Rendering of the Mercedes-Benz Places entrance in Miami.
(Editor’s Note: This story has been updated with new information.)
Luxury and premium automakers dabble in all types of non-automotive revenue generators. Die cast models, watches, luggage, bicycles and now high-rise residences are bearing the name of well-known car companies.
Mercedes-Benz AG is the latest European automaker to lend its brand to a Miami-area condominium tower.
A 791-unit, 67-story mixed-use residential tower branded Mercedes-Benz Places will be part of an new project dubbed 1 Southside Park located in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood. The tower will incorporate 200,000 square feet of offices, retailers, health and fitness facilities and a 174-key Treehouse Hotel. Plans also call for redeveloping a nearby Miami fire station as well as Southside Park.
Mercedes-Benz AG is partnering with JDS Development Group, headquartered in Manhattan and Miami to develop the project. The projetc was announced on Monday.
“It is a privilege to work with Mercedes-Benz and move beyond a traditional residential building to create a new community for the future. Underpinned by sustainable building methods and design, Mercedes–Benz Places in Miami will create a legacy not just for Brickell, but Florida as a whole,” said Michael Stern, Founder & CEO of JDS Development Group.
MERCEDES-BENZ’S MIAMI VISION
Mecrdes-Benz Places residents should have some incredible views.
The design of the building is the result of a collaboration between New York-based SHoP Architects and the automaker’s design department. Boasting more than 2.5 million square feet, it’s one of the largest projects currently under construction in Florida. Foundation work has started.
Offering studio to three-bedroom condominiums with terraces, occupancy is tentatively slated for 2027. Units have views of Miami, Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean.
“We want to develop exclusive residences with our partner that are undeniably Mercedes-Benz and create a new mode of urban living with vibrant communities,” said Eva Wiese, Head of Mercedes-Benz Customer Solutions.
To provide that new mode of urban living, the new residences will have EV charging stations, an in-house vehicle fleet, valet parking, as well as bicycle and scooter sharing.
The project includes redeveloping nearby Southside Park.
The condominium’s look revolves around that of “Timeless Design, Inspired by Miami” while also incorporating Mercedes-Benz’s design philosophy of “Sensual Purity.”
“This philosophy, based on the duality of emotion and intelligence, consists of a hot and a cool pole,” said Gorden Wagener, Chief Design Officer, Mercedes-Benz AG. “The cool aspect represents very much the tradition of geometric German long live design originated in the Bauhaus. This crucial part of our brand was the inspiration for the architecture of this extraordinary new Mercedes-Benz Places landmark in Miami.”
Mercedes-Benz AG’s initial residential tower in the United States follows its January announcement of the construction of Mercedes-Benz Places in Dubai. The $1 billion, 65-story residential luxury tower boasts 150 apartments, starting at $2.7 million.
FOLLOWING IN OTHERS FOOTSTEPS
But the German automaker’s residential development comes after similar moves by other European OEMs in South Florida.
Aston Martin Residences’ design is meant to evoke a sail bending in the wind.
The first automaker-affiliated condominium, the Porsche Design Tower, opened in 2017 in Sunny Isles Beach. It was constructed by Dezer Development, also in Sunny Isles Beach. The project was followed by the Bentley Residences, which broke ground Tuesday. The 749-foot high, 62-story condominium is being developed at a cost of $850 million. Featuring 216 units, prices at $5.5 million and top out at $35 million with occupancy expected in 2027. The tower was designed by Sieger Suarez Architects in partnership with Bentley Motors.
We are very pleased to celebrate this key milestone in the development of Bentley Residences Miami,” said Christophe Georges, President and CEO of Bentley Motors, adding that it is, “a demonstration of our commitment to great design, the development will create a living experience that expresses the very philosophy of the Bentley brand.”
Amenities include a Macallan Whiskey bar, a Todd English restaurant and a cigar lounge. Both brands are part of the Volkswagen Group. In addition, both towers feature an automobile elevator, created and patented by Dezer. This allows unit owners to park in their private multi-car garage next to their condominium.
Like most of Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, the mid-century modern Thunderbird Hotel was demolished to make way for the Bentley Residences.
Not to be outdone, the Aston Martin Residences is also vying for those seeking an automaker-branded residence. Like Mercedes-Benz, it’s located in the Brickell section of Miami, the 66-story tower features 391 units, with prices starting at $6.5 million and ranging up to $59 million for the penthouse, which comes with its very own $2.3 million Aston Martin Vulcan hypercar. It’s the only automaker so far to feature such an amenity.
And if you feel as if you’ve missed out, consider that Lamborghini, another member of the Volkswagen Group, is planning residences in Brazil, China, Egypt and Spain.
These high-end automakers are merely the latest luxury brands to plaster their names on real estate projects, as Armani, Bulgari, Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld and Missoni are developing, or have developed, real estate projects as well.
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