‘Boulevard of Dreams’
City looks forward to redevelopment of Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard
By Bari Auerbach

From new shops, cafes and recreation venues - to upscale residential dwellings and professional office space, the city has been anxiously anticipating the revitalization of Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard – the gateway to “Florida’s Riviera.”

‘St. Tropez OK’
At the July 20 City Commission meeting, the future looked even brighter for Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard as another new tower was approved for the upscale St. Tropez condominium complex by J. Milton & Associates.

Already gaining international notoriety, St. Tropez was recently highlighted in the July issue of Multi-Housing News: July 6, 2006 -- Sunny Isles Beach, FL -- J. Milton & Associates, a Miami-based real estate company, recently broke ground on its latest project, St. Tropez…In recent years, Sunny Isles Beach has flourished into an upscale neighborhood with high-rises and premier hotels on both sides of Collins Avenue…

“St. Tropez addresses the matter of convenience in its location between major area ‘hotspots’ as well as in the development of the new City of Sunny Isles Beach Town Center intended for the base of its towers,” Gina Milton, director of marketing and advertising of J. Milton & Associates, told MHN. “This highly-anticipated Town Center will cater to the social palates of residents and visitors alike with an entourage of upscale retail shops, cafes, business centers and trendy recreational points.”

Inspired by contemporary Italian design, St. Tropez is being constructed at 200 Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard, just west of Collins Avenue and east of the Intracoastal Waterway.

Plans for St. Tropez include 234 two and three-bedroom condos, 24 penthouses, 22 custom-designed waterfront suites, and 18 lanai units with views of the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal. Already over 70 percent sold, the completion date for the Kobi Karp designed project is slated for February 2008. Floor plans range in size from 1,600 to 3,700 square feet; and prices for remaining units start from $750,000.

St. Tropez Two (16690 Collins Avenue) will be a fourth tower with 78 units at the east end of the complex site on the corner of Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard and Collins Avenue.

Addressing the Commission at the July 20th meeting, attorney Cliff Schulman representing J. Milton & Associates explained, “This is the beginning of the city’s ‘town center vision.’ [The developer] acquired another piece of property on the corner of Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard and Collins (formerly the site of Miami Subs) that will round out the development already approved (St. Tropez One – now under construction).”

Architect Kobi Karp emphasized St. Tropez will feature a public plaza and waterside promenade maximizing views of green space and water; and that the façade of the building will be designed to create “timeless beauty.”

In keeping with the goal to beautify the property, developer Joseph Milton agreed to help camouflage a sewage pump station located on the south side of the Town Center by building a decorative façade around its perimeter that will blend in with the St. Tropez development design. Railings will also be installed in narrow walkways where there is water to help protect pedestrians.

Commissioner Danny Iglesias, an engineer with the Florida Department of Transportation, was pleased to announce that in an effort to enhance roadway configurations on Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard, FDOT has approved the allocation of $3 million. FODT has also agreed to provide “local fund reimbursement” so that improvements can coincide with construction work being done by the developer. “DOT shouldn’t stand for ‘do it over twice,’” Iglesias noted.

Further clarifying the modifications requested by J. Milton & Associates, Mayor Norman S. Edelcup said, “St. Tropez One was approved for a specific piece of ground and it is not being modified. This [requested] modification is on a separate piece of property not presented to us when St. Tropez One received site plan approval…Milton acquired property subsequently and has a right to develop it.

“Additionally, there will probably be more towers as Mr. Milton is still in the process of acquiring other pieces of property along [Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard]. So they will be treated as separate site plan reviews…We need to be reminded of what was on Sunny Isles Beach Boulevard before and how that was a detriment to the city. It’s nothing to be proud of to see dilapidated buildings in various states of disrepair.

“We’re hoping Milton and other developers will acquire [properties] so we can clean the city out of some of these buildings that don’t do us proud…We don’t want the [abandoned] IHOP as a landmark…We should be encouraging people to work with the city to make it better for all of us.

“[J. Milton & Associates] has demonstrated they’re not just looking out for their particular property…it’s also benefiting the city and thereby benefiting everyone in this room to build a façade around the sewer treatment plant…They’re stepping up to the plate to do that. We have to remember the city is cognizant of what is best for the people and we’re working with developers to see what improvements can be made - not just for a [particular] site – but for a better city for all residents.

“There is a NIMB (not in my backyard) tendency - but remember - every property owner has rights and we can’t take them away because some say we’re overbuilt. We try to [proceed] in a manner that addresses as best we can traffic and height [issues]. We can’t please everyone - but hopefully, we’re pleasing the majority of citizens [in regards to] what is taking place to make Sunny Isles Beach a better place to live and raise our families.

‘Regal Regalia’
In keeping with the Commission’s goal to “beautify the city” and foster an upscale image, site plan modification was approved for the exclusive Regalia condominium slated for 19505 Collins Avenue upon recommendation of City Attorney Hans Ottinot.

Commissioner Lewis Thaler noted, “I think [Regalia] is beautiful and fits very well within Sunny Isles Beach…It’s one of the better buildings with very few apartments so it won’t create a lot of traffic going in and out…and it will be very expensive; therefore helping our income process within the city.”

Concurring, Commissioner Gerry Goodman said, “It’s a magnificent building with only 40 apartments…and the beach access [points being provided are sufficient].”

Mayor Edelcup added, “Three years ago when this project came before me, I remarked at that time this was one of the finest buildings to be built in Sunny Isles Beach because it didn’t maximize what could be done…in fact it minimized what could be done.

“I complimented the builder and said he was doing a great service to our city…He could have tripled the number of units, increased the density and created a higher traffic flow. There are 40 [units as opposed to] 120 that could have been built.

“I find it amusing that I had an informal meeting with the Mayor of Golden Beach a year to year and a half ago. He approached me [regarding my interest] in deeding [the Regalia site] over to Golden Beach so they could enjoy the tax benefits of having that property in their city…The majority of Sunny Isles Beach citizens are pleased with the project…It’s beautiful - and one of the better kind that can be built in Sunny Isles Beach…I look forward to seeing it happen!”

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