Vita at Grove Isle, Coconut Grove: The Private-Island Buyer's Guide (2026)

There are waterfront condos in Miami, and then there is the handful of addresses that sit on their own private island. Coconut Grove — Miami's oldest, most tree-canopied neighborhood — happens to own one of them, and it has just delivered its first new residences in more than four decades.

Vita at Grove Isle is a seven-story, 65-residence boutique condominium on Grove Isle, a gated 20-acre private island in Biscayne Bay reachable only by a single bridge and a 24-hour guarded gate. It is the most ambitious project yet from Ugo Colombo's CMC Group, the developer behind some of Miami's most enduring luxury addresses, with architecture by the global firm CallisonRTKL, local architect of record S&E Architects, and interior and amenity concepts by Italian designers Carlo and Paolo Colombo of A++ Architecture.

This is not a tower dropped onto a busy corner. Vita is three gently curved buildings — named Mare, Luce, and Sole — composed to read as a single sculptural form that follows the contours of the island, with panoramic bay views engineered into every residence. For a specific kind of buyer, the address itself — an island inside the Grove — is the entire proposition.

View the Vita at Grove Isle building page

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Project Snapshot

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The Private-Island Setting (Read This First)

The single most important thing to understand about Vita is the ground it stands on. Grove Isle is a private, gated 20-acre island lying just off the northeast shore of Coconut Grove, connected to the mainland by one bridge that passes through a 24-hour guarded gate. There is no through-traffic, no walk-up retail, and no way onto the island unless you live there, are a member, or are a guest.

The island has an unusual history. First known as Fair Isle, its land was dredged from Biscayne Bay in 1924 and subdivided in 1925 at the peak of the Florida land boom — then sat largely undeveloped after the 1926 hurricane and the crash that followed. Development finally arrived between 1979 and 1981, when three 18-story residential towers were built around a master plan that always included a marina, a club, and resort-style grounds.

For more than forty years, those three towers were the whole of Grove Isle's residential inventory. Vita is the first new construction on the island in that time — which is a large part of why it drew the pricing it did. Scarcity on a private island in a supply-constrained neighborhood is close to the definition of a defensible luxury asset. You are not buying a view of the water; you are buying a fixed address on a finite piece of land that cannot be replicated.

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The Architecture: Three Curves on the Bay

Vita is deliberately not a monolith. CallisonRTKL — a global architecture and design firm — shaped the project as three elegantly curved buildings, Mare, Luce, and Sole, composed to showcase a single architectural gesture that mirrors the natural contours of the island. The curves are functional as much as sculptural: they fan the residences outward toward Biscayne Bay so that every home captures a wide, unobstructed water exposure rather than facing a neighbor.

Local firm S&E Architects serves as architect of record, translating the design into a buildable, code-compliant structure for the island site. The interior architecture and amenity spaces are the work of Carlo and Paolo Colombo of A++ Architecture, an Italian design practice — a European sensibility of restrained materials, clean lines, and quiet luxury rather than Miami maximalism.

At seven stories, Vita reads as a low-rise against the neighborhood's tree canopy and the existing island towers. That scale is intentional: a boutique, horizontal building on a private island is a fundamentally different product from a 50-story bayfront tower on the mainland.

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Location: An Island Inside the Grove

Grove Isle sits off South Bayshore Drive in Coconut Grove, minutes from the village core yet fully separated from it by water and a gate.

The trade-off is the classic island trade-off. You give up walk-out-the-door access to restaurants and shops; in exchange you get privacy, security, quiet, mature landscaping, and water on all sides. For primary-residence and seasonal buyers who value seclusion over street-level bustle, Grove Isle is one of the few Miami addresses that delivers genuine island living within minutes of the mainland.

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The Residences

Vita's 65 residences are delivered fully finished with A++ Architecture–specified interiors. Because the buildings curve toward the bay, water views are a standard feature rather than a premium upgrade. Signature elements across the homes include:

• Floor-to-ceiling impact glass with wide, panoramic Biscayne Bay exposures
• Expansive private terraces wrapping the curved facades
• Private elevator access on select residences
• Italian kitchens with premium integrated appliance packages
• Primary baths in refined stone with freestanding tubs and oversized showers
• Summer kitchens / outdoor living on the larger terraces
• Bi-level penthouses at the top of the buildings, the trophy tier of the project

Floor Plan Mix (approximate)

• Residences: roughly 2,500 to 5,000 square feet, primarily 3- and 4-bedroom-plus-den layouts
• Penthouses: bi-level homes ranging from roughly 3,400 to 6,600 square feet

Reported square-footage figures vary slightly across marketing materials (some sources cite ranges up to ~7,000 sq ft, and some earlier collateral broke the count into 65 residences plus a separate tally of bi-level penthouses). Confirm the exact interior area, ceiling height, and terrace dimensions on the specific residence you are considering.

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Amenities: The Island Club Model

Vita's amenities operate on two levels: the private amenities inside the Vita buildings, and membership access to the broader Grove Isle Club (marketed as the Grove Isle Racquet and Yacht Club) that serves the whole island.

Inside Vita:

• Bayfront pool with luxury cabanas and a poolside bar and lounge
• Spa and sauna
• State-of-the-art fitness center
• Water-sports pavilion with paddleboards and kayaks
• Full-service concierge and 24-hour valet
• Lush, native island landscaping wrapping the three buildings

Grove Isle Club membership adds:

• A private marina with deep-water slips — bay access on the island itself
• Night-lit tennis on the island's Har-Tru clay courts (long associated with a Cliff Drysdale tennis program)
• Padel and pickleball courts
• A club pool with adjacent bar, plus the club's restaurant and social spaces
• Walk/jog path around the island, private beach area, and garden grounds

The marina and racquet program are the differentiators here. A private deep-water marina and a full clay-court tennis center are rare in any single Miami condo, and on Grove Isle they come attached to the address rather than requiring a separate club across town.

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The Developer: CMC Group (Ugo Colombo)

Vita is developed by CMC Group, the firm founded in 1986 by Italian-born Miami developer Ugo Colombo. Over nearly four decades, CMC has built a reputation on fine materials, quality construction, and a relatively small, curated portfolio rather than high-volume output.

CMC's track record includes some of Miami's most durable luxury addresses — projects that have historically held value across cycles — and that delivery history is a meaningful part of the underwriting on Vita. Colombo is closely identified with a European, detail-driven approach to luxury development, which shows in the choice of CallisonRTKL and the Italian A++ design team.

A note for buyers: the Grove Isle project has occasionally been associated in casual conversation with other large Miami developers, but Vita at Grove Isle is a CMC Group development, not a Related Group project. If you see it attributed elsewhere, verify against CMC's own materials.

Developer credibility matters most in exactly the phase Vita is now leaving — the gap between contract and delivery. With the building already complete and closings underway, much of the classic pre-construction sponsor risk has already resolved in the buyer's favor.

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Construction Status & Timeline

Vita is effectively a delivered building rather than an early-stage pre-construction bet. That changes the buyer calculus: instead of committing years of staged deposits against a rendering, you can evaluate a finished residence, a real view, and a functioning amenity program. Confirm the exact closing timeline and any remaining developer inventory for the specific residence you are considering.

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Pricing Reality

• Residences were offered from roughly $6 million at the higher-volume end of the project.
• Bi-level penthouses were marketed into the $19.5M+ range, with the largest trophy homes commanding materially more.
• Published starting prices have varied across listing platforms and release phases; some aggregator figures differ from the developer's own numbers.

Published pricing is a snapshot, not a quote. On a nearly sold-out, newly delivered building, the meaningful number is what is actually available today — remaining developer inventory or resale — not the headline "from" price that circulates on aggregator sites. Confirm live numbers through the sales gallery and your buyer's agent.

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Who This Building Is For

1. The Privacy-First Primary Buyer

You want water on all sides, a guarded gate, and mature landscaping — a home you can walk out of onto a private island, minutes from the Grove and Brickell but fully separated from the street. Vita's larger 3- and 4-bedroom layouts are built for you.

2. The Boat Owner / Racquet-Sports Household

The private marina and the island's clay-court tennis, padel, and pickleball program make Grove Isle a rare fit for buyers who want their dock and their courts attached to their address rather than scattered across separate memberships.

3. The Scarcity-Focused Long-Term Owner

You are betting on the simplest thesis in real estate: a finite, gated island in a supply-constrained neighborhood, delivering its first new residences in over forty years. Branded scarcity by a proven developer has historically defended value through cycles.

If you want a walk-to-restaurants village lifestyle or a high-turnover rental play, note that island living trades street-level convenience for seclusion, and an amenity-rich private-island building carries premium dues — a different profile from a mainland Grove condo like Arbor.

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Cost of Ownership

Beyond purchase price, budget for:

• HOA / club fees: A low-density, heavily amenitized, marina- and club-equipped island building sits at the higher end of Grove dues, and island infrastructure (the bridge, the gate, the grounds) is part of what those dues fund. Model your specific residence's monthly assessment — plus any Grove Isle Club membership cost — carefully before contracting.
• Property taxes: Miami-Dade ad valorem taxes generally run ~1.6–2.0% of assessed value annually.
• Insurance: Condo HO-6 plus wind coverage varies by floor, unit size, and waterfront exposure.
• Closing costs: On a completed building, confirm your closing timeline and the exact costs due at closing.

A realistic all-in carrying cost for a waterfront, club-equipped residence like this lands in the low-single-digit percentage of purchase price per year. Build the full model — HOA, club dues, tax, and insurance — not just the headline price.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the developer of Vita at Grove Isle?

CMC Group, the firm founded in 1986 by Miami developer Ugo Colombo. It is a CMC Group project — not a Related Group development.

Who designed Vita at Grove Isle?

Architecture is by CallisonRTKL with S&E Architects as architect of record. Interior and amenity concepts are by Carlo and Paolo Colombo of A++ Architecture in Italy.

How many residences are there, and how big are they?

65 ultra-luxury residences, including bi-level penthouses, across three connected seven-story buildings (Mare, Luce, and Sole). Residences run roughly 2,500–5,000 sq ft, and penthouses roughly 3,400–6,600 sq ft, primarily in 3- and 4-bedroom-plus-den layouts.

Where exactly is it?

On Grove Isle, a private, gated 20-acre island off Coconut Grove, addressed at 5 Grove Isle Drive (some coverage lists nearby Grove Isle Drive addresses; confirm the exact unit address). The island is reached by a single bridge and a 24-hour guarded gate.

Is it really a private island?

Yes. Grove Isle is a gated 20-acre island in Biscayne Bay, accessible only via one bridge with a 24-hour security gate. Vita is the first new residential construction on the island in more than four decades.

Does it have a marina and tennis?

Yes. The island offers a private marina with deep-water slips and a racquet program with night-lit clay tennis courts, padel, and pickleball, accessed through Grove Isle Club membership, alongside Vita's own bayfront pool, spa, and fitness center.

What does it cost?

Residences were offered from roughly $6 million, with bi-level penthouses into the $19.5M+ range. Treat these as directional — confirm live pricing and remaining availability with the sales team.

Is it still pre-construction?

Vita received its TCO in December 2025 and closings are underway, so it is effectively a delivered building rather than an early-stage pre-construction project. That removes much of the usual sponsor and delivery risk.

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How to Buy at Vita at Grove Isle

A nearly sold-out, newly delivered island building is a different transaction from an early pre-construction contract. Before you move:

1. See the actual current inventory — remaining developer units and resale — by building (Mare, Luce, Sole) and by exposure. The public "from" price is rarely the live one.
2. Understand the island economics — HOA dues plus Grove Isle Club membership, and exactly what each covers.
3. Compare head-to-head with the Grove's other trophy condos — Arbor Coconut Grove, and the broader field in our top luxury Coconut Grove condos and Coconut Grove condos compared guides. Each targets a different buyer.
4. Model the full cost of ownership — dues, club fees, tax, and insurance — not just the headline price.

Visit the Vita at Grove Isle building page for current inventory, floor plans, and to schedule a private appointment with our team.

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This guide is for educational purposes. Pricing, availability, unit counts, square footage, and project specifications are drawn from the developer's and public sources' most recent materials and are subject to change without notice. Consult your real estate attorney and tax advisor before contracting on any residence.