Latest news with #Varas
New York Post
5 days ago
- Business
- New York Post
Robbie Williams buys a Miami-area home for $40M off-market
British pop star Robbie Williams is trading California's hills for Florida's waterways with an off-market purchase of a sprawling waterfront estate in affluent Coral Gables — where he and his wife Ayda Field plan to relocate their family of six, The Post has learned. The $40 million deal, which will add an extra $5 million for furnishings, is poised to set a new record for the exclusive Old Cutler Bay neighborhood — clocking in at approximately $5,000 per square foot. The 19,380-square-foot smart home, built in 2016, sits on a rare 1-acre peninsula lot with 435 feet of water frontage, a 75-foot dock and views on three sides. Advertisement 13 Robbie Williams has purchased a $40 million waterfront estate in Coral Gables, Florida. Luxhunters Drone 13 Robbie Williams performs prior to the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final match between Chelsea FC and Paris Saint-Germain at MetLife Stadium on July 13, 2025 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. FIFA via Getty Images The estate includes seven bedrooms, seven full baths, two powder rooms, a resort-style pool and spa, a firepit, an outdoor kitchen, an 18-car garage and a wine cellar. Advertisement But for Williams, who once sold 1.6 million concert tickets in a single day and whose albums dominate UK sales charts, the existing amenities are just the beginning. Manny Angelo Varas, the Miami-based developer known as 'The Billionaire's Builder' for his work with clients like Rick Ross and an Indian Creek mystery buyer, has been tapped to oversee an ambitious $5 million expansion of this property. 13 The home features seven bedrooms, seven bathrooms and two powder rooms. One Sotheby's International Realty 13 The off-market deal includes an additional $5 million in furnishings. One Sotheby's International Realty Advertisement 'We're doing a ground-up build,' Varas told The Post. 'He'll be relocating immediately to the existing home, and we're going to be doing new construction, adding between 2,500 and 3,500 square feet.' The centerpiece of the renovation is a 2,000-square-foot guest pavilion, envisioned as a flexible space. 'We're creating functional spaces that could be used as a recording studio and multiple different functions,' Varas said. 'So he's able to work from home when he's not on tour.' According to Varas, the decision to pivot from Los Angeles to Miami was driven by a mix of lifestyle, safety and tax considerations. Advertisement 13 The 19,380-square-foot smart home was built in 2016. One Sotheby's International Realty 13 The home sits on a 1-acre peninsula with 435 feet of water frontage. One Sotheby's International Realty 13 The property boasts a wine cellar and resort-style amenities. One Sotheby's International Realty 'From a tax perspective and just the environment overall in California, it's relocating primarily for a different lifestyle,' he said. 'This is one of many of our clients from California we are working with, including several other celebrities that are relocating from California.' Originally, Williams had planned to purchase Rosie O'Donnell's former home on Star Island, but structural concerns derailed the deal. 'The reason we canceled the contract is because the home's structure was below the current flood code,' Varas said. 'Effectively the only option would be demoing the house and starting from scratch, and because that process typically would take two to three years, he elected to come to the Gables.' The property's sellers were 'The Real Housewives of Miami' star Dr. Nicole Martin and her husband, attorney Anthony Lopez, who bought the estate for roughly $21.5 million in 2022. 13 The home also has an 18-car garage. One Sotheby's International Realty Advertisement 13 The fitness area. One Sotheby's International Realty 13 Williams and his wife Ayda Field, who sold their Beverly Hills estate to Drake for $75 million, plan to relocate their family of six immediately. One Sotheby's International Realty The buyer's agent was Chad Carroll of Compass, while Dennis Carvajal of One Sotheby's International Realty represented the sellers. Williams and Field sold their previous home in Beverly Hills to Drake for $75 million before the Florida move. The new estate, with its similarly modern aesthetic and waterfront appeal, is 'pristine,' according to Varas, who intends to preserve its design language while adding wellness and tech upgrades. Advertisement 'We're putting sensors within the AC to make sure we have a clean air environment throughout the entire home,' he noted. And in true Miami fashion, a floating padel court may soon join the list of ultra-luxe features. 13 Developer Manny Angelo Varas, known as 'The Billionaire's Builder,' will oversee a $5 million renovation and a new 2,000-square-foot guest house. One Sotheby's International Realty 13 'We're doing a ground-up build,' said Varas, who is also exploring the creation of a floating padel court attached to the property. One Sotheby's International Realty Advertisement 13 Renovations are expected to be completed in under a year, with wellness features and functional spaces like a recording studio being added. One Sotheby's International Realty Inspired by a similar court in the Exumas, Varas is working with the city on what would be the first residential floating padel court in the United States. 'It's a super unique attraction that exists,' Varas said. 'I proposed having a floating padel court, which would be a multifunctional space attached to the property.' Advertisement The entire renovation is expected to wrap in under a year. Williams, 51, first made headlines as a boy band sensation in Take That before launching a wildly successful solo career. This includes seven No. 1 singles in the UK. Additionally, all but one of his 14 studio albums have reached No. 1 in the UK.
Miami Herald
13-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
$50 million ‘flood proof bunker' rises on Biscayne Bay. Is mansion a model for the future?
A private, three-hole golf course, an elevated infinity pool which alone costs $1 million and air-conditioned living space encompassing 26,000 square feet – more than ten times the size of the average, single-family home: The extravagant $50 million 'G House' is 'one of the largest, new construction waterfront homes in Miami Dade — if not the largest,' according to its developer. But G House isn't clustered among the typical billionaire mega mansions of Star Island or Indian Creek. It's rising in suburban Palmetto Bay, on a waterfront plot along south Biscayne Bay considered so vulnerable to flooding and hurricane-induced storm surge that the village government would rather no one build there. But developer Manny Angelo Varas, owner and CEO of MV Group USA, is confident that once G House is completed, it'll be a 'totally flood-proof bunker.' It's designed, he said, to survive both Cat 5 winds and once-a-century floods. At G House, about 30 stairway steps (or a quick ride in a glass elevator) take you to the required main floor elevation of 17 feet, the minimum height set by federal and local regulations for this coastal swath of southern Miami-Dade County. That places the ultra-luxury mansion just 0.1 feet above the highest storm surge ever recorded in the county – right in this location – when Hurricane Andrew swept barracudas and other assorted fish into second floors, filled bedroom closets with crabs, and lobbed a 105-foot steel research vessel onto a private estate. In the 33 years since, growing fossil fuel emissions have continued to warm the planet, threatening ever more homes and lives in Florida, the state already most at risk of climate change. Storms are hitting harder, flooding is becoming part of life here. Regulators now categorize the south Biscayne Bay coast as having a one-in-four chance of flooding from a storm surge within 30 years. Not building in harm's way is one way to go about reducing flood risks. But Varas says working with ultra-wealthy clients – Jennifer Lopez, the rappers Lil Wayne and Rick Ross and the parents of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos are among those he names – gives him a generous budget to be 'two steps ahead' of South Florida's climate threats. 'I'm here saying there's a lot of things that can be done about it, and it takes everyone working together,' he said, walking past peacocks perched around the sprawling construction site. Eventually, he said, the less economically privileged might be able to adapt with similar innovations and standards, beginning with seeing the landscape — both natural and engineered — as part of the solution to the rising threats of flood in South Florida low-lying coastal zones. Elevation is one answer Because the G House project, visible to commuters off Old Cutler Road, sits in what's classified as a Coastal High Hazard Area, it had to be built much like new construction in the Florida Keys — literally high atop heavy pilings. But most of Varas' billionaire clients find the stilt house look unappealing, so the uninsurable ground floor is wrapped with what are known as 'breakaway walls.' They're designed to give into pressure from a storm surge that can then flow through and around the pilings without sweeping the house away. Many high-end Keys homes also use similar designs. To deal with extreme wind exposure, most of the other walls were built on-site, using liquid concrete that was poured into forms. Typically used for commercial construction, it's more expensive, but more wind-resistant than the pre-fabricated concrete blocks laid with mortar used in most South Florida home projects. Steel tendons that are pulled taut to further compress and harden the dried concrete allowed for the outdoor space to be shaded by 30-feet long overhangs. That allowed the architects of Studio Khora, a firm with offices in Miami and other South Florida cities, to design without columns that would disrupt the view of Biscayne Bay, glittering just beyond the infinity pool. Building for climate change includes an expansive landscaping plan. For storm surge and rising waters from Biscayne Bay, the dense roots and tangled canopies of roughly 20,000 square feet of mangroves will reduce the height and energy of surges. And for heavy rains, the little peaks and valleys of the three-hole golf course will not only provide challenges to players, but also are designed to help retain and absorb flooding. Investment in adaptation pays off That $50 million figure includes not just the mansion but the land and all the surrounding accouterments. Spending that much wasn't necessary, of course, and Varas concedes some of the features could have been downgraded. Instead of turning seven surrounding acres into a private golf course, for example, a run-of-the-mill, subsurface stormwater tank would have sufficed to meet stipulations that new developments cannot intensify flooding on neighboring properties. But the fairways add to the aesthetics, he said, as does an 80-feet long water feature that cascades down the breakaway walls into a succession of three ponds in front of the entrance. The nearly 17-foot-high wall 'that could be assumed as an eyesore is really part of the beauty of it.' Varas said he enjoys the challenge of adding features that are flood and hurricane-proof and, at the same time, aesthetically pleasing. Most of his clients, however, don't even think about the risks of living on the coast until he brings it up. What convinces them to make the investment, he said, is that it simply pays off. 'Create sustainable items, but don't look at them as just sustainable. Look at them as the added value that you're creating,' he said. 'That's going to increase the property value while protecting you against a 100-year storm.' One example he uses when he speaks to his clients is Casa Costanera, a new development in Coconut Grove he initially intended as his own family residence. One of Cocoplum's first waterfront homes with a private, 130-feet sea wall and other features that made it more flood and hurricane resistant, it sold for $2,500 a square foot in 2021, more than double the average price at the time. Similarly, when MV Group was contracted to refurbish a $15-million property in Coral Gables' Journey's End neighborhood, the owners later sold it to Jeff Bezos' parents for $44 million, making a profit of almost $20 million, he said. 'It's not a cost, it's a financial decision,' he said. He obviously made a similar case to the owners of G House, Rene Gonzales, according to property records. Varas would only say that Gonzales — the G in G House — was an entrepreneur who did not want to speak publicly about the house and 'wants to keep a low- profile.' Is this the new benchmark? Varas believes that high-end homes like G House can show how to win a 'game of chess' against climate change. He says he has used the big budgets to create innovative designs and help push through adaptations to building codes 'to then create maybe new standards that would trickle down and make the average home — the non-billionaire home — safer as well.' For G House, his vision was to 'really create a benchmark for the city.' He hopes Palmetto Bay can point to the mansion and say 'this is who we are.' While Palmetto Bay's building department does view G House as an example of a flood-proof home, the village wonders whether it could be a blueprint for other community members. 'I don't know how many people can afford that,' the village's building official, Dean Klements, said. And while village manager Nick Marano said he has no professional opinion on whether G House was good or bad, Palmetto Bay's government 'wouldn't want to show that off to anyone as something like we think this is great.' Instead of building right on the coast, Marano said, the village is trying to preserve land to help protect against flooding. 'The village is very, very much aware of our vulnerability to storms, especially something as significant as Andrew or even Irma, and we're taking active steps to mitigate against that,' he said. Palmetto Bay's new resilience action plan, approved unanimously earlier this week, seeks to not having new development or increasing population density and to look into policies and incentives that will 'guide new development away from at risk areas', which includes all properties right along the coast. Not developing in highest-risk areas is the safest option. Yet since Hurricane Andrew, Miami Dade's population has exploded by 40 percent. More real estate has been built in harm's way, with some of the most expensive developments located in the most exposed areas. That would be much of the region's waterfront real estate. If Hurricane Andrew were to strike the same path today, the losses would be nearly three times higher than in 1992, according to an analysis by Swiss Re, one of the world's leading reinsurance companies. But G House is just one example in Palmetto Bay of how hard it is to discourage development in coastal areas that buyers still find alluring. Last month, the village had to agree to a new mall, about 450 new housing units, a 5-story fitness center, and a hotel with 120 rooms. The project is intended to go up at the former Burger King headquarters, which also was ravaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992. The village originally opposed the development, but was forced to settle when the Atlanta-based investment firm that owns the land filed a claim seeking $15 million under the Bert Harris Act, which protects land owners from actions that would devalue or limit their vested rights. As part of the settlement, however, 35 acres will be preserved as green space. Thirteen of those, including mangroves, Marano said, 'are directly fronting on the bay, so that's certainly going to help with storm resiliency.' The other 22 acres are along Old Cutler Road, which will help alleviate flooding from rains. Public officials and developers might not always agree on how to handle the growing threats of climate change, but in the end, they're trying to answer the same question. 'If you live in Florida, it's inevitable that a storm is going to hit you,' Varas said. 'The question is: how are you prepared for it?' This climate report is funded by Florida International University, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation and the David and Christina Martin Family Foundation in partnership with Journalism Funding Partners. The Miami Herald retains editorial control of all content.
Fox News
13-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
San Diego soccer team enhances security to eject fans who use common Mexican 'anti-gay' chant during game
The Major League Soccer (MLS) team San Diego FC has announced it is investing in major stadium operation and security initiatives to crack down on the use of an "anti-gay" chant used by fans. The chant has been commonly used by fans of the Mexican national team for many decades, and has previously resulted in sanctions against the country's soccer club in the past. San Diego FC's plan to crack down on the chant includes a drastic increase in security at Snapdragon Stadium. "The number of stadium security personnel will be increased and strategically positioned in key areas, with a heightened presence near the opposing goalkeeper's section. Offenders will be identified, ejected, and may face additional sanctions," the team wrote in its announcement. The team is also now reserving the right to pause, suspend or completely abandon a match if fans use the chant. Additionally, the team is making major changes to the team's communication with fans during and before games to prioritize discouraging the chant. Stadium staff will now place a flyer in all seat cupholders reminding fans that discriminatory language will not be tolerated, featuring the message: "Aquí No" / "Not Here." Prior to kickoff, team CEO Tom Penn, Head Coach Mikey Varas and player Aníbal Godoy will deliver pre-recorded a message discouraging the chant. And during the match, the team will display a visible in-stadium banner reinforcing the message condemning the chant in the supporters' section. The chant was most recently used during the team's home opener St. Louis City on March 1. Fans used the chant three times, despite frequent attempts by stadium staff to get the chant to stop via the public address system. Varas condemned the fans who used it after that game. "The chant that was heard tonight is unacceptable," Varas told reporters. "It's outside of our value system. It doesn't represent the players, myself or the club, and it certainly doesn't represent San Diego or Baja California. It's not a reflection of who we are. We're a community full of love, of support, and we believe in the power of diversity." The chant, which is traditionally used while an opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick, originated in the Mexican city of Guadalajara in the early 2000s. The chant, which is repeated use of the word "puto" and translates in English to "male prostitute," went largely unaddressed by major soccer institutions, and was prominently heard at a 2004 Olympic qualifier between the U.S. and Mexico. However, it became more controversial and frowned upon as the years went on. In 2019, FIFA introduced its three-step protocol, the same one now used by San Diego FC, designed to deter supporters from participating in the chant. In 2021, all Mexico fans were banned from a pair of World Cup qualifiers because of the chant. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee announced that the Mexican National Team would have to play its World Cup qualifier matches against Jamaica and Canada that year in an empty stadium after fans used the chant during the Confederation of North, Central America, and Caribbean Association Football Nations League (CONCACAF) games against Costa Rica and the USA earlier that June. The team was also fined $73,000. U.S. vs. Mexico CONCACAF Nations League matches had be suspended in back-to-back years in 2023 and 2024 after Mexico fans used the chant both times. Now, the chant has made its way to the MLS ranks, and San Diego FC is trying to curb it from spreading. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
San Diego FC will take steps to stop the homophobic chant that marred its inaugural home match
SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego FC intends to take steps to discourage its fans from engaging in the homophobic chant that marred the Major League Soccer expansion club's inaugural home match last weekend. The club again condemned the chant in a statement Monday, two days after San Diego's scoreless draw with St. Louis City. The second half of that home opener at Snapdragon Stadium featured three instances of the offensive chant frequently heard at Mexican national team matches. 'What took place during our first-ever home match does not reflect who we are as a club or the values we stand for,' the club statement read. 'The sport of football brings people together, and in San Diego, that inclusive spirit thrives. The use of homophobic language in our stadium is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. San Diego FC is built on respect and the belief that soccer is for everyone. We are committed to fostering an environment where all fans, players and staff feel safe and welcome. 'We will take immediate steps to address this behavior and will communicate a detailed plan prior to the next home match.' San Diego FC hosts Columbus on March 15. Head coach Mikey Varas and sporting director Tyler Heaps decried the notorious chant after San Diego finished its scoreless home debut at a stadium packed with 34,506 fans celebrating the arrival of Major League Soccer's 30th team. Varas said the fans who participated in the chant shouldn't attend San Diego FC's matches in the future. 'I just want to make very clear that it has no place here,' Varas said Saturday. 'If they're going to continue to come to the game and make that chant, it's better that they don't come here.' The one-word slur in Spanish is typically made by fans while the opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick, and it regularly occurs in both club soccer and national team soccer in Mexico. It's also become a regrettable staple in the Mexican national team's matches in the U.S. The Mexican national team has been fined repeatedly by FIFA for its fans' behavior regarding the chant, which has forced both stoppages in play and the shortening of a match between El Tri and the United States in recent years. The chant nevertheless persists, and it seems likely to be an issue at North America's 2026 World Cup, which will feature 13 matches in Mexico. ___ AP soccer: The Associated Press
Associated Press
03-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
San Diego FC will take steps to stop the homophobic chant that marred its inaugural home match
SAN DIEGO (AP) — San Diego FC intends to take steps to discourage its fans from engaging in the homophobic chant that marred the Major League Soccer expansion club's inaugural home match last weekend. The club again condemned the chant in a statement Monday, two days after San Diego's scoreless draw with St. Louis City. The second half of that home opener at Snapdragon Stadium featured three instances of the offensive chant frequently heard at Mexican national team matches. 'What took place during our first-ever home match does not reflect who we are as a club or the values we stand for,' the club statement read. 'The sport of football brings people together, and in San Diego, that inclusive spirit thrives. The use of homophobic language in our stadium is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated. San Diego FC is built on respect and the belief that soccer is for everyone. We are committed to fostering an environment where all fans, players and staff feel safe and welcome. 'We will take immediate steps to address this behavior and will communicate a detailed plan prior to the next home match.' San Diego FC hosts Columbus on March 15. Head coach Mikey Varas and sporting director Tyler Heaps decried the notorious chant after San Diego finished its scoreless home debut at a stadium packed with 34,506 fans celebrating the arrival of Major League Soccer's 30th team. Varas said the fans who participated in the chant shouldn't attend San Diego FC's matches in the future. 'I just want to make very clear that it has no place here,' Varas said Saturday. 'If they're going to continue to come to the game and make that chant, it's better that they don't come here.' The one-word slur in Spanish is typically made by fans while the opposing goalkeeper takes a goal kick, and it regularly occurs in both club soccer and national team soccer in Mexico. It's also become a regrettable staple in the Mexican national team's matches in the U.S. The Mexican national team has been fined repeatedly by FIFA for its fans' behavior regarding the chant, which has forced both stoppages in play and the shortening of a match between El Tri and the United States in recent years. The chant nevertheless persists, and it seems likely to be an issue at North America's 2026 World Cup, which will feature 13 matches in Mexico.
