The CocoWalk Mixed-Use Property Reaches 100% Leased in Miami’s Vibrant Coconut Grove

Less than a year since its reopening, the newly renovated CocoWalk mixed-use property announces its retail and office components are fully leased in Miami’s vibrant Coconut Grove neighborhood. Following an extensive multimillion-dollar renovation, the property now features 150,000 square feet of prime retail space leased to leading local, national and international restaurant and retail brands and a newly built, 85,745-square-foot office building that is home to regional and global businesses. The mixed-use property is owned by a joint venture comprised of Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT), The Comras Company and Grass River Property.

“The office and retail leasing success CocoWalk has achieved demonstrates how Coconut Grove is becoming a leading destination for business and leisure,” said Stuart Biel, senior vice president of regional leasing at Federal Realty Investment Trust. “The diverse mix of service-oriented retail, chef-driven restaurant concepts and entertainment the reimagined CocoWalk offers will serve locals and visitors alike, while also providing onsite amenities to the daytime population occupying our office spaces.”

Along with reaching 100% leased, CocoWalk has completed leasing its office spaces attracting seven companies representing the financial and investment, hospitality and cruise industries, amongst the fastest growing in the region. The latest businesses to ink office leases are: cruise line Azamara; Creating Culinary Communities, or C3, a company led by Sam Nazarian, the founder of global hospitality firm sbe Entertainment Group that operates multiple SLS, Mondrian and Delano hotel locations; Uno Management Services; Lagoon Advisors, an investment banking advisory firm; Baymount Management, an investment management firm; The Jordan Company, a private equity firm with offices in New York, NY; Stamford, CT and Chicago, IL; and OC Investment Management, LLC.

Following the extensive remodel, CocoWalk now features three levels of prime retail space, the newly built class A office building One Cocowalk and renovated office space on the property’s west side known as Two Cocowalk. New-to-market tenant The Jordan Company is leasing 12,717 square feet; Uno Management Services will occupy 8,273 square feet; Lagoon Advisors will take 3,510 square feet; Baymount Management 1,928 square feet; and OC Investment Management, LLC another 1,247 square feet at One Cocowalk. Meanwhile, upscale cruise line Azamara inked a 9,286-square-foot lease; and C3 will occupy 9,205 square feet that will be home to its headquarters, a test kitchen, and culinary institute at Two Cocowalk.

The newly signed companies join an office tenant roster that includes American Land Ventures, international law firm Weinberg, Wheeler, Hudgins, Gunn & Dial, LLC, private equity firm Boyne Capital, and creative co-working pioneer Spaces. Amenities at the office building include dedicated elevators connecting office users with private parking, 24/7 security, a full-service, on-site gym and access to the building’s rooftop terrace and event space that overlook Coconut Grove’s lush tree canopy and bay views.

The exclusive leasing agent for the office space at CocoWalk is Blanca Commercial Real Estate led by Founder, Chairman and CEO Tere Blanca, Executive Vice Chairman Danet Linares and Vice Chairman Juan Ruiz.

“The successful leasing of CocoWalk’s office component has been a result of the quality office space, strategic location and direct access to dozens of dining and shopping options that the property offers,” said Tere Blanca, Chairman and CEO of Blanca Commercial Real Estate.

Among the restaurant and retailer concepts already signed at CocoWalk are Planta Queen, Sushi Garage, Mister 01 Extraordinary, Botanico Gin & Cookhouse, Salt & Straw, Sweetgreen, Narbona Natural Foods & Farm Market, Bluemercury, Edward Beiner, Edite Mode and The Spot Barbershop.

Sam Nazarian's New Dining And Delivery Platform C3 Hospitality Inks Lease For 10K SF In CocoWalk

Hospitality mogul Sam Nazarian’s new dining and delivery platform C3 Hospitality is coming to Coconut Grove after inking a lease at CocoWalk. The innovative dining hospitality platform will occupy 10,000 SF at CocoWalk, located at 3015 Grand Avenue in Coconut Grove, and is expected to open in 2022. C3 Hospitality will have an office where they will operate the newly launched CitizensGo app as well as a test kitchen and culinary space.

CocoWalk recently underwent a full redevelopment led by Federal Realty Investment Trust with partners The Comras Company and Grass River Property. CocoWalk is four-stories tall and features 150,000 SF of prime retail, dining and entertainment space. The property’s east end also includes Class A office space.

Nazarian is the founder of SBE, the hotel and hospitality brand behind the SLS, Delano, Hyde and Mondrian hotel brands as well as Katsuya and Fi’lia restaurant brands, amongst others; but recently sold his remaining share of ownership to Accor.

C3 Hospitality operates a variety of initiatives including ghost kitchens, food halls and fast casuals which bring together a selection of proprietary brands around multiple distributions points for fast delivery. In Coconut Grove C3 Hospitality will operate the newly launched CitizensGo app which allows users to order directly from a selection of curated restaurants which are all located in the same location in a single shopping cart/ order to save on delivery fees and offering the ability to mix-and-match from different eateries. C3 Hospitality’s concepts include Umami Burger, Krispy Rice, EllaMia, Plant Nation and Sam’s Crispy Chicken.

The Shops At Sunset Place In South Miami Sells For $65.5 Million To Alex Vadia's Midtown Equities

Midtown Equities, led by Alex Vadia, has acquired The Shops At Sunset Place for $65.5 million from FRIT Shops at Sunset Place, a joint venture between Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT), Grass River Property and The Comras Company. The 9.7-acre, 524,180 square foot shopping center, which is located at 5701 SW 72nd St., Sunset Drive in South Miami, last traded for $111.5 million in 2015, representing a significant loss for the selling joint venture. The shopping center’s current occupancy is reportedly just below 60%, a significant gap from the reported 83% in March 2020.

The Shops at Sunset Place was initially developed in 1999 and plans have been approved for a major renovation which would include the addition of 414 rental apartments, 182 hotel rooms, reducing the retail component to 440,148 square feet and adding 32,840 square feet of office space. The impact of COVID-19 stalled the development plans when Federal Realty Investment Trust was hit with a $50.7 million net impairment charge in Q3 2020 when its $60.6 million non-recourse CMBS loan matured and was declared in default by the lender.

Sunset Place Redevelopment Proposal Finally Gets Approved By South Miami

Nearly two years after the South Miami voted against the redevelopment of Sunset Place, the city has now approved the proposal after a special commission meeting where the South Miami City Commission voted unanimously to approve ordinances that allow will give the go-ahead to the developers to revitalize the aging mall. A partnership between Federal Realty Investment Trust, Grass River Property and The Comras Company will redevelop the 500,000 SF shopping mall into a mixed-use development with a renovated 440,000 SF mall, 32,000 SF of office space, 2 apartment buildings with 414-units and a 182-room hotel.

The developers have agreed to several climate change resistant modifications to the proposal including rooftop solar panels, a reflective or white roofing system, green roofs and the elimination of underground parking. The developers will also fund $250,000 to the city for a new streetscape on Sunset Drive, $1.5 million for pedestrian safety measures and a public amphitheater.

One CocoWalk Signs Creative Coworking Pioneer & Operator Spaces As Anchor Tenant

As the redevelopment of CocoWalk continues, the joint venture behind the project, comprised of Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT), Grass River Property and Comras Company, has announced that it has signed its anchor tenant, co-working company Spaces, to occupy 42,883 SF at the new Class A office building One CocoWalk. Spaces’ long-term lease is comprised of 2,029 SF on the building’s ground floor and 40,854 SF on the second and third floors. The anchor tenant brings the 5-story centerpiece office building to 50% leased, with other leases in advanced negotiations. Spaces is an international creative coworking company operating over 160 locations in 80 countries worldwide. This deal marks the third location for Spaces in South Florida. Randy Carballo and Gavin Macphail of JLL in Miami represented the tenant, Spaces, in the lease transaction while the landlord, One CocoWalk, was represented by Tere Blanca, Danet Linares and Juan Ruiz of Blanca Commercial Real Estate.

“As new ways of doing business emerge, the flexibility coworking facilities offer is gaining popularity. Spaces is a great fit for freelancers, energetic entrepreneurs, mobile workers and startups as well as project teams or regional headquarters of well-established companies,” said Jan Sweetnam, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Federal Realty Investment Trust. “Coconut Grove, renowned as Miami’s bohemian enclave since the 1960s, appeals to the nomadic, non-traditional mindset of the millennial generation now comprising the lion’s share of the workforce, making it a perfect site for Spaces.”

“South Florida is experiencing an entrepreneurial surge and Coconut Grove is quickly becoming one of the area’s premier destinations for startups to call home,” said Michael Berretta, Vice President of Network Development for IWG, which owns Spaces. “It’s an exciting time to be entering the market and One Cocowalk was a natural choice for our next Spaces location within the region. It embodies the vibrant spirit and ethos of our brand and provides the amenities and type of neighborhood environment that will help further foster our members’ growth and creativity.”

The coworking concept offers tenants a variety of workspace options, from dedicated desks to traditional office configurations to open areas that foster collaboration, on flexible contract terms. Special events and other perks conspire to create a shared work environment that is fun, efficient, inspiring and productive.

One CocoWalk is one of three office buildings under development for the first time in 30 years in the Coconut Grove office market. All three buildings are experiencing strong leasing activity that has solidified the Grove’s position as a highly desirable location for companies seeking class A office space. Amenities at the 85,762 SF One CocoWalk will include dedicated elevators connecting office users with private parking, 24/7 security, and a visitor entrance and lobby as well as access to a full-service gym inside CocoWalk. Perhaps the most unique amenity for tenants will be One CocoWalk’s rooftop terrace and event space, an urban oasis overlooking Coconut Grove’s lush tree canopy and historic brick sidewalks.

The transformation of CocoWalk will create a premier lifestyle destination with experiential retail, dining and entertainment spaces along with public spaces for the community to enjoy. When complete CocoWalk will be home to a total of 100,000 SF of office space and 150,000 SF of experiential retail, dining and entertainment space, along with welcoming public spaces throughout. Completion of the retail and office components are slated for the first quarter of 2020.

“In addition to offering entrepreneurs a fully-amenitized co-working space in the heart of Coconut Grove, the arrival of Spaces will bolster the Grove’s fast-growing daytime population, driving even more foot traffic to area shops and restaurants with CocoWalk at the center of this action. This is a big win for Coconut Grove,” said Tom Roth, principal of Grass River Property.

The upscale shopping center, which first opened in 1990, was purchased in 2015 by Federal Realty Investment Trust (NYSE: FRT), Grass River Property and Comras Company. The JV is now under construction with a redevelopment plan that will enhance CocoWalk’s connection to surrounding streets, aligning the property with the area’s changing demographics and revamping its commercial offerings.

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South Miami Votes Against The Zyscovich Architects-Designed Proposal To Redevelop The Shops at Sunset Place

After a year of developing plans with Zyscovich Architects to redevelop the Shops at Sunset Place with the addition of a hotel and 2 residential rental buildings, the South Miami City Commission has voted 3-2 against the project. PROFILEmiami first reported in October 2016 that Federal Realty Investment Trust, Comras Company and Grass River Property had acquired the aging Sunset Place mall for $110 million and and were planning a major redevelopment to reenergize the property. In October 2017 we reported that the Zyscovich Architects-designed proposal would include the addition of a 17-story hotel with 182 hotel rooms, and two 14-story residential rental buildings with 442 units total. That proposal was ultimately killed by the City of South Miami's Special Planning Board which was under pressure from worries that the project would open the door to immense development in South Miami. Mayor Philip Stoddard and Vice-Mayor Bob Welsh voted yes, while others voted against it. 

Check-Out The Zyscovich Architects-Designed Proposal To Redevelop The Shops at Sunset Place

A Zyscovich Architects-designed proposal to redevelop the Shops at Sunset Place is under review by the City of South Miami's Special Planning Board. The developers goal is to reenergize the existing, aging, Shops at Sunset Place into a lively mixed-use, urban district. The proposal calls for the addition of a "substantial residential component" including a hotel, restaurants, retail, offices and outdoor parks/gardens. Among the residential towers include a 17-story hotel with 182 hotel rooms, and two 14-story residential rental buildings with 442 units total. The first phase of the project would include demolishing and rebuilding large sections of the existing shopping center to update it with a more up-to-date, modern design. The second phase is to add a "true resident population." The redevelopment is being designed by Zyscovich Architects and Developed by Federal Realty, Grass River Realty and Comras Company.