Chef Jean-Georges cooking up branded residences in Miami

作者：LISA KLEIN

Miami has a tasty new branded building to look forward to.

Famed French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s latest project is the Jean-Georges Miami Tropic Residences, which will blend chic design with the chef’s world-renowned gastronomic offerings in South Florida.

“Miami Tropic represents a longtime dream of mine to open residences that blend my culinary passions with my interest in creating lifestyle spaces,” said Mr. Vongerichten, in a statement.

Taste of the town

The new branded residences represent the Michelin-starred chef’s entry into the real estate world.

The highly successful restauranteur operates over 60 locations around the globe, from his namesake restaurant in New York to culinary concepts across the U.S. and in Europe, Asia, the Caribbean and beyond. Now he is expanding his reach into residences, being constructed just outside of Miami’s tony Design District.

Partnering with Florida development firm Terra and Iowa-based Lion Development Group, the building was designed by Arquitectonica – a Miami firm that has worked on numerous branded projects – with interiors by Yabu Pushelberg. As in all of his restaurants, Mr. Vongerichten was heavily involved is the design of the building, especially and unsurprisingly, in the residences’ kitchens.

The chef’s touch, combined with Yabu Pushelberg’s use of natural materials and lush, tropical greenery nodding to Florida’s environment, fills the building with “joy, surprise and wonder,” along with sophistication and a connection to local culture.

In addition to 329 condos, the 48-story building will include many amenities that branded residences have come to be known for, including valet parking, outdoor ping pong tables and squash courts, a pool with cabanas, outdoor gardens and theater, juice bar, salon and spa – along with a podcast recording studio.

On the ground floor will be, of course, one of Mr. Vongerichten’s restaurants, abc kitchens – an extension of abc kitchen, which focuses on local and sustainable ingredients, along with plant-forward abcV and Latin-focused abc cocina. The new location will join the chef’s three standing restaurants in Miami Beach.

Residences were designed by Yabu Pushelberg and feature luxe, natural materials. Rendering credit: The Boundary“We’re thrilled to be partnering with Jean-Georges and look forward to introducing a first-of-its-kind lifestyle offering which celebrates the tropical living of South Florida while creating a true cosmopolitan experience at the center of Miami’s cultural hub,” said David Martin, CEO of Terra, in a statement.

“Miami Tropic residents will enjoy exceptional amenities, design and culinary experiences at their fingertips in addition to walkable, convenient access to Miami’s most distinctive and desirable neighborhoods,” he said.

On brand

Branded residence developments have exploded globally by 150 percent over the last decade, according to Forbes, which estimates that there are 700 current buildings and that number set to double by 2030.

Miami, along with Dubai, has long been a hotspot for such developments.

Luxury hotels, such as the St. Regis, Waldorf Astoria and Four Seasons, were among the first to try their hand at creating residences. The automakers and fashion brands came later.

“The branding of residences has evolved,” said Alicia Cervera, chairman and principal of Cervera Real Estate in Miami.

Now Porsche, Aston Martin, Armani, Fendi and Missoni have all taken up residence in the city, with Mercedes-Benz (see story), Bentley, Dolce & Gabbana and Baccarat residences all underway. Another culinary offering by Major Food Group is also under construction.

Extending a luxury brand name to a building can lend automatic prestige-by-association.

“With Jean-Georges and the restaurant, it’s the same thing,” Ms. Cervera said. “It’s a positioning statement for the condos, and they’re hoping that the quality of food and prestige of the chef will translate in people’s minds into the quality that they’re buying into.”

Doing so also casts a wider net in terms of potential buyers – especially global buyers who may not be familiar with neighborhoods or streets, but certainly recognize brands and big names. And, in Miami, global buyers are key.

According to a 2023 report from MIAMI Realtors, South Florida attracts 11 percent of foreign homebuyers to the United States and accounts for 18 percent of total foreign-buyer sales dollars in the country. Miami-Dade county takes the lion’s share of those sales (72 percent).

Many of those buyers hail from Latin America – Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil and Mexico, in particular, per the report. Miami is also a haven for domestic homebuyers escaping cold winter weather in the northern U.S.

Because of this, “Miami can be complicated,” Ms. Cervera said, adding that a brand name, such as Jean-Georges, “becomes an enormous platform to reach out to the rest of the world.”

The development is expected to be a boon for local residents, too, adding to the evolving, upscale dining options in Midtown and the Design District.

“Having lived in Miami, we’ve witnessed the Design District’s dynamic transformation firsthand,” said George Yabu, cofounder of Yabu Pushelberg, in a statement.

“We are inspired to contribute to this pedestrian-friendly neighborhood with Miami Tropic, where the city’s lush, tropical environment blends with its vibrant culture.”

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