The Synergy Between Art and Real Estate

Ever since Wynwood became a buzzy neighborhood, street artists have been transforming bare concrete walls on the facades or sides of buildings into colorful eye-catching murals.

Now ceilings in mundane buildings are the chosen palettes for decoration. (Hello Michelangelo!) The contemporary urban artist known as 1010 found the multilevel garage at the 545wyn office structure to be the perfect canvas for his site-specific mural. He created an enigmatic abstract design that extends across five levels. The work features concentric layers of color that play with the viewer’s perception of depth and texture.

Like other famed street artists, German-based 1010 has not yet revealed his name publicly. Four years ago he was one of 12 artists creating giant street-art murals at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. That connection was also made by Jessica Goldman Srebnick, co-founder of art collective Goldman Global Arts and a Wynwood pioneer.

There’s more art at 545wyn. Mojo, an artist noted for celebrating diversity and amplifying the voice and spirit of minority groups – his motto “Impacting Lives One Color at a Time” – has completed two murals for the building: “El Viaje” (The Journey”) and “KINGShighway.”

The developers of 545wyn, Sterling Bay, have expressed their commitment to creating a space that visually connects with the vibrant character of Wynwood. According to Matt Menna, principal and chief design officer, “we’re confident this building will serve as a beacon of innovation and creative inspiration to both residents and visitors alike.”

Pressing on with a Modern Art Collection

The Brickell Flatiron tower in downtown Miami has been displaying a modern art collection in its lobby and public amenity spaces since it opened last year.

The multimillion-dollar permanent collection features a series of large-scale paintings and sculptures by New York artist Julian Schnabel, and signature pieces by Italian artist Carlo Battaglia and Italian photographer Marco Glaviano.

Continuing the artistic mood, Italian design architect Massimo Iosa Ghini’s interior design references the building’s curving shape with vignettes highlighted by serpentine interior lighting and public spaces lined with swirling Italian marble floors and walls that evoke a sense of movement.

Ugo Colombo, founder of CMC Group, the developer of Brickell Flatiron, said that he selected the art collection to complement the building’s timeless elegance and sophisticated architecture.

“Our owners love living in a building that is itself a work of art, while also being surrounded by various unique art pieces,” he said.

Miami architect Luis Revuelta designed the 64-story skyscraper at 1000 Brickell Plaza, currently the tallest condominium in the city. Residences range from two- and three-bedroom units in the tower levels to four-bedroom townhomes. Four of the grand penthouses sold last year; just one, on the 62nd floor, is still on the market. Besides amazing views from its outdoor terraces, its eventual buyer will get a two-story, 4,600-square-foot home designed by Spanish architect Alexis Cogul Lleonart of Doo Architecture. The four-bedroom, five-and-a-half bathroom unit with a vast 20-foot-high living room comes fully furnished for $9 million.

Storefronts Make Great Galleries

Art in Miami is not only for new developments: Flagler Street, Miami’s historic main retail street, continues showing off its arty side for the next few weeks. (From 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, through March 31) An innovative project called ALT-B transforms nine storefronts into pop-up galleries where local musicians, painters, photographers and other artists can display their works of art to the public. There are also three “street stages” for performing artists, such as a cellist, dancer, improv actor, vocalist and others, to entertain pedestrians, safely and socially distanced, throughout the day.

Produced by the Miami Downtown Development Authority, ALT-B invites visitors to participate by scanning a QR code on the store windows to learn more about the artists and their work.

Where Affordable Rents Can Be Found

There’s more to Miami-Dade housing than million-dollar condos. The new Eden at Liberty Square offers welcome housing options for those who can’t afford ultra-pricey South Florida luxury homes.

A public-private partnership between Miami-Dade County and Related Urban Development Group is behind the property’s ground-up renovation. This is the second of nine phases of an extensive redevelopment project that introduces the first large-scale mixed-income, mixed-use format to South Florida.

Dating back to the 1930s, Liberty Square, believed to be one of the oldest public housing developments in the southeastern United States, badly needed reimagining.

Eighty-eight existing public housing units were demolished and replaced by six new buildings containing a total of 204 units. Rent for the 73 public housing units is 30% of income. For the 28 affordable units the rent is 60% of income (about $1,1157 for a two-bedroom apartment), and 80% for the 103 workforce units (about $1,475 for a two-bedroom apartment).

“Eden’s brand-new garden style apartments are very attractive with granite, stainless steel, etcetera, delivered move-in ready,” said Marilyn Pascual, co-president at the Related Group and in charge of leasing. “The best part is that we’re centrally located in the heart of the city, and very appealing to workforce such as teachers, firemen and nurses who want to live close to their work.”

Residents can enjoy amenities such as the redesigned Liberty Square Community Center, a fitness center, cybercafé, new youth enrichment center, playgrounds and parks with walking paths, and an on-site grocery store. Some are already functioning, others are still in the planning stage. A pre-k is now open.

When completed, Liberty Square’s 60-acre site will include 1,455 new apartment homes.

Live Close to Work

The 29-story Gallery at West Brickell at 201 SW 10th St. will offer 500 apartments at affordable rents when completed in 2023.

Miami-Dade County Public Housing & Community Development and Related Group are partnering on the project to serve individuals and families with incomes ranging from $29,500 to $82,000. Rents will be based on earnings. A quarter of the units will go to households earning 50% of the county’s $59,000 median income; three-quarters will be earmarked for households earning up to 140% of the median.

With Miami-Dade Public Schools participating as a co-developer of the rental tower and a K-8 school to be built next door, income-qualified teachers and other M-DCPS employees can apply for 10 reserved units.

Units in the building will range from studios for $755 per month to three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartments for $3,000 per month. The site will offer amenities such as a gym, theater room, outdoor theater, pool, business center, shared office space and a lounge area.

Neighborhoods to Know

Greenery galore defines two small, incorporated villages in northeast Miami not too far from downtown. Similar in size and population with their own local governments and police forces, each neighborhood has older homes that are now in great demand.

Two large wooden gates once located on NE 2nd Avenue have been gone since the 1940s, but their memory lives on in El Portal (“The Gate”), the name of the village whose entrance they once marked. Built on one of the county’s highest points, the tree-lined village was incorporated in 1937 but its history dates back to the year 600, when the area was the capital of the Tequesta Indian tribe. An ancient burial ground survives as The Little River Mound, a four-foot-high grassy knoll in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood that was the first archaeological site to be publicly recognized and preserved in Miami-Dade County.

The enclave has about 1,000 homes in an area of 0.38 square miles and a population estimated at 2,380 in 2020. The almost rectangular village stretches across North Miami Avenue from Biscayne Boulevard, indented to NE 5th Avenue on the east and to NW 5th Avenue on the west. Little River marks the village limits to the south and approximately NE and NW 90th Streets the north. Its proximity to the prestigious Upper East Side and convenient location, about seven miles from downtown Miami, has put El Portal on the radar for homebuyers.

“I think this is the most undervalued neighborhood in northeast Miami-Dade” said Shane Graber, broker-owner of Graber Realty Group, who grew up in the area. ”It’s reminiscent of old Coconut Grove; a little off the beaten track with peacocks running wild, a bird sanctuary and a haven of mature leafy trees.”

El Portal has mostly single-family two- to three-bedroom homes with a few duplexes, fourplexes and townhomes. There are also waterfront homes on the Little River. Most were built between the 1920s and 1950s, with a smattering from the ’80s and ’90s. Typical styles are midcentury modern or variations of Spanish Mediterranean, plus a handful of old Florida wood-framed homes.

“We’re starting to see some new construction on vacant land. Also some teardowns, but most buyers prefer ‘a brand-new old home’ that’s been completely renovated,” noted Graber. “Ninety percent of transactions are first-time buyers, with many coming from city condos and with disposable income; they no longer want to rent.”

Prices for homes that need love start in the $400,000s, but buyers are paying in the $600,000s to $700,000s and up to a million dollars and more for large, character or exceptional homes, especially in the Sherwood Forest neighborhood. Demand for pools and resort-like amenities is increasing exponentially said Graber. Sales are brisk; Pine Knoll, a fairly small but completely renovated house with a pool received five offers in four days. It sold a couple of months ago for the full asking price of $680,000.

El Portal Village has proposed a master plan that will bring retail and mixed-use development to NE Second Avenue, making it comparable to the main street of neighboring Miami Shores.

Located a little further north, rustic Biscayne Park’s population was listed as 3,124 in 2019. The area dates back to the early 1920s, when developer Arthur Griffing subdivided land he named Griffing Biscayne Park Estates. Originally a landscaper for Carl Fisher’s Miami Beach projects, Griffing planted shrubs and trees in well-landscaped streets, medians and park areas, and created many cul-de-sacs as safe environments for children to play near their homes.

The Town of Biscayne Park was incorporated on Dec. 31, 1931, and in June 1933, it became the Village of Biscayne Park. In 1935 it acquired the iconic log cabin which continues to serve as the village hall and center of daily operations.

Biscayne Park, about 10 miles from downtown Miami, occupies a 0.6 square mile triangular area stretching from its narrowest part at NE 107th Street in the south and expanding out to NE 121st Street in the north. Northeast 11th Place along the FEC railroad tracks marks the village limits on the east; Griffing Boulevard along the Biscayne Canal, the west.

Homes are mainly post-WWII (GI Bill homes) and midcentury modern design similar to El Portal, but on lots 20-40% larger. First-time buyers are choosing the area for its rural atmosphere, the greenery of the park in the center of the village and a great sense of community. Prices range from the $600,000s to $1.5 million for homes on Griffing Boulevard. There is no commercial component as the village is strictly residential.

Helen Hill is a freelance writer specializing in real estate, design and lifestyle topics. Please send relevant news items on local real estate to hhwrites@comcast.net.