Cuban businessman Felipe Valls Sr., founding father of the long-lasting Versailles restaurant in Miami, Florida, died Saturday, his granddaughter, Nicole Valls confirmed to CNN. He was 89 years previous.
Nicole Valls didn’t present additional particulars on her grandfather’s dying, however mentioned the household’s spokespeople are anticipated to offer extra info at a later time.
After Valls opened his restaurant on Miami’s emblematic Calle Ocho 51 years in the past, it grew to become an important gathering place for exiled Cubans who might congregate over flaky guava pastelitos and different acquainted dishes.
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The landmark spot within the metropolis’s Little Havana neighborhood continues to be a traditional level of focus for activists and members of the Cuban group in South Florida. It additionally serves as a gathering level for demonstrations on political points involving the island.
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez mourned Valls’ loss on Saturday, describing the businessman as “a unprecedented human being who served his household, his beloved Miami, and the liberty of Cuba with supreme devotion.”
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava mentioned in a tweet Valls was “the true embodiment of the American dream.”
“As a frontrunner, philanthropist and sensible businessman, he formed (Versailles) into the heart beat of our group for over 5 a long time,” the mayor wrote.
These sentiments have been echoed by Florida State Consultant Daniel Perez, who tweeted his condolences for the lack of “an icon in our group.”
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Media shops, together with CNN, have visited Versailles over time to gauge the opinions of the Cuban group on numerous points and important occasions reminiscent of Fidel Castro’s dying in 2016, when crowds crammed the streets across the cafe, banding pots and pans and popping champagne, in accordance with CNN affiliate WSVN.
NORTHWEST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) – Rescue crews took a 15-year-old girl to the hospital after, police said, she became the victim of a shooting in Northwest Miami-Dade.
Miami-Dade Police and Fire Rescue units responded to the scene of the incident at the McDonald’s at Northwest Seventh Avenue and 95th Street, at around 10:15 p.m. on Friday.
Investigators said the teen was wounded in the shoulder while at the fast food restaurant.
Paramedics brought the victim to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center.
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Detectives are questioning one person. They believe the shooting was accidental.
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French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten might be known for his culinary empire, but now the famous chef is expanding his reach with his first-ever residential project: Jean-Georges Miami Tropic Residences.
Vongerichten partnered with developers Terra and Lion Development Group to launch the 48-story tower, which will house 329 condos ranging from one to four bedrooms. The building will have 41,000 square feet of amenity spaces, including landscaped gardens, a swimming pool with cabanas, a private rooftop restaurant, and a podcast recording studio. The ground floor of the building will have 27,500 square feet of high-end retail space. New York-based design firm Yabu Pushelberg is responsible for all of the interior spaces and Arquitectonica did the architecture. It’s located in the bustling Design District, known for its ultra-luxe stores, impressive art galleries, public art, and historic architecture.
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“Yabu Pushelberg’s timeless design in the homes and spaces throughout the building is simultaneously serene and vibrant,” says David Martin, CEO of Terra. “The goal was to create a multi-layered experience. From the entrance to the residences, every detail reflects Yabu Pushelberg and Jean-Georges’ joint vision of fine living and entertaining.”
Previously, Vongerichten worked with Yabu Pushelberg to design The Fulton by Jean-Georges in New York, a waterfront restaurant within the city’s Seaport District. Unlike most of Miami’s white box interiors with stark-white walls and floors, Jean-Georges Miami Tropic Residences is infused with plenty of color that reflects the surrounding nature found in Miami. The interiors feature deep green hues, plenty of spectacular greenery. Walking through the entrance of the building is like walking through a garden oasis, with soaring green tiled walls and tropical plant-flanked walkway.
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“We integrated shades of green, natural woods, and stones found in the tropics as a nod to Miami’s lush environment, allowing the surrounding flora and fauna to influence the interiors,” George Yabu, co-founder of Yabu Pushelberg tells Forbes. “We also layered in bold, playful textures throughout the project and added vibrant commissioned art to pay homage to the culture of Miami’s Design District.”
The residences feature warm textures and hues, with warm wood, and rose-colored tiling in a few of the kitchen layouts, and a living room with colorful furniture with yellow and green hues. Each residence is wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows and sliding glass doors that open to a terrace with incredible views of the city and water. There are two color palettes: dawn, reflecting the delicate hues of early morning light, and dusk, featuring evening-inspired hues. The kitchens in the dawn color palette features Crema Marfil marble countertops and an orange-brown ceramic tile backsplash, warm champagne metal accents, and Italian wood cabinetry with a Beachwood finish. Meanwhile, the dusk kitchens have Green Diabaz stone countertops, dark-blue ceramic tile backsplash, rubbed metal accents, and Italian wood cabinetry in a dark finish. One of Vongerichten’s primary focuses was creating a versatile and ergonomic kitchen. He helped select materials and appliances and wanted the island to be the focal point of each kitchen.
“Our friendship with Jean-Georges naturally evolved from being neighbors in the West Village to creative collaborators,” says Glenn Pushelberg, the other co-founder of Yabu Pushelberg. “Introducing him to this project felt like a perfect fit—not only as a friend but as a visionary whose charisma and wisdom bring energy to every project. Our first collaboration, The Fulton restaurant, embraced the rich history of New York’s Pier 17, and with Miami Tropic, we drew similar inspiration from Miami’s vibrant surroundings, bringing to life the vision of the city we all dream of. Partnering with Jean-Georges to reimagine Miami living felt like a natural next step.”
While this is Vongerichten’s first residential project, it’s not his first foray outside of the restaurant space. This year, he helped open New York’s latest members’ club, Chez Margaux.
A masterplan has been unveiled for a coastal neighborhood in Bahrain which is partly inspired by the U.S. city of Miami.
Bilaj Al Jazayer Beach will span just over two miles of length along Bahrain’s coastline. According to an official release, the mixed-use district will draw inspiration from Miami’s low-rise Art Deco buildings combined with traditional local design.
The walkable locale will feature new homes, hotels, and retail options in addition to public green spaces and “state-of-the-art” amenities.
The city is designed around three main streets, which will be lined with native trees and are intended to encourage walking and cycling across the district.
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The site will be flanked by two large hotels, with smaller, boutique hotels positioned at 500-meter intervals throughout, and residential communities nestled in between.
Neighborhoods will incorporate shaded green courtyards and alleyways that the city’s designers say are inspired by Bahrain’s traditional design principles to create cool outdoor spaces.
At the heart of the development will lie a public surf park, featuring wave-generation technology to simulate the experience of a natural ocean environment on land.
The beach links to a network of piers stretching into the sea, forming protective coves to safeguard the shoreline, and a green park will serve to separate the beachfront from the main road.
“We are creating a green and walkable community on the beach, which offers a range of crafted experiences for residents and visitors,” said Gerard Evenden, head of Studio ar Foster + Partners, the firm behind the designs.
“The permeable development features tree-lined streets, shaded courtyards, and a spectacular public park that directly connects with the waterfront. Needless to say, the west-facing district will also offer some of the best sunset views in Bahrain,” Evenden added.
Newsweek has contacted Foster + Partners for comment via email form.
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Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is a small island nation in the Persian Gulf, situated between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
With a population of around 1.5 million, its economy primarily relies on oil, financial services, and tourism.
In neighboring Saudi Arabia, the first project for the country’s Neom megacity recently opened.
Known as Sindalah, the opening of the “luxury island destination” represented a significant milestone for the project, which has become the world’s biggest construction site as part of an effort by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to diversify the nation’s economy.
However, a recent report from human rights organization ALQST warned that companies working with the biggest construction projects in Saudi Arabia, which includes several American firms, run the risk of “political and reputational risks” as the projects face allegations of dangerous conditions and abuse of migrant workers.
The report came amid allegations that thousands of migrant construction workers have died or gone missing since 2017.
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