A dedicated GTA 6 sleuth has tracked down the exact real-life Miami building Rockstar used as the reference for Jason and Lucia’s apartment in the game’s trailer, only to discover it was torn down years ago.
The building, known as the Belmar Condominium, sat in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood before being bought out in a $12 million bulk deal and demolished during GTA 6’s development.
Google Maps’ history feature cracks the case
The search began by matching the skyline visible through Jason and Lucia’s apartment window to modern Miami. That led to a dead end on current maps, since the lot where the building should have been sat completely empty.
Using Google Maps’ historical imagery feature, the fan rolled the timeline back to when Rockstar would have been scouting locations, and the missing building reappeared in the exact position and orientation shown in the trailer.
Archived Zillow listings for the property then confirmed Rockstar had recreated not just the building’s exterior, but its actual interior layout.
Built in 1973, the Belmar was a small, 13-unit condominium sitting on a compact triangular lot directly across from Margaret Pace Park, giving it sweeping views of Biscayne Bay that match the balcony shots seen in the trailer.
According to The Real Deal, developers purchased the entire building for $12 million in 2022 with plans to replace it with a $300 million, 55-story tower called Vela.
Those plans stalled after the project ran into zoning pushback, and the developers withdrew their application in 2023. As of 2026, the site remains an empty lot, listed as “on hold,” while the original 1970s building lives on digitally inside GTA 6.
It is not the first time fans have dug up real-world inspiration behind GTA 6’s locations. Players recently spotted what looks like Dexter Morgan’s Miami apartment complex hidden in Vice City, sparking hopes of a deeper reference to the show.
I’m Abhishek Sharma, an author at TigerJek.com. I enjoy exploring games, testing different strategies, and turning what I learn into clear, useful guides. My goal is to help players understand the game better and improve without the usual confusion.
