FYI Miami: October 2, 2014

LUXURIOUS LIVING: The Miami area is among the most desirable luxury housing markets in the world, according to Coldwell Banker Previews’ Luxury Market Report for the second half of 2014. Focusing on three price points, Miami had 1,185 listings for $1 million (second on the list behind New York); Miami Beach had 218 listings for $5 million (again, second to New York) and Miami was in eighth place with 87 listings; Miami Beach had 82 listings for $10 million (second to New York) and Miami was tenth with 27. For sales, Miami had 933 (eighth on the list) and Miami Beach 699 (12th) for $1 million; Miami Beach (fifth) had 63 for $5 million; and Miami Beach (fourth) had 17 for $10 million while North Miami Beach (17th) had four.

WORLDCENTER PARKING: Discussions between developers of the expansive Miami Worldcenter and the Miami Parking Authority are “ongoing,” authority CEO Art Noriega told the Off-Street Parking Board last week. In August, he revealed that talks between the developers and officials with the city and county were under way and might lead to a new garage managed by the authority as part of a public-private partnership. There are “lots of parts” to these discussions, he said last week. A representative for Worldcenter told Miami Today the proposed facility could include about 3,000 public spaces as part of the mixed-use development, which is poised to revive a nearly 10-block area of mostly blighted lots in Park West. Mr. Noriega said he hopes to have more concrete details by the board’s November meeting.

PROTEST DENIED: Miami’s Off-Street Parking Board has rejected a protest by Park Mobile USA Inc. over the board’s Aug. 6 choice of PayByPhone Technologies Inc. as its sole phone payment vendor. The board followed the Miami Parking Authority staff’s recommendation to stick with the company it’s been working with since 2008. By downloading an application to smartphones, drivers can pay for parking on-street, off-street and in authority-operated garages. Earlier this year the authority solicited pay by phone service proposals. It got nine, which were whittled down to just PayByPhone and Park Mobile. On Oct. 1 the board denied Park Mobile’s protest, rejecting its arguments that PayByPhone’s proposal didn’t respond to the solicitation.

LOFTY GOALS: Construction of the Aloft South Beach Hotel is underway and is expected to create 300 jobs, Marcus & Millichap reports. The 235-room hotel also is to have about 2,300 square feet of meeting space. Completion is scheduled for the first quarter of next year.