,’’ Phil Goldfarb, president of Fontainebleau Miami Beach, told Miami-Dade commissioners at a hearing on gambling Wednesday. “We’re most concerned about existing businesses.”

The massive scale of Genting’s proposed Resorts World Miami energizes both sides of the gambling debate in South Florida.

Critics see the urban resort scrambling downtown Miami’s ongoing revival and stealing customers from hotels and restaurants from nearby neighborhoods and Miami Beach. Supporters point to tens of thousands of construction jobs needed to build something so large, and the tens of millions in tourist dollars it would generate once open.


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/26/2473779/miami-casino-would-be-bigger-than.html#ixzz1c1mJFi2S

[labeltea]

Natural things are natural.. No body can change it please share more information about the pool building design...
I ma waiting … Hurry... :-)
swimming pool contractors utah (http://www.caribbeancreationsinc.com/)

[brickell]

Here comes the next wave of condos
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/29/2478900/condo-mania-20.html
(http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/29/2478900/condo-mania-20.html)

The aftershocks of the last housing boom are still lingering, but developers are once again rushing to buy up land and erect new condo towers in downtown Miami’s burgeoning metropolis.
At least six new condo projects are slated to break ground in Miami in the coming years, with developers promising to announce several additional projects soon.
For skeptical housing analysts and weary homeowners, the sudden flurry of developer excitement in the midst of double-digit unemployment and stagnant home prices brings back not-so-distant memories of the last housing boom, and its epic bust.
This time is different, say the developers, who profess to have learned their lesson and are adopting financial models with far less risk than the 20-percent-deposit pre-sales that were popular during the last building boom.
“It’s time to think of where we’re going to be rather than where we are,” said Harvey Hernandez, whose Newgard Development Group recently announced plans for a new condo tower called Brickell House at 1300 Brickell Bay Dr. “It could not be a better moment for us to launch a project.”

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&vpsrc=6&ctz=240&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=217691376051200774967.0004b0210299ceb12ad97&t=h&ll=25.781189,-80.189209&spn=0.050237,0.027037&z=14&source=embed
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?hl=en&vpsrc=6&ctz=240&ie=UTF8&msa=0&msid=217691376051200774967.0004b0210299ceb12ad97&t=h&ll=25.781189,-80.189209&spn=0.050237,0.027037&z=14&source=embed

[Private Dick]

I agree with the twitter post about this being "pretty much the WORST idea ever".

I mean, does Miami really want to be "Vegas-by-the-Sea"? This is truly an important turning point in Miami's short history.


Micky Arison warns of traffic nightmare if casinos come to downtown Miami

Micky Arison says he’s concerned a casino in downtown Miami will snarl traffic even worse in the city around the home of his Miami Heat basketball team.

BY DOUGLAS HANKS AND HANNAH SAMPSON

Miami Heat owner Micky Arison warned Monday that massive casino resorts in downtown Miami would likely cause traffic nightmares, turn off local basketball fans and generally disrupt Miami’s urban revival.

“We’re on a roll, and I’m not sure this is the right way to continue it,” said the CEO of Carnival Corp. and majority owner of the Heat. “I just don’t know how Miami can handle that kind of traffic.”

Arison’s comments represent the most critical yet from South Florida’s corporate elite as the region considers a plan that could bring the world’s largest casino to the Miami waterfront. It also reveals an interesting subplot to the ongoing gambling debate, since the leading casino operator pursuing a Miami site also controls one of Carnival’s top rivals, Norwegian Cruise Line.

Genting, the largest casino operator in Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom and owner of 50 percent of Norwegian, has already spent about $500 million assembling a waterfront site in Miami. Genting wants to build a 5,200-room resort there, and current plans call for about 50 restaurants and nearly four times as many slot machines as the largest casino in Las Vegas, according to publicity materials and an architect working on the design.

Along with the Genting project, a nearby site in Miami is reportedly under consideration for a casino by Las Vegas Sands.

Arison wrote on his Twitter account Friday night that he agreed with a post by someone who called a downtown Miami casino “pretty much the WORST idea ever.”


Read more: http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/31/2481286/micky-arison-warns-of-traffic.html#ixzz1cTUf3XqV

[N830MH]

New condos slated for Brickell

http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/17/2459039/new-condos-slated-for-brickell.html#storylink=misearch



http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2011/10/17/19/49/xlcpS.Em.56.jpg



http://brickellhouse.com/ (http://brickellhouse.com/)

Wow!! Most exciting! Is that first new condo in Brickell? I thought they didn't construction new hotel. How come?

[brickell]

At planned Sunny Isles Beach condo, cars and drivers ride elevator home
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/17/2507333/at-planned-miami-beach-condo-cars.html

Pull over into the designated space. Turn off the engine. And enjoy the oceanfront view as you escalate in a glass elevator that takes you, while you are sitting in your car, to the front door of your apartment.

No, this is not the latest Disney ride.

The $560 million Jetsonesque tower will rise in Sunny Isles Beach as part of a collaboration between Germany-based Porsche Design Group and a local developer, Gil Dezer. It likely will be the world’s first condominium complex with elevators that will take residents directly to their units while they are sitting in their cars.

http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2011/11/17/19/06/OhPJR.Em.56.jpg

[pyropius]

It's an improvement over a parking podium...

[bobdreamz]

December 2011 Update :

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6437771925_4f67006e4c_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7147/6437784431_7664db0788_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7150/6437785327_249c400c8b_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7026/6437783511_affbba2f93_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6437773623_f66983c325_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6437798271_a2888ef2b3_b.jpg

guideway leading to the Airport station :

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7018/6437764155_603ed3df68_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/6437764941_e175358d5e_b.jpg

Airport people mover connection to the Intermodal Center & new Metrorail station :

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7175/6437790673_83450060bb_b.jpg

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7151/6437791677_2e5e3fdfd0_b.jpg

all pics by Miami High Rise

[Dale]

Saw where Genting might now consider a 100-story tower if the FAA would grant the exemption.

[brickell]

Saw where Genting might now consider a 100-story tower if the FAA would grant the exemption.

But in an article that also claims the project might also shrink.

Miami casino plan could start shrinking
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/04/2530385_p2/worlds-biggest-casino-could-get.html

The world’s largest casino has brought some imposing political problems, too.

Six months after Genting Group announced plans for a massive casino resort on the Miami waterfront, the sheer magnitude of the project has proved an ample target.

Critics of downtown casinos, including Miami Heat owner Micky Arison and developer Armando Codina, point to traffic woes from the 5,200-room resort as a central problem. Even some supporters of bringing new casinos to Miami cite Genting’s proposed Resorts World Miami as too much of a good thing.

And the lawmakers behind a bill that would allow Genting’s $4 billion project now talk of a backlash against the company’s campaign to win support through promises to transform Miami tourism with a gleaming resort of undulating towers and dozens of restaurants.

“The rendering that was released was helpful at first,” Rep Erik Fresen, R-Miami, said of Genting’s drawing of six towers designed to resemble a massive coral reef on Biscayne Bay. “Miami-Dade County was thirsty for a vision of economic development, and that hydrated them.”

“But then,’’ Fresen added, “it went from hydration to water boarding.’’

A Genting spokesman declined to make company executives available for an interview, saying they were busy in Tallahassee. Recently, Genting’s top executive in Florida, Christian Goode, suggested the company might scale back the project detailed in architectural drawings. “That’s our vision, but do we get there?” he asked. “Who knows?’’ This past week, Genting issued a statement that said in part: “We continue to collaborate and listen to stakeholders, Miami residents, and business and civic leaders at the state and local levels. The only thing set in stone is that Resorts World Miami will be a world-class destination resort.”

and


And Genting hinted the project might get even bigger. Goode, president of Resorts World Miami, last month confirmed that the company is interested in a 1,000-foot tower — surpassing Miami’s Four Seasons as the tallest building in Florida — if it can receive a waiver on height restrictions from the Federal Aviation Administration.

“If we could go to 1,000 feet, would we look at it? Absolutely,’’ Goode said.

[bobdreamz]

^ Just wondering where Gentling would put up a 100 story tower since it looks like the Resorts World Miami property will be occupied completely.

[brickell]

I assume they'd just replace what they have there. There's some talk in the article about the rendering being very... unfinalized for lack of a better word.

[skyscraperfan23]

But in an article that also claims the project might also shrink.

Miami casino plan could start shrinking
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/12/04/2530385_p2/worlds-biggest-casino-could-get.html



and

We need a bigger version of Resort World Miami.

[schlaboong]

Over the past 20 years, Miami has done a decent job of working to transform itself from a tourist-boom-town with an economy tailored to serve a transient population to an international city with offerings aimed at locals and tourists alike. The influx of international financial institutions setting up Latin American headquarters, the investment in the healthcare sector, the nurturing of the local art scene, and the commitment to creating/maintaining/growing cultural offerings have taken us a long way from the Miami of the 1950s-1980s. Of course, we still have a long way to go.

We need to convince more companies, more talented professionals and job-creators, that Miami is not just a vacation town you come to party but a burgeoning international city on verge of world-class status. Building a massive casino in the heart of our city, let alone three, sends the complete opposite message. For the past 20 years, we have been painstakingly trying to shake the image of a vice-filled tourist town and building large gambling resorts would completely undermine the work we have done and the work we need to do.

Of course, which city couldn't use a few billion dollars invested in its urban core? Or a few thousand jobs in this difficult economic climate? We cannot let the short-term draw of such a deal blur our long-term vision and perspective. Miami's goal is to be held to the esteem of the great cities of the world: New York, Chicago, etc. not to be the next Las Vegas.

We need to nurture industry development in Miami, we just need to make sure it's the right industry. We must continue to develop industries outside of tourism to make us a viable and competitive city in the 21st century.

In short, Miami getting in bed with casinos is like a young and promising artist, known mostly for being in the tabloids but wanting to be taken seriously, deciding to get in bed with a Kardashian. It may be fun in the short-term, but he's not going to gain the respect he wants.