You can live in sophisticated luxury in a Sky Villa with interior designs and furniture by Fendi Casa in JEM Private Residences, 67 floors above Miami's vibrant Worldcenter neighborhood.
Sales of luxury condominiums are still surging in Miami and so many new units are coming on the market that high-end residences are available to suit almost any lifestyle. Newcomers who dream of life in a tower with spectacular views but just an elevator ride away from the action will find it in JEM Private Residences, rising in the heart of Miami's Worldcenter. And the ultra-wealthy seeking spacious beachside homes with bespoke service and security worthy of a U.S. president will be drawn to The Delmore, the city's most exclusive condominium building.
Tara West, director of sales at The Delmore, points out that the project's 2-acre site in Surfside is within Miami's "Billionaire's Triangle" of Surfside, Bal Harbour and Indian Creek — the three towns reportedly housing many of Miami's richest residents. "We know our target audience is within the top echelon of people globally, those who have a discerning, private lifestyle whose top priorities are wellness and security," she says.
West spent the summer visiting European cities and places in the U.S. like the Hamptons where such people gravitate because, she explains, "The Delmore was shaped around their lifestyle." The Delmore has two
12-story residential towers designed by world-famous Zaha Hadid Architects, with a sand-colored sculptural exterior and interiors by Singapore-based Hirsch Bedner Associates "with a very calming color palette."
"Nearby Indian Creek is a private, human-made island with 28 estates," West explains, "and we are creating similar homes in a vertical arrangement, with floor plans averaging 7,000 square feet — ranging from 5,100 square feet to more than 12,000 square feet. Each of the 37 condominiums will have private elevator foyers, and the majority of residences will include two kitchens: a show kitchen with comfortable seating for light meals, and a chef's kitchen for prep work and catering." The residences will be completed in 2029. Prices start at $15 million, with an average of $40 million. Each residence has its own temperature-controlled garage and, for $2.5 million or more, a few owners can purchase separate studio apartments to house guests, private chefs or nannies.
"The project is designed with understated quiet luxury for people who lead high-profile lives and want a retreat with everything they need nearby," West says.
"The grounds are being designed by CLAD Landscape Architecture & Design, led by Carolina Monteiro, who has planned an expansive 20,000-square-foot oceanfront meditation garden with cascading waterfall. Miami-based Monteiro, whose experience extends internationally to São Paulo, is known for her meticulous attention to detail and vibrant, colorful planting schemes."
By day, residents can stroll the garden's paths or use it for outdoor yoga or Pilates; at night, the garden trans. forms into a well-lit, enchanting space for gatherings or quiet reflection, complete with a sculptural fire feature. The more than 55,000 square feet of amenities, West continues, include The Delmore's centerpiece, a
75-foot-long suspended acrylic pool bridging the two towers. "Swimmers will feel a sense of weightlessness as they gaze down to the grand, glass-roofed, double-height lobby below." A 75-foot indoor lap pool is also a standout, adjacent to the building's state-of-the-art fitness center. Other amenities include private executive lounges for working parents and a children's club for their kids or grandkids.
The Delmore will feature a private restaurant offering a Michelin-starred menu, along with food and beverage service on a rooftop terrace overlooking the suspended pool and at a private beach club on the adjacent sand. A retinue of concierges, residential managers and butlers will be available 24/7.
At all times, residents will be protected "quietly and unobtrusively by a Washington, D.C.-based security team hired for its specialized experience with the U.S. Department of Defense, embassies and the residences of current and former U.S. presidents," West says. "The Delmore establishes a new benchmark for Miami luxury, attracting ultra-wealthy residents who are committing to the city as a true home rather than a seasonal getaway."
People who purchase and move into the 278 condominiums in the JEM Private Residences, slated for completion in 2027, are looking for a livelier lifestyle, because their new homes will be located in Miami Worldcenter, the city's bustling new entertainment and dining hub.
Developer Miki Naftali, CEO of global real estate and development company the Naftali Group, says he decided to build his first Miami project within downtown Miami's 27-acre Worldcenter because, "This is the future." Miami, he relates, has grown into a world-class city with a world-class traffic problem. "We are spending endless hours waiting in traffic. By placing condominiums in a part of the city where residents can walk to all the stores, restaurants and services they need, we are allowing them to save time." And by placing those condominiums on the 43rd-to-67th floors of a mixed-use building with Class-A rental apartments below, future residents will have more time to enjoy their spectacular views of the city, ocean and Biscayne Bay. The JEM Private Residences will have a mix of studios and one- to four-bedroom units, plus 10 penthouses, priced from $600,000 to $8 million.
"The majority of the units," Naftali says, "will be priced between $1.5 million and $2.5 million. This is a very active market and we are attracting buyers in their early 30s to early 50s. Most of them, including buyers from Mexico, Venezuela and Brazil, are investing in a high-quality second or third home where they can spend more time in Florida. We do have some young professionals currently living in rental apartments now who plan to move to JEM permanently, as will a few empty nesters who are selling their large homes and want to be closer to the action."
"We are seeing potential buyers mainly from New York and New England, but also from Chicago and California, plus Miami locals who will be relocating.
We also have some from Palm Beach who want a place to stay when they come here to watch Miami Heat games. Their arena is right next door."
When those future residents move in, they will feel the building, with curving exteriors by Arquitectonica and modern interiors by the Rockwell Group, was designed for them because, in a way, it was. Naftali, who has developed over two dozen buildings in New York, Canada and around the world, admits, "Residential real estate is a crazy business because we put hundreds of millions of dollars into buildings and never meet the people who will live there until the day they sign a contract. To be successful, however, you have to create what is missing in the marketplace."
To find that out, Naftali says, "For every project, we hire real estate brokers and send them out with clear instructions to speak to residential brokers in our targeted geographic area to find out what buyers are looking for. What would they like to see in a new building?" In Miami, the brokers came back from their research missions with reports that social media content creators would like on-site green rooms where they can work remotely. Other future buyers wanted special rooms where they could create and record podcasts. The amenities on the JEM Private Residences 50th floor will include the usual pool and fitness center, but, after hearing from potential customers, there will also be a boxing ring and locker rooms, as well as a salt room, steam room, sauna and cold plunge. A yoga patio allows for meditation next to a landscaped mist garden.
"When brainstorming with brokers about what our future Miami customers want, several mentioned a very cool space that feels like a private club where residents can sample spirits, like wines. We decided to create a tequila tasting room and that idea had a great reception because nobody had done it before," Naftali adds.
High-end buyers like brand affiliations, so some of the large Sky Villas in JEM Private Residences will be decorated and furnished by Italian luxury designer Fendi Casa. "We've already sold two Sky Villas under this collaboration," Naftali says, "so we are making two more available. It is a pleasure working with them."
