GTA VI Fan Finds Real-Life Prototype of Jason and Lucia’s Apartment: Building Already Demolished, but Rockstar Preserved It in Game

A Grand Theft Auto VI fan has managed to pinpoint the exact real-life prototype of Jason and Lucia’s condominium in Miami. To find the protagonists’ virtual hideout, the enthusiast had to study historical Google Street View images and old real estate listings, since the original five-story building has already been physically demolished to make way for a new high-rise development.

Investigation via Window View and Archive Maps

The discovery was made by a user under the handle Aaron (@prettyboycuh) after a detailed analysis of the 27-minute video GTA VI: An Extended Look.

As reported by Dexerto, the key clue was the view from the characters’ apartment window: the location of a neighboring skyscraper, the outlines of a park, and the shoreline led the author to the real-life Edgewater neighborhood in Miami.

However, on current satellite maps, the presumed address showed only an empty fenced-off lot. Switching Google Street View to archive panoramas from April 2013, the enthusiast found a five-story residential complex at that location: Belmar Condominium at 419 NE 19th Street. The building’s architecture, parking lot geometry, balcony shapes, and views of Biscayne Bay matched the in-game footage down to the smallest details.

Identical Room Layout in Real Estate Listings

The resemblance wasn’t limited to the building’s facade. The researcher pulled up archived Zillow listings and compared photos of Belmar’s interiors with gameplay scenes where Jason moves through rooms, approaches the refrigerator, and steps onto the balcony.

The layout of the in-game hideout is almost entirely copied from the real two-bedroom apartment #202:

• area of about 81 m² (875 square feet);
• two bedrooms and two bathrooms;
• identical placement of the kitchen relative to the hallway and access to a balcony overlooking Margaret Pace Park.

$12M Buyout and Demolition of Historic Building

According to a report from The Real Deal, the Belmar residential complex was built in 1973 and had only 13 units.

In August 2022, developer SB Development bought all the building’s units in a single package for $12 million (roughly $923,000 per apartment). The low-rise building was slated to be replaced by a 55-story luxury skyscraper called Vela, worth about $300 million. The building itself was finally demolished between 2022 and 2024.

Rockstar Preserved Vanished Architecture

The find vividly illustrates the scale of Rockstar Games’ research work: the art team collected photogrammetry and blueprints of Florida residential neighborhoods long before they were demolished. The building no longer exists in reality, but its detailed virtual copy will forever remain part of Vice City.

A full exploration of digital Miami will begin soon: the official GTA VI website confirms the game will launch on November 19, 2026 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.