Home Miami

June 2005

Turning up the heat a notch in South Beach

Take a circa 1930 hotel, add a hip developer, an overly gifted designer, a rising new architect, throw in a lot of energy and cash, and have the whole thing stirred vigorously by Miami's leading nightlife networker.What do you end up with? The Angler's Resort, the hottest news Washington Avenue has seen in years.

Developer Gregg Covin is working on the complex, which includes two original 1930's Mediterranean Revival structures and two new buildings designed by Allan Shulman. The plan is to have the 55-unit resort condominium open by 2007. By throwing nightlife impresario Michael Capponi into the mix, the team expects a response similar to the frenzy that resulted from last year's announcement of the Covin/Capponi/Oppenheim collaboration on 10 Museum Park.

The key to the success of this ambitious plan is the coaxing of developer/designer Wallace Tutt III from his Bahamian hideaway to take on interior design and restaurant development at the resort. Famous for his work on the Versace mansion and a sprinkling of Cher 's homes, Tutt's design may have reached maturity at his elegant but relaxed Rock House Resort on tiny Harbour Island in the Bahamas . Awash in restful neutrals and pale yellows, his timeless resort is also famous for its Rock House restaurant. And while publicity mavens are quick to point to the restaurant as a magnet for celebrities, it isn't about the faces; the real draw is the incredible dinners Rock House turns out with amazing consistency. Miami will be served to have a restaurant of this caliber and simplicity.

The units at The Angler's Resort will be fully furnished down to the linens by Mr. Tutt and will range from about $350,000 to over $1,000,000. As the renovation work has already started, we thought now would be a good time to catch up with Mr. Tutt and discuss the adaptive re-use project. We met over coffee last month at his home in Miami Beach and got his take on the plans.

Home Miami : What is the essence of the work that you and your partners trying to create at the new Angler's Resort?

Tutt: We're building two modern structures that don't compete with the historic unity of the two existing Mediterranean Revival buildings and adapting them to modern contemporary living. It's going to be a condominium hotel with a very sophisticated restaurant that you'll enter from the original Angler's Hotel. We're going to try to restore the hotel to its former glory days with the restaurant, lobby, and bar within the main building.

It's going to be a condominium hotel in which the rooms are much larger than in traditional Miami Beach hotels, and most of the rooms are going to be configured into suites. It will be fully decorated, with mirrors and artwork already on the walls. We're going to use dark bamboo floors, very comfortable custom-made sofas and club chairs, and there will be a bar and media center with a flat screen TV. All of the bedrooms will have a king size bed, high quality linens, a small desk, and a computer and fax hook-up. The décor is part of the package. The furnishings and style of furniture are comfortable and neutral in color. It's going to be a contemporary feel for contemporary living.

Home Miami : What do you think of this particular section of Washington Avenue ? What do you think is in its future?

Tutt: I think it has tremendous potential. If you go the North and the South, you have some of the best restaurants and shops in South Beach . I think this block is really the only one left in the neighborhood to be developed.

Home Miami : What do you think will set The Angler's Resort apart from the other condominium hotels in Miami ?

Tutt: I think The Angler's will be unique because all who are involved - the developer, the architect, myself -want to see this property as setting a trend for condo living in Miami . The fact that we're going to have a five-star restaurant and resort reflects a commitment to service that is going to set us apart from any other condo-hotel that I've seen on South Beach . In addition, I don't know of any other Bahamian-Caribbean restaurant in South Florida .

Also unique is that we have created the first floor units so that you may enter from the side of the building, as if you have a private entrance. You can choose whether to enter through the common corridors; that's an option that's not typical of condo living. And all of the first floor units either open to the pool or their own outdoor space.

Home Miami : How has your experience been working with developer Gregg Covin?

Tutt: I have high regard for Gregg and all of his partners. These guys personify integrity. My impression is that they want to put their names on The Angler's and it's something their going to be proud of in 20 years. And I've never met anybody as efficient in construction planning as Kevin, Gregg's business partner. I think that I'm good, but he's really on top of things.

Home Miami : I love the fact that you're working with Allan Shulman because I think that he's got great talent.

Tutt: I do too. The project was originally Allan's vision, and all of a sudden other people came in. It's really easy for a designer to come in and see what somebody has created, and after they've done all the work, to pick out small things and improve upon them. Sometimes things are forgotten when you work with a vision on a large scale. So when you introduce a fresh perspective, projects oftentimes work out better. Allan realized that and he was open to it. It's the best way to work.

Home Miami : And in Miami , so many buildings are in historic districts. It's not as if one can come in and say, "Let's rip it down". You have to work with an existing building, restore the exterior the best way you can, and create a modern space inside.

Tutt: Mixing the old with the new. It's what a city is all about; it's change and growth.