The multi-billionaire hedge fund magnate Ken Griffin, who founded the Chicago-based Citadel Securities, has continued to expand his Brickell portfolio while Citadel signed a lease for 95,000 SF at OKO Group’s 830 Brickell office tower. Griffin announced earlier this year that both Citadel and Citadel securities will move to Miami from Chicago. Through an entity Griffin acquired acquired the adjacent 1250 Brickell Bay Drive and 1260 Brickell Bay Drive for $20 million, the lots total roughly 6,655 SF. The lots are adjacent to 1221 Brickell Avenue, which an entity tied to Citadel reportedly acquired in June 2022 for $286.5 million.
The assemblage of properties spanning from 1221 Brickell Avenue to 1250-1260 Brickell Bay Drive is across the street from 1201 Brickell Bay Drive, which Citadel was revealed as the buyer of after Tibor Hollo’s Florida East Coast Realty sold the 2.5 acre supertall development lot in a $363 million mega-deal also in April 2022. The price equated to $145 million per acre, $3,340 PSF dirt value. Citadel is planning to develop the property with the Chicago-based developer Sterling Bay.
The lease signing at 830 Brickell comes following the news of developers OKO Group and Cain International buying WeWork out of their 146,000 square foot lease covering 10-floors. WeWork was one of the first to sign a major lease at the Class A office tower in 2019 which was set to become their largest location Florida. Rents at 830 Brickell are now in excess of $125 PSF, representing a 42% rise year-over-year. Other top-tier office users who have signed leases at 830 Brickell include Microsoft, international law firm Sidley Austin LLP, New York-based insurance firm A-CAP, private equity firm Thoma Bravo, CI Financial, Marsh Insurance, AerCap, and others.
The news comes as the Miami office market continues to boast one of the lowest vacancy rates with absorption faring better than other competing markets across the U.S, according to the Miami Downtown Development Authority’s 2021 Office Market Report. In fact, Downtown Miami was the only major urban office market in the country to achieve net-positive absorption in 2021.