Million-dollar, 4-story townhouses latest project in Miami’s islands

The Town of Bay Harbor Islands is only connected to the mainland of north Miami-Dade County by a causeway, but it’s redevelopment efforts are also linked to the rest of South Florida.

Construction for Palm Villas, the latest a community of luxury townhouses, is expected to be completed and ready for occupancy this November.

The four-story townhomes will start at $1.2 million and range from 2,274 to 2,950 square feet.

The townhomes range from three to five-bedroom homes, guest quarters and private elevator. The bathrooms with have porcelain and Hansgrohe faucets and European custom cabinetry. Amenities include private gardens and a rooftop terrace with a hot tub and summer kitchen.

Palm Villas was built by the Land Developers Group, the same company that is building Bay Harbor One, an eight-story, 36-unit condo development in Bay Harbour Islands.

There are almost two dozen residential and commercial projects in some stage of proposal or construction, according to Assistant Town Manager, J.C. Jimenez.

For the “last three or four years it’s been like this,” Jimenez said. “We have a top rated school, [we’re] always ranked as one of the safest communities in Florida.”

Some of the bigger projects include:

■ Island Club: A residential project of 82 homes. Construction plans have been submitted.

■ Royale House: A residential project of 72 homes. Construction plans have been submitted.

■ Bijou: A condo project of 41 homes, of nine stories. Construction has started.

■ Driftwood: A residential project of 35 homes. Plans were approved at Planning & Zoning in March.

The projects are within 150 acres of the East Island, the section reserved for multi-family homes, and businesses. The 103-acre West Island remains open only to singlefamily unit development.

“Bay Harbor is undergoing a transformation with many new projects coming to the island,” said Adam Kaufman, vice president of sales & operations at Pordes Residential, which is marketing the Palm Villas homes. “The area has seen an influx of younger families and buyers in their 30s, 40s and 50s with children who are enticed by this safe, serene area.”

He said because the town is within walking distance of the Bal Harbour Shops and the ocean, it attracts a “super wealthy” clientele where condos and townhomes sell for the “low million dollar range on average” and single-family homes sell higher.

Kaufman is also selling the projects of 101 Bay Harbor, a 12 townhouse project that is four stories. The development finished construction about a year ago and there is one unit left.

Also finished last year and still available is a project called Kai, a 7-story condo project of 67 units. Kaufman said there are 16 units left.

But he said developers aren’t worried, and are betting the demand will only increase.

“If you look at south Florida as a whole,” this is one of the “pockets of luxury products.”

PALM VILLAS Palm Villas, townhomes starting at $1.2 million in Bay Harbor Islands, is expected to be completed later this year.