Arkhaus Nixes Plan for Floating Social Club Next to Historic Wildlife Retreat

Last year, a duo of New York entrepreneurs announced plans to open "the world's first-ever private social club on the water" off the shores of Bird Key — a slender, undeveloped island in Biscayne Bay.

Commissioning vessels from the designers behind the $5.5 million houseboat anchored near Miami's Star Island, founders Sam Payrovi and Nathalie Paiva envisioned the project, called Arkhaus, as a private floating social club where members could indulge in food, live music, and even guided meditation classes in a lavish setting on Biscayne Bay. The ultra-exclusive venture, which is shown in renderings as four, sleek solar-powered yachts overlooking a natural pool, planned to offer only 360 memberships, with the final round of membership sales priced between $7,500 and $10,000 a year.

But following criticism from wildlife experts who feared the project might damage the bay bottom and scare away remaining birds from the island after its avian population plummeted in 2020, Arkhaus decided against opening the luxury club next to Bird Key.

Payrovi revealed this week that among other reasons for abandoning the spot, the company undertook "multiple environmental surveys" to ensure Bird Key was suitable for the venture, which indicated "prevalent seagrass and prohibitively shallow depths."

"Simultaneously, ARKHAUS listened and responded to the concerns presented by Bird Key's neighbors — that a potential return of birds to the island may be inhibited," Payrovi wrote in a statement. "As an organization that deeply values the environment, its members, and broader community, ARKHAUS notified Bird Key ownership of its socially responsible decision to not move forward with the lease."

Though Arkhaus' decision to step away from the Bird Key location offered some solace to conservationists, the island's status as a historic wildlife retreat is in jeopardy. Last week, the privately owned property hit the market for a listing price of $31.5 million as a "golden opportunity for a developer." Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava told New Times her administration previously tried to buy the land as part of an environmental preservation program in 2023, but that the owner did not accept the offer.

Payrovi confirmed that Arkhaus made the decision to nix the club's Bird Key location in late 2023. He declined to answer additional questions sent via email, including an inquiry about whether the company plans to open the club elsewhere in South Florida waters.

An online brochure for the Miami location, which invites "disruptors and innovators" to "formulate new connections" in the club's "unparalleled setting with extraordinary views," featured a rendering of the interconnected yachts floating just a stone's throw away from Bird Key. The brochure, still available on the company's website, explained that members would be scooped up at the Venetian Marina in Edgewater and ferried over to the club in less than 10 minutes to spend their days lounging, swimming, and drinking around the floating social club.

"ARKHAUS members can meet, relax, entertain, and celebrate onboard state-of-the-art floating yachts complete with outdoor decks, rooftop lounges and contemporary indoor spaces all centered around a private bay-water pool and remarkable panoramic views," the site reads.

While it's unclear where (if at all) Arkhaus will be placing the floating club, its website shows the outfit is hiring for various positions, such as general manager, lifeguard, executive chef, and captain. Arkhaus' website states that the venture is active, with full access for a flagship Miami membership slated to open in the fourth quarter of 2024.
Located off the coast of Miami's Upper Eastside, Bird Key has been a haven for many native bird species such as brown pelicans and herons to nest and find shelter from predators. It's listed on Miami-Dade County's register of environmentally endangered lands and is one of just a handful of naturally formed islands in Biscayne Bay. The island was plagued by washed-up piles of trash and, between the fall 2019 and spring 2020 nesting season, its bird population suddenly collapsed.

Last year, before Arkhaus decided to cancel the Bird Key location, local conservationist Christopher Boykin voiced concerns that the social club could chase the birds away for good.

"We hope that birds will return to Bird Key, but certainly they would be less likely if there's a private social club with music and boats," Boykin told New Times in July 2023. "Even if they were to never return on their own, it's just pouring salt on the wound to have that right where we had this amazing biomass of diversity and beauty and wilderness here in Miami."

Last week, the island's owner, Finlay Matheson, told New Times that there was heavy interest in the island from buyers, and that purchase offers were in the works.

Mayor Levine Cava said on May 14 that her office was still open to submitting a bid for the land.

"An opportunity to restore our bay and protect its wildlife through land acquisition is something my administration will always consider," the mayor said in a statement provided to New Times. "We are eager to find alternatives, including state or federal support, to purchase this property and expand the footprint of our Biscayne Bay protection programs."