619 Brickell by Nobu is a 75-storey, Foster + Partners-designed tower planned for the First Miami Presbyterian Church site on Brickell Avenue. It launched sales in June 2026 with more than $1 billion in reservations — one of the largest launches Miami has seen.
It is also, on the public record, a project where the developer has not been reported as having closed on the land it intends to build on, where no construction loan has been reported, and where the unit count has changed three times in nine months. Every one of those is verifiable and dated below.
Key Takeaways
- The land has not been reported as sold. As of 17 July 2026 the developers were still described as “expected to purchase” the site from First Miami Presbyterian Church for ~$240 million. Sales launched 5 June 2026.
- No construction, no groundbreaking, no demolition permit has been reported by any credible source. The project has never progressed past entitlement.
- Design approval only. Miami’s Urban Development Review Board approved the design on 15 July 2026 — that is a design review, not a building permit.
- The unit count has changed three times: 300 → 296 → 321. People reserved against a 296-unit building; the approved plan is 321.
- Delivery guidance is two years apart. One report says 2029; the developer’s own principal described a timeline implying late 2031 or 2032.
- Nobu owns nothing here. Per the developer’s own disclaimer, Nobu is a trademark licensor — and the developer expressly reserves the right to withdraw the brand, the restaurants and the amenities.
- Pricing $3M to $60M+, averaging roughly $2,500–$2,700 per square foot.
What Is Planned
A 75-storey tower of approximately 886 feet at 619 Brickell Avenue, developed by 13th Floor Investments (Arnaud Karsenti) with Key International (the Ardid family). Foster + Partners is design architect; Sieger Suarez Architects is architect of record; EGS2 Corp is landscape architect. The approved plan carries 321 residences from 1,160 to 5,526 square feet, one to five bedrooms, plus sky villas, townhouses and duplex penthouses.
Amenities run to more than 90,000 square feet and include a reported $25 million “longevity” programme — cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen suites, an IV therapy lounge and ozone therapy. Sources differ on whether there are four pools or five.
On the address: you will see both 619 and 609 Brickell Avenue. 609 is the address of record of First Miami Presbyterian Church, which owns the land. The tower goes on the church’s parking lot and school site immediately east of the sanctuary and is being marketed and permitted as 619. The historic 1949 sanctuary is not being demolished — it stays, and new church facilities are being built into the podium. You would be buying into a shared parcel with an active congregation.
The Land Question
This is the most important fact on this page, and it is the one that appears nowhere in the marketing.
The most recent credible report, dated 17 July 2026, describes 13th Floor and Key International as “expected to purchase” the site for $240 million from First Miami Presbyterian Church. The 4 June 2026 sales-launch report used the same forward-looking language: the church “is expected to sell.”
Sales launched on 5 June 2026. On the public record, that means reservations were taken on a parcel the developer had not been reported as owning. This is not necessarily improper — land is routinely under contract during pre-sales — but it is a materially different risk profile from a developer who owns its dirt, and a buyer is entitled to know which it is.
The route to this point has been contested for five years. The congregation voted 68 to 42 to sell in October 2021. A church member then challenged the vote before the Presbyterian Synod of the South Atlantic, which granted him standing 6–2 in early 2022 — the outcome of that hearing does not appear in any credible source. A $7 million tax lien was reported on the property in February 2022; its disposition is also unreported.
Then the neighbours. In December 2024 Miami’s preservation board stripped the on-site school building of its historic designation, which allowed a larger tower. IconBrickell Tower II’s association, the Brickell Homeowners Association and others appealed. On 10 April 2025 the City Commission denied the appeal 4–0 — on standing, not on the merits.
“The developer wanted more property. So [the church] petitioned to have the back side of the church be declassified.”
George Simon, IconBrickell Tower II owner — April 2025
Where the Project Actually Stands
No construction. No groundbreaking. No demolition permit. No site work. None of it has been reported by any credible source, and I looked specifically.
The most recent milestone is the Miami Urban Development Review Board’s design approval on 15 July 2026. That is a design review. It is not a building permit, and it does not authorise construction.
No construction loan has been reported either. A $240 million land basis plus an 886-foot tower implies an enormous financing requirement, and no lender, amount or closing has been published. For context, the same developer’s other construction loans do get reported — a $79 million Delray Beach loan in November 2025, a $100 million Boca Raton loan in February 2026. The absence here is meaningful rather than a coverage gap.
Delivery guidance is contradictory by roughly two years. On 1 May 2026 one outlet reported completion “some time in 2029.” On 4 June 2026 Key International’s president described construction beginning in Q2 2027 and running about four and a half years — which lands in late 2031 or 2032. Neither the developer nor Nobu publishes a delivery date on its own website.
What Nobu Is Actually Doing
There is no Nobu hotel in this building. There are two Nobu dining venues: a ground-floor public Nobu restaurant — which would be Miami’s second — and a residents-only Nobu restaurant on the 11th floor, plus in-residence dining, a residents’ café and bar and private chef services.
“Together with Foster + Partners, 13th Floor Investments, and Key International, we are creating a residential sanctuary shaped by thoughtful design, Nobu dining, and service from the heart.”
Trevor Horwell, Chief Executive Officer, Nobu Hospitality — June 2026
But read the developer’s own legal disclaimer, because it is unusually explicit:
“THE CONDOMINIUM IS NOT OWNED, DEVELOPED, OR SOLD BY NH DOWNTOWN MIAMI LLC, NOBU HOSPITALITY LLC, OR ANY OF THEIR AFFILIATES.” The developer “uses the Nobu name, trademarks, and trade names under a limited, non-transferable license.”
619 Brickell official legal disclaimer
And this, which matters because the entire pricing premium is brand-based:
“There is no guarantee of any proposed brand and/or branded amenities (even if a brand agreement is entered into and maintained), artwork, designers, contributing artists, interior designers, fitness facilities, or restaurants. The Developer reserves the right to modify, revise or withdraw any or all of same in its sole discretion.”
619 Brickell official legal disclaimer
That language is standard Florida condominium boilerplate. It is also directly material here: you would be paying a Nobu premium for a brand the developer can remove at its discretion. No interior designer has been named by any credible source — not by the developer, not by Nobu, not by any outlet.
The Numbers Have Moved
| Specification | History |
|---|---|
| Storeys | 80 (2021–2025) → 74 (Nov 2025) → 75 (2026) |
| Residences | 300 (Nov 2025) → 296 (Apr–Jun 2026) → 321 (Jul 2026, UDRB submittal) |
| Height | 860 ft (May 2026) → ~886 ft (Jul 2026) |
The unit change is the one that matters. Anyone who reserved between April and June 2026 reserved against a 296-unit building. The plan approved in July 2026 is a 321-unit building. Twenty-five extra units changes density, amenity ratios, elevator loading and potentially the association budget. No source explains the change.
Worth noting separately: Nobu Hospitality’s own website is roughly nine months out of date — as of August 2026 it still advertises 74 storeys and 300 residences, contradicting both the developer’s sales materials and the approved plans.
Pricing and Reservations
$3 million to $60 million+, averaging roughly $2,500 to $2,700 per square foot — the only per-foot figure any credible source has published. No specific penthouse asking price has been released beyond the top of that range.
Ignore anything older than April 2026. A November 2025 report floated an “estimated starting price” of $800,000, explicitly flagged as unconfirmed by the developers. The actual floor is $3 million — a difference of roughly 275%.
On the $1 billion in reservations: the developers said in June 2026 they intended to convert those to binding contracts over the summer. No source has reported the outcome. Reservations in Florida are typically fully refundable and are not contracts. The project spokesperson also declined to say how many units the $1 billion represents — which means the figure cannot be checked against the price range.
“While Miami is a very hot market, it is a sophisticated market. The buyers are very rational. I do think they can detect the difference between substantive quality product and what is strong on marketing.”
Arnaud Karsenti, Managing Principal, 13th Floor Investments — June 2026
What to Verify Before You Sign
The design is exceptional and Foster + Partners is Foster + Partners. These are the questions to answer in writing before money moves.
1. Has the land purchase closed? Ask for the recorded deed and its date. This is the single largest open item.
2. Is there a construction loan? Lender, amount, closing date. None has been reported.
3. Reservation or contract? A reservation is refundable and non-binding. Establish exactly what you are signing, and what converts it.
4. Where is the deposit held? Florida Statute 718.202 governs escrow. Get the escrow agreement and the §718.503 documents, not a summary.
5. Which unit count and floor plan are contractual? You may have reserved against 296 units. Confirm what the approved 321-unit plan does to your line, your floor and your amenity ratios.
6. What happens if Nobu leaves? The disclaimer permits withdrawal of the brand and the restaurants. Ask what remedy, if any, you have.
7. The outstanding legal items. The 2022 Synod challenge outcome and the $7 million tax lien disposition are both unreported. A title search will settle them; ask for it.
Brickell Around It
Brickell is the densest luxury pipeline in Miami, and there are towers here at every stage of certainty. If you want something further along, look at Ora by Casa Tua, The Residences at 1428 Brickell and St. Regis Residences Brickell. The full pipeline is on the new construction page, and the market picture is in Miami luxury condos.
619 Brickell may well become the best building on the avenue. It is not there yet, and the gap between the marketing and the record is wide enough to be worth naming. Ask me for the current file and I will tell you what I can actually verify that week.
Verified 4 August 2026
- Address — 619 Brickell Avenue, Miami, FL 33131 (church site of record: 609 Brickell Avenue), ~2 acres
- Storeys / height — 75 storeys, approximately 886 feet
- Residences — 321 per the approved UDRB plan (296 during the sales launch; 300 originally)
- Developer — 13th Floor Investments + Key International (entity: 13K-BP Brickell Owner, LLC, a Delaware LLC)
- Design architect — Foster + Partners · Architect of record — Sieger Suarez · Interior designer — not named by any credible source
- Nobu’s role — trademark licensor and restaurant operator. No hotel. No ownership.
- Land — ~$240M, still described as “expected to purchase” as of 17 July 2026
- Status — UDRB design approval 15 July 2026. No construction, no permit, no construction loan reported.
- Delivery — 2029 per one report; ~2031–2032 implied by the developer’s own timeline
- Pricing — $3M to $60M+, roughly $2,500–$2,700 per sq ft
Checked 4 August 2026 against the sources below. This file moves quickly — ask me to re-verify before relying on any line of it.
619 Brickell by Nobu: frequently asked questions
Is 619 Brickell under construction?
No. No credible source has reported construction, a groundbreaking, a demolition permit or any site work. The Miami Urban Development Review Board approved the design on 15 July 2026, which is a design review rather than a building permit.
Does the developer own the land?
Not according to the public record. As of 17 July 2026 The Real Deal still described 13th Floor Investments and Key International as “expected to purchase” the site from First Miami Presbyterian Church for about $240 million. Sales launched on 5 June 2026. Ask for the recorded deed.
When will 619 Brickell be completed?
The guidance is contradictory. One report in May 2026 said 2029. In June 2026 Key International’s president described construction starting in Q2 2027 and taking about four and a half years, which implies late 2031 or 2032. Neither the developer nor Nobu publishes a date on its own site.
How many residences does 619 Brickell have?
321 in the plan approved in July 2026. It was marketed as 296 during the April–June 2026 sales launch and announced as 300 in November 2025. No source explains the changes. Nobu’s own website still says 300.
Is there a Nobu hotel in the building?
No. There is a ground-floor public Nobu restaurant — Miami’s second — and a residents-only Nobu restaurant on the 11th floor, plus in-residence dining and private chef services. There is no hotel component in any credible source.
What is Nobu’s actual role?
Trademark licensor and food-and-beverage operator. The developer’s own disclaimer states the condominium is not owned, developed or sold by Nobu Hospitality or its affiliates, and that the Nobu name is used under a limited, non-transferable licence. The developer also reserves the right to withdraw the brand, the restaurants and the amenities at its sole discretion.
How much do units at 619 Brickell cost?
$3 million to more than $60 million, averaging roughly $2,500 to $2,700 per square foot. Ignore the $800,000 “starting price” reported in November 2025 — it was flagged as unconfirmed at the time and is superseded.
Sources and further reading
- The Real Deal — Miami Design Board Approves 13th Floor’s Nobu Condo TowerThe 15 July 2026 UDRB approval, 321 units, and the “expected to purchase” land status. Published 17 July 2026 — the most recent report on this project.
- Florida YIMBY — Foster + Partners-Designed 75-Story Tower Scheduled For UDRB ReviewThe ~886-foot height, 321 units, project team and applicant entity from the UDRB submittal. Published 13 July 2026.
- The Real Deal — Nobu Residences Miami Tower Launches SalesThe $1B in reservations, $3M–$60M pricing, $2,500–$2,700 per sq ft, and the Q2 2027 construction start implying ~2031–2032 delivery. Published 4 June 2026.
- PROFILEmiami — 619 Brickell by Nobu Launches Sales With $1 Billion In ReservationsUnit sizes, amenity programme and quotes from Nobu Hospitality and Foster + Partners. Published 5 June 2026.
- Florida YIMBY — New Renderings Reveal Nobu Residences At 619 BrickellThe 2029 completion guidance, 296 units and the 860-foot height. Published 1 May 2026.
- The Real Deal — 13th Floor, Key Intl Plan Brickell Nobu-Branded Condo TowerThe original 74-storey, 300-unit announcement, the ~$240M land price and the church site arrangement. Published 4 November 2025.
- The Real Deal — Brickell Residents Lose Fight Against 13th Floor’s CondoThe 4–0 City Commission vote denying the neighbours’ appeal on standing. Published 10 April 2025.
- The Real Deal — Brickell Church Sale Holdout Could Scuttle $240M DealThe Presbyterian Synod challenge, the 6–2 standing vote and the $7 million tax lien. Published 28 February 2022.
- 619 Brickell — official legal disclaimerThe developer’s own statement of Nobu’s licensor-only role and its reserved right to withdraw the brand, restaurants and amenities. Accessed 4 August 2026.
- Bisnow — Nobu Tower Launches Sales With $1B Worth of Condos ReservedConfirmation that the spokesperson declined to disclose how many units the $1B represents. Published 8 June 2026.