South Florida Business Journal April 2013
As a section, Heavy Hitters in Commercial Real Estate is fun because each person’s story is a piece of the overall real estate picture from 2012.
For South Florida, that picture is improving, with retail, hospitality, industrial and residential rebounding. Even office, one of the market’s hardest-hit sectors, is on the mend, with new space under construction for the first time in several years.
Reporter Oscar Pedro Musibay threw out a wide net to get feedback from many sources, highlighting those who continually do great work alongside those up-and-comers who landed important work that fed the market, helping to spur its recovery.
We chose a diverse group that are getting South Florida’s real estate engine humming again, and proudly present these 100 individuals as this year’s heavy hitters.
Jeff Berkowitz
President, Berkowitz Development Group
www.berkowitzdevelopment.com
2665 S. Bayshore Drive,
Suite 1200, Miami 33133
(305) 854-2800
Berkowitz worked with the Swerdlow Group to lease the 850,000-square-foot shopping center planned at the former Biscayne Landing site in North Miami.
Stephanie Berman
President/CEO, Carrfour Supportive Housing
www.carrfour.org
1398 S.W. First St., Suite 1201, Miami 33135
(305) 371-8300
Worked on the $8 million renovation of 56 units at the Harvard House apartments in North Miami Beach after acquiring the property using federal money.
Lauro Bravar
Managing Principal, OHL USA
www.ohlusa.com
9725 N.W. 117th Ave., Suite 105, Doral 33178
(305) 884-9494
Was the No. 1 ranked company on the Business Journal’s list of the region’s Top 25 contractors at the end of 2012, generating $388.7 million in billings in 2011.
Malcolm Butters
Principal, Butters Construction and Development
www.butters.com
6820 Lyons Technology Circle, Suite 100, Coconut Creek 33073
(954) 312-2400
Florida’s retirement fund, working with L&B Realty Advisors and Butters Construction & Development, is redeveloping a site in Medley, northwest of Miami International Airport, into a 45-acre business park.
Barron Channer
CEO, BACH Real Estate
www.bachre.com
1320 N.E. 156th St.,
North Miami Beach 33162
After a decade with R. Donahue Peebles, Channer launched BACH Real Estate to invest in South Florida and initiated ownership participation in the Biscayne Landing project as a limited partner.
Armando Codina
Founder/Managing Partner, Codina Partners; Partner, CC Devco Homes;
Partner, CC Residential
www.codina.com
135 San Lorenzo Ave., Suite 750, Coral Gables 33146
(305-529-1300)
Built 700 of the 1,600 units at the Monterra residences in Cooper City. Through CC Devco he builds single-family homes and through CC Residential, he is focused on multifamily. Codina Partners is focused on the Downtown Doral project.
Asaf “Asi” Cymbal
President, Cymbal Development
www.cymbaldevelopment.com
3470 N. Miami Ave., Upper Suite, Miami 33127
(305) 573-8700
Working through the process of redeveloping the Cabi New River site, which he bought out of bankruptcy for $11.5 million, into a multifamily project he calls Marina Lofts.
Sean DeMartino
President, Florida Division, Balfour Beatty Construction
www.balfourbeattyus.com
7901 S.W. Sixth Court, Plantation 33324
(954) 585-4208
IKEA hired Balfour Beatty Construction to build its Sweetwater store, which is slated to open next summer. The store will be 417,000 square feet and have 1,500 parking spaces.
Gil Dezer
Managing Principal, The Dezer Group
18001 Collins Ave., Sunny Isles Beach 33160
(305) 932-1000
Purchased the distressed mortgage on the Solis Resort Spa & Residences and opened sales center for planned 57-story tower with Porsche Design, both in Sunny Isles Beach.
Jill DiDonna
Division President, GL Homes
www.glhomes.com
1600 Sawgrass Corporate Parkway, Suite 400, Sunrise 33323
(954) 753-1730
Harkening back to 2005, the Sunrise-based homebuilder racked up $600 million in sales and paid $150 million for 610.4 acres west of Boca Raton.
Adrian Foster
President/CEO, Foster Construction of South Florida
www.fosterconstructionsf.net
610 N.W. 183rd St., Suite 205, Miami 33169
(305) 381-0860
Working with a team of contractors on the $55 million municipal complex project for the city of Miami Gardens that is seeking LEED Platinum certification.
Mitch Friedman
Partner, Pinnacle Housing Group
9400 S. Dadeland Blvd., Miami 33156
(305) 854-7100
Built the 300-unit Kings Terrace near Opa-locka after relocating 275 families that had lived at the apartment community that was demolished to make way for the new project. The project included $53 million in financing.
Scott Helms
Senior VP, Regional Managing Director, Industrial Development International
www.idi.com
515 E. Las Olas Blvd., Suite 960, Fort Lauderdale 33301
(954) 678-2101
In one of the largest industrial leases signed in 2012, global aviation solutions provider AeroTurbine signed a lease for 264,074-square-feet at IDI’s Miramar Centre Business Park.
Brenda Hill-Riggins
President, Mars Contractors
www.marscontractors.com
13350 S.W. 131st St., Suite 103, Miami 33186
(305) 278-2122
Mars Contractors provides services to all sectors of the real estate market, including commercial, sports (Marlins Park), convention centers and aviation.
Tibor Hollo
Founder/Chairman/President,Florida East Coast Realty
100 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 900, Miami 33131
(305) 358-7710
In addition to planning the tallest building in Miami, Hollo is working on establishing Chinatown Miami/El Barrio Chino de Miami with the help of the city of Miami.
Megan Kelly
Executive VP, Swire Properties
501 Brickell Key Drive, Suite 600, Miami 33131
(305) 371-3877
Swire started construction on the main phase of its $1.05 billion Brickell CityCentre project, which includes residences, hotel suites, offices, retail and a direction connection to Metromover.
Rex Kirby
President/GM, Southeast Region,
Suffolk Construction Co.
1 Harvard Circle, Suite 100, West Palm Beach 33409
(561) 832-1616
Undertook the $130 million, 250,000-square-foot Patricia and Philip Frost Museum of Science project in downtown Miami and the New River Yacht Club for the Related Group in Fort Lauderdale
John Leete
Executive VP, John Moriarity & Associates
www.jm-a.com
1942 Tyler St., Hollywood 33020
(954) 920-8550
Started construction on the Miami BrickellHouse condominium project and continued work on the Pérez Art Museum Miami in downtown Miami.
Willie Logan
Opa-locka Community Development Corp.
www.olcdc.org
490 Opa-locka Blvd., Opa-locka 33054
(305) 687-3545
Worked on several residential projects in the city, including Magnolia North, Solabella, Villa Capri, Town Center and the rehabilitation of several single-family homes with a total value of more than $90 million.
Stuart A. Miller
CEO, Lennar Corp.
www.lennar.com
700 N.W. 107th Ave., Miami 33172
(305) 559-4000
Lennar (NYSE: LEN) profits rose 310 percent in the fourth quarter to $124.3 million, a sign that the nation’s housing comeback has gained momentum, spurring the Miami-based company to consider a return to multifamily development.
P. Michael Reininger
President/Chief Development Officer,
All Aboard Florida
www.allaboardflorida.com
2855 Le Jeune Road, 4th floor, Coral Gables 33134
(305) 520-2105
Responsible for the rail infrastructure, stations and transit-oriented development; finalized the downtown West Palm Beach station location, completing preliminary engineering for the rail network and beginning the design process for four stations.
Bob Moss
Founder/Chairman/CEO, Moss & Associates/Moss Construction Management
www.mosscm.com
2101 N. Andrews Ave., Suite 300, Fort Lauderdale 33311
(954) 524-5678
When completed, the University of Miami’s new $27 million Student Activities Center will have gathering places, programming space, a student organizations suite, retail outlets and a new Rathskeller.
Tom Murphy
Chairman/CEO, Coastal Construction Group
www.coastalconstruction.com
5959 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite 200, Miami 33126
(305) 559-4900
Completed the St. Regis Resort and Residences which consists of a 27-story, luxury brand hotel resort with 243 guest rooms and 245 residences, and continued construction of the Marriott Edition on Miami Beach.
Jose “Pepe” Fanjul Jr.
VP, Fanjual Corp. (Florida Crystals)
www.floridacrystals.com
1 N. Clematis St., Suite 200, West Palm Beach 33401
(561) 366-5100
Looking to take advantage of the region’s growth, the company put together a deal to buy 33 acres in western Delray Beach for a 395-unit multifamily project and looks to invest in commercial property nationwide.
Jorge Perez
Chairman, The Related Group
www.relatedgroup.com
315 S. Biscayne Blvd., Suite 200, Miami 33131
(305) 460-9900
Oversaw a diversified development portfolio that included multifamily and condo development, such as Apogee Beach Hollywood, and affordable rehabilitation, winning more than $60 million in funds for elderly and disabled housing.
Andy Petry
VP, South Florida region, Liberty Property Trust
www.libertyproperty.com
750 Park of Commerce Blvd., Suite 220, Boca Raton 33487
(561) 999-0310
Readies land and resources for its $135 million Miami International Tradeport industrial park, which broke ground on a 147,840-square-foot warehouse in February.
David C. Robinson
VP/GM, Turner Construction
www.turnercontruction.com
1000 N.W. 57th Court, Suite 200, Miami 33126
(786) 621-9000
Turner Construction launched work on the foundation and underground garage work for the $1.05 Brickell CityCentre project in Miami.
Brad Stitchberry
VP, KTR Capital Partners
www.ktrcapital.com
24 S. Military Trail, Deerfield Beach 33442
(954) 421-0948
Completed construction on the 336,000-square-foot Miami International Distribution Center at Pan America West Business Park near Miami International Airport.
Terry Stiles
Chairman and CEO, Stiles Corp.
www.stiles.com
300 S.E. Second St., Fort Lauderdale 33301
(954) 627-9021
Stiles topped off 321-unit, $60 million One Plantation apartment project in Plantation, which is coupled with the renovation of the nearby 60,000-square-foot Shops at One Plantation.
Michael Swerdlow
Managing Partner, Swerdlow Group
www.swerdlow.com
3390 Mary St., Suite 200, Miami 33133
(305) 476-0100
Won bid to reclaim the former Biscayne Landing site in North Miami with plans for a new development that would include an 850,000-square-foot shopping center.