One River Point, a 60-story condominium designed by architect Rafael Viñoly along the Miami River, is unveiling an Adrian Zecha-curated private club with a host of amenities, as it gears up to launch sales, The Real Deal has learned.
An 85-foot waterfall, a three-story, floating glass skybridge, and the 55th floor “Sky Club” — with two restaurants, a cigar lounge, wine cellar, screening room, and more — are among the features of the twin-tower project that developer Shahab Karmely deems “ultra-luxury urban resort living.”
“This is Rome along the River Po. This is Havana in the days of grandeur. This is Shanghai. This is urban living in Miami,” he told TRD.
Karmely, founder and CEO of Kar Properties, gave a sneak peak of the development to a “select group” of about 60 brokers during a luncheon at Cipriani on Thursday, where he released for sale about 10 percent of the condo’s roughly 350 units. In mid-November, he plans to launch sales to the public — and a few months after that, open a $7 million sales center.
One River Point, to be built on a park on the river at 24 Southwest Fourth Street, marks Kar Properties first project in South Florida. KAR Properties has other holdings throughout the United States, Southeast Asia and Europe.
In all, Karmely and his unnamed U.S.-based financial partner, which is “affiliated with one of the most significant hedge funds in the world,” have spent $150 million in cash in South Florida, including buying parcels near the Miami River, in Wynwood and in Hallandale.
KAR Properties CEO Shahab
“It took us two years to come to this point. We went through numerous concept designs, and tried to think of every detail,” Karmely said of One River Point, citing door handles, landing sizes, venting, plants and more. “We tried to think of everything that makes life easy and hassle free.”
The members-only Sky Club is geared to be a modern take on such other ritzy private clubs as Beijing’s Jockey Club, Hong Kong’s China Club, London’s Soho House, Aspen’s Caribou and New York’s Core Club, the developer said.
“Nothing like this exists in Miami,” Karmely told TRD.
The 35,000-square-foot club will have three levels of amenities, including a 10,000 square-foot skybridge club garden and terrace. Members will be able to take part in two indoor-outdoor restaurants, private and public dining rooms, a craft cocktail bar, cigar lounge, chef’s kitchen, wine cellar and tasting room, as well as a screening and media room, a library and residents’ lounge and business center with private meeting rooms. Members will also have access to 25 club suites for guests.
“Do I want to get my hair blown out, get my bottle of wine from my wine cellar, watch a movie with my kids, have an anniversary party — all of that is available without having to leave the building,” Karmely told TRD.
Adrian Zecha
Zecha, an Indonesian hotelier who founded the upscale Amanresorts and co-founded Regent International Hotels, will be curating all aspects of the design and service. Zecha currently is director and non-executive chairman of General Hotel Management Ltd., a developer and manager of luxury hotels and resorts in Bali, Switzerland, Oman and Vietnam.
Viñoly, the architect behind 432 Park Avenue and other New York City projects, has designed One River Point to rise 780 feet, with two towers connected at the summit by a three-story floating glass skybridge. An 85-story waterfall will cascade down a floating four-story podium. And the sixth-floor amenity deck will have an infinity-edge pool, lap pool, poolside cafe and restaurant with butler service, private cabanas, fitness center and med spa.
Overall, the condominium, to be built on a 1.8-acre site, will have about 350 units with private elevator landings, ceiling heights of 10 to 12 feet, layouts with floor-to-ceiling glass walls, stone flooring, and 12-foot deep terraces that create an outdoor room, Karmely said.
Prices will range from about $750,000 to $12 million, with penthouses and villas priced higher, he said.
“We own the other two remaining parcels, and we have a multi-phase, multi-year vision for this entire park,” Karmely said. “This will become the luxury address for Miami.”
Construction is expected to begin in the fall of 2016.