Tech execs are buying up Florida buildings that ban phones

South Florida is a magnet for tech billionaires, with companies like Citadel, Nvidia and Tesla among those expanding in the Sunshine State.But the latest luxury residences under way in the Miami area are all about unplugging from electronics, socializing with humans instead of machines, connecting to nature. “Tranquility in a city center is so hard to find,” said Michael Stern, CEO of JDS Development, the company behind Mercedes-Benz Places, twin 67-story towers rising in Brickell expected to be completed by 2028.“This will be an entirely new neighborhood that prioritizes the health, well-being and the in-person connection of its residents.”To that end, the amenities, “which engage the senses without tech,” according to Stern, will include a Japanese onsen ritual bathing circuit, meditative cabanas, a Himalayan salt room, an aromatherapy room and fitness center. At the ground level will be Southside Park, the largest green space in Brickell, with a canopy of trees, native vegetation, strolling pathways, and padel and basketball courts. “There is a difference between normal outdoor space and an actual park,” said Ryan Serhant, the building’s sales agent.

“This is a place to really decompress before or after work.”The Four Seasons Residences in Coconut Grove, the brand’s first all-residential project in Florida (due in 2027), will be surrounded by parks and water.It will also have the Caesar baths that evokes ancient Rome. “The ultimate in luxury is to disconnect, and this is supposed to be immersive, not tech-friendly.

In fact, technology wouldn’t survive the circuit,” said Christine Martinez de Castro, chief of marketing and sales for co-developer CMC.  The area was even kept co-ed to encourage everyone in the 70-unit building, where units start at $6 million, to interact.Despite integrating oodles of smart-home tech, developers are also starting to accept that home should be a haven from the computer.“In today’s world, wher...