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development

Dubai Promises Eco-Friendly Gardens in the Desert

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Green

One question that continues to be asked by people around the world is just how big a project can be before it's absolutely laughable to call it green. The latest mega-project from Dubai stretches the bounds of eco-believability. It's a $54.4 billion environmentally friendly real estate project stretching over 20,000 acres. The Mohammed bin Rashid Gardens has four main clusters themed around wisdom, humanity, nature and commerce. The plan is to have 73% of the total area covered in greenery. Yes, in Dubai, a country that is pretty much a desert. The design as shown in the model above calls for plenty of large lakes and canals.

The House of Nature will have parks, flower gardens, recreational clubs, a zoo, hotels, environmental labs and alternative medicine and herbal healing clinics; the House of Wisdom will be home to a library, international universities, history and science colleges and a mosque; the House of Humanity will include the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Humanitarian and Charity Establishment, the Museum of Light, the Human Civilization Museum and other room for other charities such as Unicef; and the House of Commerce will include banks, financial services firms and insurance companies and colleges that will specialize in banking and finance.

Internet rumors have pegged the location of the project, which will be overseen by Dubai Holdings, to be between Al Khail Road and Emirates Road in an area that borders Downtown Burj Dubai to the north and Dubailand to the south. This hasn't been confirmed and no date has been given for the start of construction.

Tags: development, dubai, green, mohammad bin Rashid gardens, MohammadBinRashidGardens

Luxury Condo Projects Bloom In Downtown Pittsburgh

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Real Estate Developments

Big construction is going on in downtown Pittsburgh. The downtown area which has long been in a state of slow decline is looking to be revitalized thanks to a couple of major projects especially the Piatt Place project. Piatt Place will be a redesign of the Lazarus department store building. Two upscale chain restaurants, McCormick and Schmick's and the Capital Grille will anchor the building and the rest of the building will be turned into offices and condos. The residential units are new construction, built on a new slab on top of the roof. The condos start $330,000 to $1.5 million each and in an article on KDKA it has been reported that 40% of the units are under contract.

But in a nationwide market that is not, for the most part, favoring condos, there may be trouble ahead. For example at another high-end project in Pittsburgh, 151 First Side, owners have closed on more than half of the 83 units but a handful are already up for resale. At the Carlyle, a project that has currently a 6,000-square-foot penthouse listed at $2.195 million, half of the 60 units are under contract but many of those buyers are investors and the second phase of the project is on hold. It seems that the problem in Pittsburgh isn't so much a condo glut of the type that has affected so many other cities, but instead is a question of changing people's perceptions of life downtown and whether or not people are willing to pay these types of prices when for the same amount of money they could get a fairly large home in the suburbs.

Tags: condominiums, development, pennsylvania, pittsburgh

Big Sales at London's One Hyde Park Development

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

High-end real estate in London is alive and well. Last March I mentioned that Sheikh Hamad, the foreign minister of the Gulf State of Qatar had picked up an apartment for a rumored £100 million (around $196 million) in One Hyde Park and now the Sunday Times reports that he is not alone. They report that half of the 80 apartments at the luxury complex designed by Richard Rogers have been contracted to be sold. The super rich from around the world have been spending prices of around almost £6000 per square foot with an average apartment price of £20 million ($39.23 million). Most of the buyers are from elsewhere with 39% coming from Russia and 25% from the Middle East while just 14% of the buyers are from Britain. The property will have an underground passage to the nearby Mandarin Oriental hotel and access to all hotel amenities. The project is expected to be completed in 2010.

Tags: development, london, one hyde park, OneHydePark

SilkWind at West Shore

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Some of the most architecturally interesting projects are coming out of Canada. SilkWind is a tower located in Victoria. So far Victoria hasn't attracted a lot of international interest from condo buyers, but this tower's cosmopolitan appeal may change that. Its 23 stories will be home to 150 condominiums. The building is triangular which matches the site shape, and the shape is also meant to mimic the prow of a ship. The suites' interiors have cherry or maple cabinetry, plasma fireplaces, marble and granite countertops and hardwood floors. Amenities include an exercise facility, infinity pool and resident lounge. There is also a 24-hour concierge service and a 152-stall bike storage area. The units range from 1,071 sq. ft. to 2,104 sq. ft. and will sell from the mid-$500,000's to $1.8-million.

[via Globe and Mail]

Tags: canada, condo, condominium, development, victoria

2727 Kirby at River Oaks

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

The latest high-rise in the Houston area is in the Upper Kirby/River Oaks area of Houston. The 30-story tower is crafted in glass, stainless steel and stone and sits on a narrow lot that is less than an acre in size. 2727 Kirby will have 96 units which will be one-, two- and three-bedroom condos ranging in size from 1,250 square feet to 6,100 square feet. Units are divided into residences and "estates" which have an elevator that drops them off into their unit. The residences have fireplaces and a private terrace equipped with an outdoor kitchen.

The building, designed by "Ziegler Cooper Architects, includes a six-level garage topped by the Aqua Level which includes fitness, pool and spa facilities. The west side of the Aqua Level will be home to the Sunset Lounge, a formal entertaining area for dinner parties of up to 50 that has a catering kitchen and a wine storage room. The Aqua Lounge faces east and is a more casual venue with billiard tables and a bar. The infinity pool is surrounded by private cabanas and palm tree and there is also an outdoor fireplace and hot tub. The south side of the Aqua level will include a library, media room, and a putting green. The building will offer private gardens for residents with a green thumb. The lobby will include a large contemporary glass sculpture. Units are priced from $500,000 to $7 million.

[via Multi-Housing News]

Tags: condo, condominium, development, houston, texas

Beach Villas at El Banco

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

We are back for another look at El Banco, former Yahoo CEO Tim Koogle's luxury community between Puerto Vallarta and Punta de Mita. The first phase of the beach villas at the development recently went on sale. El Banco is located on over 100 acres on the Punta de Mita Peninsula and the Beach Villas are located in the southeast corner of the development. Each custom-designed home has views of the Bay of Banderas and El Banco's long stretch of white-sand beach. The villas have a Spanish Colonial look and each has a minimum of four bedrooms. The property does have some eco-friendly features including using local materials and plants, a planned desalinization facility and a low-density master plan. The homes are listed between $5.5-$8.5 million.

Tags: development, el banco, ElBanco, mexico, mexico real estate, real estate

One Ski Place, Breckenridge's New Condo Complex

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Breckenridge, Colorado is starting to rival Aspen and Vail when it comes to luxury condos. One Ski Hill Place, is a new 90-unit development at the base of Peak 8. The new property is part of RockResorts and will feature amenities that include an aquatics center with two swimming pools and both indoor and outdoor hot tubs. Owners will also have access to a game room, two movies lounges and lockers. There will even be a bowling alley which will be designed to resemble a mine shaft. The property will be home to three restaurants, a conference center, a sports massage center and ski and snowboard rental services. Units range from studios to four bedrooms. The development also has a green angle: the lodge will include recycled materials, low-energy windows, Energy-Star appliances and water-saving devices.

The first 15 of 90 units will be released Dec. 8 and the asking price for the first of four penthouses will be $2.67 million, which will set a record as the highest asking price for a non-single family residence in Summit County. The previous record was held by a unit at Crystal Peak Lodge which cost $2.4 million. Construction is set to begin in May and due for completion for the 2009-10 ski season.

[via The Summit Daily News]

Tags: breckenridge, colorado, condominiums, development, one ski place, skiing

Trump's Scottish Golf Course Gets The Thumbs Down

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

It's a bad week for Donald Trump, a Scottish council has rejected a plan from the Trumpster to build a $1 billion golf course and resort complex in idyllic seaside area north of Aberdeen. Trump's losing out to the birds, rare birds which make their home in the sandy dunes of the coastal area. Opponents of the development said that the development would damage the habitat of the Lapwings, Redshanks and Skylarks. Proponents of the plans said that the new development would be a big boost to the local economy. The Aberdeenshire Council's Infrastructure Committee battled for hours over Trump's plans before finally rejecting them. This news was particularly shocking to Trump since the council's Formartine area committee approved the golf course in a 7-4 vote last week. This latest vote (pardon the pun) trumps the first one. It is not known yet whether Trump will appeal the vote or if he will simply move on to create his golfing dream in another European country. The project was to have two 18-hole courses, a 450-bedroom hotel, 950 vacation homes, 36 golf villas and 500 larger homes.

Tags: aberdeen, development, donald trump, DonaldTrump, golf course, scotland

Revel Entertainment's Atlantic City Resort

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

A few weeks ago I mentioned the MGM Grand's big plans for Atlantic City, NJ. Their multibillion dollar resort is far from the only game in town. Another huge project, this one from Revel Entertainment just got preliminary site plan approval from the city planning board. The project includes two towers with almost 2,000 rooms each and a large casino exceeding 168,000 square feet. The project is estimated to cost in the $2 to $2.5 billion range and will welcome visitors with Revel Beach, a sandy area at the far corner of the complex next to the boardwalk that will feature a nightclub, retail space and dining options. The project also includes a 5,000-seat event center and another 600-seat theater as well as a spa and fitness center with indoor and outdoor swimming pools. The first phase is expected to open in 2010.

Gallery: Revel Resort

Tags: atlantic city, casino, development, new jersey, revel

Shopping For Condos At A Retail Store

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Usually when you are interested in a condo the process is pretty simple, you check it out online and then visit the site or marketing office to see a sample for yourself. But what if the condo is in a faraway location? Canadian Cliff Bowman has a new idea for selling condos, a condo retail store that offers a variety of condominium developments under one roof. His Urban and Resort Condo Centers are the offshoot of his Global Condo Center website. The stores are located in downtown storefront locations and a variety of developers provide scale models, floor plans, virtual tours and interactive visuals. The centers are currently up and running in Vancouver and Calgary and more are planned for Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle, Baltimore and Boston. The stores rent out space to condo developers for their projects.

[via HeraldNet]

Tags: condo, condominium, development, resort

Highland Meadows, Housing For the Aging and Green

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Green

Two of the biggest trends in housing developments right now are buildings with eco-friendly features and residences for the over 55 crowd. Put them both together and you've got Highland Meadows a new luxury development in Weston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe reports that the development will have the high-end features such as Sub-Zero refrigerators and Wolf stoves and options for basement saunas and wine rooms. The development also has a network of pipes and tanks that store rainwater to irrigate the property's landscaping. During a dry season it can be supplemented from on-site wells. Waste water from sinks, bathtubs and toilets are routed into an on-site treatment site and then into a leaching field. The 69 condo units will be priced between $1.6 million and $2 million with seven units earmarked for affordable housing.

Tags: condominium, development, eco friendly, green, highland meadows, massachusetts, weston

Fan Pier, Boston's New Green Neighborhood

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Green

I've already reported on two new LEED certified neighborhood developments, here comes news of a third. Fan Pier in Boston will be a $3 billion development that spreads across nine city blocks and will be home to residential, commercial, hotel and retail space. The Fallon Company recently broke ground on Fan Pier's first office building. It is the second building to be constructed at Fan Pier, following the striking design of the new Institute of Contemporary Art. One Fan Pier Boulevard, will be a new 18-story office building.

Fan Pier's next building will be a 20-story, 175-guestroom luxury hotel with 100 residential units, many with terraces overlooking the harbor. There will be nine new buildings in total as well as public parks and an improved harbor walk. There will also be a 96-slip deep water yacht marina that will be able to host megayachts. The project is expected to completed during the next four years.

What's green about this one? News on that has been slow in coming. There are lots of public parks planned and it will have excellent access to public transportation but while the developers are promising a sustainable neighborhood they have not offered up a lot of specifics to the public yet.

Tags: boston, development, fan pier, FanPier, leed

Russia, The Island

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Perhaps taking a cue from the developers of the World in Dubai, Russian developers have announced that they are creating an artificial island in the shape of Russia in the Black Sea. Federation Island will be located off the coast of the future Olympic venue Sochi. The island, which will have marinas, artificial rivers and apartments and villas to house 25,000 is planned to be completed in time for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Dutch architect Erick van Egeraat is designing the project and it is expected to cast around $6.2 billion.

Tags: black sea, development, federation island, FederationIsland, island, russia, sochi

321 North, Plantation Florida's Green Neighborhood

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Green

South Florida hasn't exactly been the hub of the green movement but an ambitious new project in the city of Plantation might help to change that. A 33-acre development called 321 North seeks to create a new green town center for the city of Plantation. The $350 billion project includes 600 residential units, office space and a revamped shopping mall all within walking distance. A local news station, NBC6, checked out the development which will be created with eco-friendly materials including zinc siding and green screens where plants can grow to create natural shade. On the interior the bamboo and palm wood and products made of recycled materials continue the green theme. The development also is part of a nationwide pilot program to expand LEED beyond individual buildings to creating entire eco-friendly neighborhoods. Construction is expected to begin next year.

Tags: 321 north, 321North, development, eco friendly, florida, green, LEED, plantation

Liberty Cove, The Plans For Mexico's Biggest Resort

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Mexico's resort real estate developments have been getting bigger and bigger but a new height has been reached with the groundbreaking at Liberty Cove. This $50 billion development has been in the planning stages for five years. Liberty Cove, located north of Puerto Libertad in Sonora, Mexico,is 46,500 acres and will become Mexico's largest destination resort community. The project is designed to have a as close to a 'zero-carbon footprint' as possible, striving for compliance to LEED and other green-certification protocols. Phase One of Liberty Cove includes a ranch lot program (to be launched at the end of 2007), a beach club, boutique seaside commercial village, a signature golf course, a saddle club and equestrian facilities, a boutique hotel, tennis club, condominiums, an on-site medical facility and a safari club. Later phases will include marinas, and more hotels and real estate options. The resort will also have a multi-lane roadway that snakes through a terraced resort village to the water's edge, similar to the Le Mans courses of Europe. Race car driver Davy Jones will design a number of racing facilities.

Tags: development, liberty cove, LibertyCove, mexico

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