May (5)

There will be no barge service out of the Port of Miami on Friday December 25, 2009 & January 1, 2010.

Please be advised we will operate a limited schedule for the barge out of the Port of Miami on Thursday December 24, 2009 for deliveries only. The Barges will be on a thirty minute schedule with the first Barge departing the Port at 7:00am and the last Barge departing the Island at 4:00pm.

Posted at 10:14:22 AM

Come by to the Vanderbilt Masion Pool Deck on Sunday December 27 for a family holiday BBQ with childrens activities.

6pm start..great food, face painting, dj and special visits from Mickey, Minnie and much more

Posted at 10:11:11 AM

According to several local real estate professionals, the ultra-wealthy residential island community of Fisher Island is experiencing a strong increase in sales activity in the latter half of 2009, amidst a tough real estate economy for most. Fisher Island Phyllis Winick, on-island broker of Fisher Island Real Estate stated, "Sales are up over 30% this year over 2008 and numerous European buyers are planning to purchase residences here in Miami during this winter season. This will have a major added impact on the real estate market here on Fisher Island and South Florida." Several other off-island luxury condo brokers in South Beach also stated they are seeing a stronger increase in showings, offers made and closings in the latter half of 2009 for Fisher Island properties. Recorded real estate sales data on the island confirms these statements. According to Fisher Island sales stats from the Realtor Association of Greater Miami and the Beaches, there were 31 sales in 2009 compared to only 24 sales in 2008. Fisher Island Marina Even though there were stronger sales activity in 2009, pricing pressures still persisted. The average final selling price across all 31 transactions in 2009 was achieved at a 26% discount off of the original asking price. In 2008 the average final selling price was at a 24% discount to original asking prices. Fisher Island is a 214 acre island located just off the southernmost tip of South Miami Beach that is a haven of approximately 700 ultra-luxury 1920's styled Mediterranean condos, ranging in price from $500,000 to over $30 million. Fisher Island amenities include 14 pools, a 9 hole golf course, 16 tennis courts, a private yacht marina, a day spa, 7 restaurants, private beach and a newly renovated $6M beach club. Fisher Island's 9-hole golf course has also been the host to pro golf tournaments like the Merrill Lynch Shootout. Fisher Island has long been a tropical playground for many of the world's wealthy and famous that includes past and current owners such as the Vanderbilt family, Oprah Winfrey, Mel Brooks and Boris Becker. Most of the current owners on Fisher Island are second vacation home owners, of which 65% come from International origins outside the U.S. Fisher Island Beach Club The island was originally created in 1905 from the dredging activities in and around Miami Beach. In 1919 Carl Fisher purchased the dredge-made property and started construction of Fisher Island. In 1925 William Kissam Vanderbilt II approached and successfully traded a luxury yacht to Fisher for ownership of the island. Since then, it has seen several owner changes through today. The current owner and sole developer of Fisher Island is an entity called Fisher Island Holdings, which is headed by Joseph Kay, a Russian business man who has business and investment interests around the globe. Fisher Island Holdings took control of the island in December 2004 by purchasing the remaining land rights, equity golf memberships and existing inventory of approximately 12 'decorator ready' units from the 2001-02 buildings. He entered the community full of promises to infuse capital into the community and club to return Fisher Island to the top echelon of elegance and luxury. Fisher Island At that time, The developer reportedly announced that all reservations for the future built Palazzo de Mare would have an increase of 30% and reservation holders would be released if they desired. All but one reservation holder accepted the price increase and quickly went to contract. The existing inventory of developer units were also sold within 60 days, at a matched 30% price increase. The real estate market responded with an unprecedented bounce of 30-40% increase for resale units. At the zenith of the South Florida real estate boom, "designer ready" ocean-side condos on Fisher Island were selling for between $1,200 to $1,800 per square foot. Today's selling prices are off by as much as 50% from the 2005-2006 peak market values. In early 2008, sales activity dropped off dramatically, like most luxury real estate communities worldwide, due to a deteriorating global economy. In past years, the island's sales volume hovered around 75-80 resales annually. Given the recent brisk uptick in sales activity, it seems that Fisher Island may be getting back on track to its former glory days.

Michael Gerrity, RealEstateChannel.com

Posted at 2:14:21 PM

$190 million utility tunnel to accompany Port of Miami dredging on hold due to time constraints.

Plans for a $190 million Miami-Dade Water and Sewer project are washed up after officials decided they couldn't build the "utility tunnel" in time for the Port of Miami dredging project they said earlier this month necessitated it. A scaled-down, $42 million pipe relocation is on tap in place of the complex tunnel construction. To accommodate planned dredging to allow some of the world's largest cargo ships access to the local seaport, the county Water and Sewer Department must move a wastewater main that runs through Government Cut, the shipping channel between Miami Beach and Fisher Island. The idea was not to simply move the pipe, but to build a tunnel that would supplant it as well as increase the system's capacity and replace aging infrastructure. That project was to cost about $190 million — $10 million more than the $180 million dredging that's displacing the pipe in the first place. The utility tunnel would have had to be complete by August 2012 to allow for the dredging. Now, the tunnel project is on hold, and the plan instead is to simply move the obstructive wastewater line at a cost of about $42 million. "After careful review of the time-constraints with this [tunnel] project, the Department has determined that a different installation option will be pursuedÖ. At this time, only the portion of the pipeline crossing the Government Cut Channel that conflicts with the dredging project will be relocated," said Ed Vega, Water and Sewer assistant director for engineering and capital improvements, in a Dec. 9 e-mail to county and Miami Beach officials. Beach officials and residents have been inundating the county with questions about the now-paused tunnel project, which would have involved some construction on Miami Beach's southern end as well as on Fisher Island. The new plan — relocating the obstructing main alone — "can be done by working from barges directly in Government Cut," Mr. Vega assured officials in his letter. But Beach stakeholders' concerns had nothing "whatsoever" to do with the change in plans, he said via e-mail Monday, reiterating that it's simply time constraints that have put the utility tunnel on hold. Instead, the department is to in summer 2011 begin a year's worth of work to relocate the main that's in the way of the planned dredging. "WeÝwill continue to pursue the Utility Tunnel implementation but after relocating the 54-inch force main within the Channel," Mr. Vega said. The utility tunnel, 12 feet in diameter, is designed to hold three wastewater lines and a reclaimed water main, along with other utilities such as cable lines. Also included in the $190 million project budget was a "micro-tunnel" housing water mains from Fisher Island, as well as a reclaimed water pipe. "There is not a specific timeline for pursuing the tunnel but [it] definitely will continue to be part of our plans," he said. The Water and Sewer Department is to use bonds to fund the less-involved pipe relocation. Users pay the fees that back water and sewer bonds. In part to fund the department's capital program, county commissioners agreed to a 6% fee increase in October, with another 6% hike to kick in this coming April. The plan is to in spring go out for about $500 million in new bond money for a variety of multi-year projects, said Diane Camacho, Water and Sewer's assistant director for finance, in an interview this month. User fee-backed bonds would have covered part of the utility tunnel's $190 million price tag and developer impact fees the rest. The breakdown was undecided before officials pulled back on the project. The Water and Sewer Department would have covered the costs for the tunnel and is footing the bill for the pipe relocation, though the port dredging necessitates the project because the impeding infrastructure runs through Government Cut by permit, not right....By Risa Polansky , Miami Today

Posted at 5:22:49 PM

The annual Mixed Club Championship will be held this Sunday, December 13, 2009 at the Links of Fisher island.

This is annually one of the most well attended golf majors. Feel free to swing by and watch fellow members play for the 1st major title of the winter.

Posted at 3:44:01 PM

Fisher island Beach Club will have the beach services shut down on December 14 & 15 as the club replenishes  the sand and beautify the beach area prior to the winter high season

Posted at 3:41:47 PM

The Fisher island Club Board of Directors has announced negotiations for developer to step down from board positions are close to being final.

The Equity Members of Fisher Island soon may be in 100% control of the Fisher Island Club...more details to follow

Posted at 5:10:03 PM