Abandoned

Before Brickell City Centre There Was The Brickell Tennis Club

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Brickell Tennis Club Was Located in the Heart of Brickell

Brickell Tennis Club Was Located in the Heart of Brickell

In the middle of Brickell's urban sprawl was a tennis club that occupied over a block of land. The Brickell Tennis Club was located at 601 South Miami Ave and had multiple tennis courts with a clubhouse. It was built approximately between 2003-2005.

In March of 2011, Swire Properties acquired the land for $14 million to build the $1.05 billion Brickell City Centre. The condo Reach Brickell City Centre will be built on the land that was previously the Brickell Tennis Club.

In July of 2012, Swire was able to acquire the land to the North of the Brickell Tennis Club that was used as the parking lot for the facilities. This land is part of the second phase of construction for Brickell City Centre and will be the location of the condo North Squared. 

Demolition of the Brickell Tennis Club began in May of 2012.

Below are photos from demolition.

Brickell Tennis Club Video

More Changes To West Brickell?

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Low Rise Apartments in West Brickell

Low Rise Apartments in West Brickell

A Brazilian airline investor named José Afonso Assumpção, has been buying properties all over Miami in 2013, including land in Edgewater and Brickell. The buying has been done under the name Miami Sunrise Properties and been operated by Elena Arechaga. 

Some of the land that has been purchased in West Brickell were a few low rise apartment buildings and single family homes located between SW 10th St and SW 11th St. and bordered to the west and east by SW 3rd Ave and SW 2nd Ave. Assumpção paid $13 million for the land, totaling 92,250 square feet. According to Metro1, Assumpção had plans to build a project called "1010 Second", which would have been two 33 story buildings with a hotel and apartments. Apparently that project has fell through and another investor has offered almost double what Assumpção paid.

All of the residents of the apartments and houses have already left and the buildings have been boarded up. They will probably stay that way until Assumpção sells the land to another investor or decides to build. 

Across the street to the North of the land owned by Miami Sunrise Properties was a two story public housing complex that has been recently torn down. The land is owned by the city of Miami and zoning codes allow for a building up to 24 stories. No word on what they are planning to build on the site.

West Brickell has already seen a a recent transformation and with development of this land will continue the metamorphosis. 

Plan Proposed To Add Theater To Coconut Grove Playhouse

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Coconut Grove Playhouse

According to the Miami Herald, a plan is being proposed by attorney Lewis "Mike" Eidson to add a second theater with 750 seats to the existing Playhouse that has 300 seats. 

The goal would be to have the theater run by the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. The addition, with parking and offices would cost around $45 million. 

Rendering of Proposed Addition to the Playhouse (via Miami Herald)

In January, the state transferred the site to Miami-Dade County and Florida International University, which will lease the site for 50 years. 

The Playhouse closed in April 2006 when under $4 million in debt and has been abandoned ever since.

Apartments Torn Down To Make Way For Walgreens

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Site Of A Walgreens Brickell

Site Of A Walgreens Brickell

Walgreens bought two lots to build a futuristic store and on that first lot was an abandoned car wash that sat empty since 2006. The second lot had a two story low income apartment building that is directly across from Chetrit Group's new Miami Riverwalk. 

Demolition was just completed on the car wash and Walgreens just recently knocked down the apartment building. Construction should begin on the new Walgreens in the next few months.

Below are photos of the apartment building that was on the site.

Inside the Abandoned Brickell Car Wash Concept

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The Car Wash Conveyor Belt

The Car Wash Conveyor Belt

While workers clear out the site to build a Walgreens in Brickell, the lot was previously used as a car wash, called the Car Wash Concept. 

Located at 250 SW 7th St., the car wash was built and opened in 1999. For seven years the car wash was functioning and operating before it was finally closed in June 2006. When you walked around the building, all the calendars were open on June 2006 and it felt as if you were back in time. Surprisingly, despite sitting empty for so long, many vandals and graffiti artist were not in the building. There were many cobwebs and a lot of the stuff looked as if it was untouched since they left it in 2006. 

Walgreens purchased the lot this year and exactly eight years since it closed, the building was torn down in June 2014. 

Below are photos and a video of the building.

National Trust For Historic Preservation Event at Miami Marine Stadium

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Gloria Estefan Attends the Miami Marine Stadium Event

On Saturday morning the National Trust For Historic Preservation held an event at the Miami Marine Stadium to help create awareness about the building and to help with the stadium restoration.

The stadium has been abandoned since 1992 after Hurricane Andrew. City officials deemed the building to be structurally unsafe and ordered it closed. The stadium was used for boat races and concerts such as Gloria Estefan and Jimmy Buffett.

While the stadium has sat abandoned for twenty two years, it has become a haven for graffiti artists who have used the stadium walls as a canvas to display their work.

The Saturday event gave nine street artists the chance to create live work for the people attending.

The event was attended by Gloria and Emilio Estefan who announced that they were donating $500,000 to help in the restoration of the building. They were gracious enough to meet and greet with everyone who was at the event. Also on hand was stadium architect Hilario Candela, who was mingling with guests throughout the day.

The Friends of Miami Marine Stadium are trying to preserve and restore the stadium and are looking to raise $30 million by January. 

If you would like to make a donation, you can visit http://www.marinestadium.org for more information.

Below are photos from the event.

Demolition Starts To Make Way For Brickell Walgreens

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Demolition is almost complete at lot 296 SW 7th Street to make way for a new Walgreens. 

The lot was the location of the Brickell Car Wash Concept, but has sat abandoned since early 2006.

Walgreens paid $10 million for the one acre lot, which also includes the two story apartment complex next door. The lot is only a few blocks away from Brickell City Centre and across the street from where the Chetrit Group want to build four Miami River condos. 

The unique design of the new Walgreens was created by Frank Demandt and Robert Brown of Demandt Architecture.

Construction on the Walgreens should begin in the next few months.

Lot As the Abandoned Brickell Car Wash Concept

Lot Today With Demolition Almost Complete

Apartment Complex on the Corner of the Site

Overhead View of Site Before Demolition

Renderings of the Walgreens