International Law Firm Sidley Austin LLP Signs 60,000 SF Lease At Miami's 830 Brickell Office Tower

Sidley Austin LLP, an international law firm with almost $3 billion in revenue and 20 offices worldwide, has signed a lease at 830 Brickell, the new Class-A+ office tower nearing completion in Miami’s Brickell Financial District. Sidley signed a three-floor, 60,000 square-foot lease at the 55-story tower, marking the largest new-to-market office lease signed in the city’s urban core this year. The building, developed in partnership by OKO Group and Cain International, is the first stand-alone Class A+ office tower to be built in Miami’s Brickell Financial District in over a decade and is nearly 70 percent leased ahead of its late-2022 completion.

Sidley will join additional top-tier office users at 830 Brickell, including Microsoft, New York-based insurance firm A-CAP, private equity firm Thoma Bravo, CI Financial, Marsh Insurance, AerCap, WeWork, and others.

“We are excited to be at the center of this new growth of the Miami business community as we open our 21st office in such a vibrant, international market,” said Yvette Ostolaza, Sidley’s Chair of the Management Committee. “As a Miami native, I know this community well and am excited about the talented lawyers who we have already recruited to serve our M&A, private equity, financial services, tech, cybersecurity and privacy, healthcare, real estate, entertainment, sports, and media, SEC regulatory and enforcement, and global finance clients. We are excited about our new office space.”

“At nearly seventy percent leased, 830 Brickell continues to serve as a magnate for professional service, tech and financial firms growing their presence in Miami,” said Vlad Doronin, Chairman and CEO of OKO Group, and Jonathan Goldstein, CEO of Cain International. “Brickell has acted as a bellwether in the South Florida office market, and we anticipate increased demand in 830 as Miami grows into a global hub for talent, lifestyle and innovation.”

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.

830 Brickell’s ownership was represented by Cushman & Wakefield’s Brian Gale, Ryan Holtzman and Andrew Trench. Sidley was represented by Jeff Gordon and Barbara Black of JLL.

“830 Brickell continues to attract tenants at the top of the food chain and across diversified industries – like financial services, tech, insurance, banking and now, top-tier law firms,” said Brian Gale, Vice Chairman of Cushman & Wakefield. “The surge in new-to-market activity we’ve been experiencing over the last couple years is by far the most we’ve seen in Miami, with over 500,000 square feet of active tenants currently looking for space in the market. The cities that have generated the most activity for South Florida’s office market have come from New York, Chicago, and San Francisco.”

830 Brickell was designed by renowned architecture firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, with interiors by Italian architecture and design company Iosa Ghini Associati.

The tower’s amenities will include a rooftop bar/lounge and restaurant – with menus developed alongside a three-Michelin-starred chef and showcasing expansive views of the City and Biscayne Bay, a world-class health and wellness center, conferencing facilities, an outdoor terrace, cafeìs and street-level retail. Multiple transit options are nearby, including Metrorail and Metromover, the Brightline, walking paths, cycling lanes and bay access points. Additionally, some of Miami’s top residential and lifestyle-driven neighborhoods are situated just minutes away, such as Miami’s Design District, Wynwood, Edgewater and Miami Beach.

DRA Advisors and CP Group Acquire Iconic Office Building 'Miami Tower' In Downtown Miami For $163.5 Million

DRA Advisors and CP Group have acquired Miami Tower, a 627,152-square-foot trophy office tower in Downtown Miami’s Central Business District for $163.5 million. Mike Davis, Dominic Montazemi, Mike McDonald, Miguel Alcivar, Rick Brugge, Rick Colon, and Adam Spies of Cushman & Wakefield represented the seller, USPO Miami, LLC, in the transaction. Jason Hochman and Ron Granite of Cushman & Wakefield also arranged the acquisition financing through PGIM on behalf of the buyer, DRA Advisors and CP Group.

“Miami Tower is a hallmark icon of the Miami skyline with a storied history,” said Montazemi, Executive Managing Director at Cushman & Wakefield. “CP Group together with DRA have a vision to elevate the asset with significant capital investment and plans for modernizations that will place Miami Tower as a category-defining option for tenants seeking the very best transit-oriented workplace solutions together with state-of-the-art on-site amenities.

Additionally, “The asset’s live-work-play environment and location in an area that has had more than $23 billion worth of recent development happening will continue to attract interest from established businesses in and outside of Florida,” said Davis, Executive Vice Chair at Cushman & Wakefield.

Located at 100 SE 2nd St., Miami Tower is a trophy asset that spans 47 stories and is currently 67% occupied while historically averaging 90% or better. The office tower features a unique triple-tiered light display and best-in-class amenities such as an on-site conference center, fitness facility, Sky Lobby and Sky Terrace event space, ground floor retail, and adjacent Hyatt Regency Miami Hotel. It’s also the only office building in Miami that is fully connected into the city’s public transit system with an integrated Metromover station, which provides nearly immediate access to Miami Central station.

Miami Tower has been a critical part of the city’s public and business community since it was built in 1987, and significant capital has been invested in renovation projects over the years to maintain it. Under new ownership, the office tower offers potential value-add through further enhancements to its amenities.

Sumaida + Khurana and Bizzi & Partners Reveal 'THE FIFTH MIAMI BEACH' Class A+ Office Designed By Spanish Master Architect Alberto Campo Baeza

Sumaida + Khurana and Bizzi & Partners, two internationally recognized real estate development firms, have received approval from the City of Miami Beach to proceed with the construction of a new Class A+ office building designed by renowned Spanish master architect Alberto Campo Baeza. The project is named THE FIFTH MIAMI BEACH and it will be Baeza’s first commercial building in the United States. Sumaida + Khurana is led by Founding Partners Saif Sumaida and Amit Khurana. Bizzi & Partners is led by CEO Davide Bizzi and Managing Director Alessandro Pallaoro, the firms expect to start construction imminently.

"We are very fortunate to have received unanimous design approval by the Historic Preservation Board of Miami Beach in less than one year since we acquired the property. We have treated THE FIFTH MIAMI BEACH as a labor of love and greatly appreciate how positively the City has responded to the design of our project. The collaboration among multiple world-class team members and stakeholders in Miami Beach has been extremely rewarding. We are excited to deliver a very special building that provides an exceptional offering to our tenants and the community," said Saif Sumaida, Founding Partner, Sumaida + Khurana.

The firms have tapped global commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield to lead their leasing efforts. The building is ideally situated at the entrance to Miami Beach from the MacArthur Causeway, located in the exclusive enclave of South of Fifth, at the corner of Michigan and Fifth Street. The Class A+, LEED Certified office building will seek to take an innovative approach by delivering on the singular quality, craftsmanship and architectural pedigree that Sumaida + Khurana and Bizzi & Partners are renowned for delivering on their residential condominium projects.

“The pandemic has completely changed the relationship between employees and the built office environment. With THE FIFTH MIAMI BEACH, we have an exciting opportunity to set a new benchmark for modern office development by creating a dynamic ecosystem for tenants that is focused on both work and well-being by incorporating extensive wellness amenities within an architectural masterpiece designed by one of the world's great master architects, Alberto Campo Baeza, with an elevated interior design concept by the renowned architectural firm, Gabellini Sheppard Associates," said Alessandro Pallaoro, Managing Director, Bizzi & Partners.

World-renowned architecture firm, Gabellini Sheppard Associates is designing the interiors, award-winning firm Cube 3 is the executive architect and Miami-based Urban Robot Associates is the project’s landscape architect.

The project will be akin to an exquisite jewel box, wrapped in glass, white marble and white concrete. The biophilic design approach incorporates many elements that bring the outdoors inside and also provides expansive spaces that are ideal for tenants to design creative work environments. The building features a monumental marble lobby with 35-foot ceiling heights, 14-foot ceilings throughout office floors, open and flexible floorplans, floor-to-ceiling windows and every office includes expansive private outdoor terraces. Located in the center of the building is a large outdoor atrium that opens up all of the offices to a dramatic experience of light, air, and outdoor space. In addition, the building features multiple amenities for tenants to share including a private landscaped rooftop with expansive, unobstructed water views. This offering will be further complemented by a state-of-the-art fitness center and spa, multiple food and beverage options, and valet parking. The building will also offer advanced air quality and filtration systems that will be part of the focus on sustainability and health.

Based in Spain, Baeza has been widely recognized for his work including winning his country’s National Prize for Architecture in 2021. Some of his notable projects include the Houses Turégano and de Blas, both in Madrid, the Gaspar House, Asencio House in Cádiz, the Olnick Spanu Museum in Garrison, New York, the BIT Center in Inca-Mallorca, the Museum of Memory of Andalucía in Granada. In 2020, he won the competition to design a new bridge over the Piave River in Belluno, Venice.

Sumaida + Khurana is led by Founding Partners Saif Sumaida and Amit Khurana. Bizzi & Partners is led by CEO Davide Bizzi and Managing Director Alessandro Pallaoro. Both firms are individually known the world over for developing some of the most significant real estate projects in the world, collaborating with critically acclaimed and architects and designers. New York-based Sumaida + Khurana collaborated with Pritzker Prize winning architect, Tadao Ando to design 152 Elizabeth Street, as well as Pritzker Laureate, Alvaro Siza for 611 West 56th Street. Bizzi & Partners, which has offices in New York, Milan, São Paulo, and Tallinn, worked with Pritzker Prize winning architect Renzo Piano to design both 565 Broome SoHo in Manhattan and Eighty Seven Park in Miami. The firm also developed the Langham Hotel in New York, designed by Charles Gwathmey.

SHVO Reveals Norman Foster-Designed Class A Office On Alton Road And Lincoln Road

SHVO has revealed plans for a Foster + Partners-designed Class A office project at the former Epicure Gourmet Market & Cafe at the intersection of Alton Road and Lincoln Road. The project will rise five stories and will feature nearly 250,000 SF of total development at 1656, 1664, 1676 and 1680 Alton Road and 1677 West Avenue. Kobi Karp of Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design is working with Foster + Partners as the architect of record. The project was advanced following The Miami Beach Planning Board voting in favor of transferring city land known as Alton Ct, the back alley between Lincoln Road and 17th St. to the developer.

Foster + Partners is led by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Lord Norman Foster and also designed Faena House as well as the new Safra National Bank headquarters, at currently under construction at 3050 Aventura. SHVO, led by Michael Shvo, is also redeveloping the Raleigh Hotel on Collins Avenue into a Rosewood Hotels & Resorts-branded hotel and condo tower.

Renderings via Foster + Partners

Related Companies and Swire Properties Reveal One Brickell City Centre Supertall Office Tower

Related Companies and Swire Properties have revealed plans for One Brickell City Centre, a new supertall office tower which will be adjoined to Brickell City Centre. Construction is expected to start in 2023 and the tower will be the tallest commercial tower in Florida upon completion. One Brickell City Centre is designed by Arquitectonica and will offer 1.6 million SF of office space as well as the largest floor plates for a Class A office tower in Miami.

The tower will be located at 700 Brickell Avenue and 799 Brickell Plaza and will be connected to Brickell City Centre, which features over 500,000 SF of shopping, dining and entertainment and was developed by Swire Properties. The announcement signifies strength and growth in the Miami office market as the city continues to attract top technology and finance companies from high-tax states such as California and New York.

Other supertalls coming to Miami include Waldorf Astoria Hotel & Residences Miami which was recently issued the first vertical construction permit for a supertall in Florida. The tower is nearly sold-out and is being developed by PMG and Grey brook Realty Partners, Mohari Hospitality, S2 Development and global hospitality company Hilton (NYSE: HLT). Another is MAJOR, a Major Food Group-branded luxury condo tower at 888 Brickell Avenue being developed by JDS Development and Major Food Group and Related Companies has also been quite active in the Palm Beach office market.

New-To-Market Insurance Firm A-CAP Inks Lease at OKO Group's Class A-Plus Office Tower 830 Brickell

As financial, professional services, technology and other major corporate firms look to establish their presence in South Florida, A-CAP, a premier insurance and financial services company with over $6 billion in assets under management, will become the latest company to debut its new office at 830 Brickell in Miami’s Brickell Financial District. The 55-story, 640,000 square foot class A-plus office tower, which is currently under construction, is being developed in partnership by OKO Group and Cain International. Headquartered in New York with offices around the country, A-CAP signed a full floor, 20,000 square-foot lease for the building’s 35th floor.

A-CAP has become the latest financial services firm to lease space at 830 Brickell, joining private equity firm Thoma Bravo, CI Financial, aviation finance firm AerCap, and Marsh Insurance. 830 Brickell is already more than 60% leased ahead of its late-2022 completion and has attracted additional top-tier office users, including Microsoft, WeWork, and others. The tower’s leasing team is actively negotiating terms and entertaining interest from prospective tenants whose space requirements exceed the balance of the building’s remaining inventory.

“A-CAP’s decision to open a Miami office at 830 Brickell reaffirms the tower’s position as the premier location for financial firms and talent in the South Florida market,” said Vlad Doronin, Chairman and CEO of OKO Group, and Jonathan Goldstein, CEO of Cain International. “830 Brickell’s growing roster of innovative tenants has shaped Brickell into one of the most desirable office submarkets in the United States and will serve as a magnet for other finance, investment, tech, and professional services firms looking to make the move here.”

“A-CAP is excited to open its new office at 830 Brickell. The building is an A-plus facility and is located at the heart of Miami’s Financial District. We look forward to calling 830 Brickell A-CAP's new home,” said Kenneth King, Chairman and CEO of A-CAP.

830 Brickell’s ownership was represented by Cushman & Wakefield’s Brian Gale, Ryan Holtzman and Andrew Trench. A-CAP was represented by Jennifer Goldstein of Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

“The new-to-market leasing activity we’re seeing for Brickell/Downtown Miami’s Class A market represents how a growing number of companies around the world are looking to establish or expand their footprint in South Florida, with 830 Brickell as the trophy address of choice. What's interesting about A-CAP's deal is that the firm expanded to a full floor after realizing more folks wanted to move to Miami, which we believe we’ll continue to see as Miami grows as a global gateway city. When you factor in tax savings, the quality of life benefits, and diversity of our talent pool, it’s no surprise why people and companies are relocating here,” said Ryan Holtzman of Cushman & Wakefield.

830 Brickell was designed by renowned architecture firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill, with interiors by Italian architecture and design company Iosa Ghini Associati.

The tower’s amenities will include a rooftop bar/lounge and restaurant – with menus developed alongside a three-Michelin-starred chef – showcasing expansive views of the City and Biscayne Bay, a world-class health and wellness center, conferencing facilities, an outdoor terrace, cafeìs and street-level retail. Multiple transit options are nearby, including Metrorail and Metromover, the Brightline, walking paths, cycling lanes and bay access points. Additionally, some of Miami’s top residential and lifestyle-driven neighborhoods are situated just minutes away, such as Miami’s Design District, Wynwood, Edgewater and Miami Beach.

BH3 Starts Demolition On Future Site Of Design 38 Mixed-Use Office Development Coming To Miami Design District

BH3 Management has begun demolition to make room for a new nine-story, 90,000-square-foot retail, showroom and office development at 3801 N. Miami Ave designed by renowned architectural firm Sieger Suarez in Miami Design District. Dubbed Design 38, the project is positioned at the southwestern entrance to the Miami Design District. Construction is slated to commence this summer.

Design 38 will feature 25-foot ceilings on ground level and 14-foot ceilings on floors 2 through 9. Tenants will enjoy open floor plans with great branding visibility, including the opportunity for naming rights with Interstate 195 exposure. Rents vary based on the floor, but average approximately $70 per square foot for typical floors on a triple-net basis. Several letters of intent from notable tenants are already in place.

“Design 38 is poised to satisfy the pent-up demand of retailers, fashion brands, showrooms, studios, and office space users that want to be in the Design District, but don’t require ground-floor locations or the higher rents associated with them,” said Gregory Freedman, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of BH3.

Miami Design District is one of the hottest neighborhoods in the world, home to a number of luxury fashion houses, art galleries, fine dining experiences, and cafés. The open-air, pedestrian-friendly neighborhood, known for its many distinct and artistic façades, notably boasts a highly energy-efficient infrastructure and became the first neighborhood in the world to achieve the Gold level (LEED ND: Built v4 Gold). The neighborhood was inspired by the worlds leading shopping districts including Fifth Avenue and Rodeo Drive and visitors can enjoy mature canopy-covered streets and walkways, sculptural specimen trees, and extensive rooftop gardens.

Adjacent to Design 38, a planned 15-story, 180,000-square-foot office project, The Ursa, was recently announced and will be developed by Miami Design District Associates, a partnership of Dacra, L Catteron Real Estate, and Brookfield Properties.

“Combined, Design 38 and The Ursa solidify the relevance of North Miami Avenue as the vertical core for Miami Design District,” Freedman added.

Design 38 will accept cryptocurrency as an option for lease payments. “With Miami emerging as the cryptocurrency capital of the world, accepting it as a form of lease payment is a timely point of differentiation for potential tenants,” said Daniel Lebensohn, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of BH3.”

JLL Senior Vice President & South Florida Retail Lead Zach Winkler, Senior Associate Jonathan Rosen, and Associate Lee Koniver have been tapped to spearhead leasing for the project on behalf of BH3.

PEBB and Banyan Development Acquire Seven Building Portfolio at the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University® For $37.5 Million

PEBB Enterprises and joint venture partner Banyan Development closed another major office acquisition in the companies’ home base of Boca Raton. The venture paid $37.5 million for a long-term ground leasehold interest position in the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University®, consisting of a portfolio of seven multi-tenant office buildings totaling 308,305 square feet.

The sale of the ground lease closed on April 28. The seller was an international sovereign wealth fund represented by Avison Young’s Florida Capital Markets Group. Avison Young Principal Keith O’Donnell listed the portfolio on behalf of the seller and led the off-market transaction.

PEBB and Banyan plan to embark on a substantial improvement program to upgrade the office-based research park and drive leasing activity in conjunction with the Research Park at FAU’s existing economic development team. The portfolio is currently 65% occupied. It is the only state university-affiliated research park in South Florida and considered a premier technology business incubator for the region.

Not only does the Research Park at FAU possess strong fundamentals in central Boca Raton, but it also has immediate access to a talented and motivated workforce and direct connection to the FAU campus. The Research Park at FAU allows for companies to work in partnership with FAU faculty across the University’s ten (10) colleges to collaborate and transform the property into a cutting-edge research & development park that can strengthen and diversify Boca Raton’s business community.

Collective goals are to grow and evolve the park as a leading university-affiliated healthcare and medical hub, as well as a biotech advanced engineering center, building upon a community where entrepreneurs and academic researchers come together to collaborate and develop thriving businesses. The group also sees tremendous opportunity in the fields of artificial intelligence, sensors, machine learning and others where the University already has a significant presence.

The long-term lease landlord remains the Research Park at FAU’s governing Authority, the Florida Atlantic Research and Development Authority, with a dual research and development and economic development mission, aligned with Florida Atlantic University. PEBB and Banyan have worked closely with the Research Park at FAU and will continue to work with it to pursue its mission.

“The commitment of the PEBB and Banyan teams to strengthening the tenant roster with companies focused on R&D and creating new technological and economic energy for Boca Raton and Palm Beach County is very exciting as we continue to seek to be the premier destination for innovative R&D companies in Florida,” said Andrew Duffell, president of the Research Park at FAU.

For PEBB, the acquisition continues a trend of investing in Boca Raton office properties with value-add potential. In 2021, the company purchased the 1801 Building in Midtown Boca and 5900 Building within the Park at Broken Sound.

“This is a unique opportunity to own and operate prime office space adjacent to the FAU campus,” said PEBB Enterprises President and CEO Ian Weiner. “The portfolio’s immediate access to I-95 and the Boca Raton Airport make it extremely appealing to tenants. We continue to target new investment opportunities in Boca Raton, which is underserved from an office supply standpoint.”

Located at 3600-3998 FAU Blvd., the office buildings were completed between 1998 and 2001.

The portfolio has a diverse mix of medical, technology and research businesses. Notable tenants include American Sugar Refining, Xeriant, Baptist Health Surgery Center, FAU College of Medicine Clinical Skills Simulation Center, Institute of Regenerative Medicine, Sandow Media, GenesisCare and 4ocean.

Aon Insurance Company Relocates to New 20K SF Space in Brickell

Cushman & Wakefield has announced that the commercial real estate services firm has arranged a new long-term office lease of approximately 20,000 square feet at 701 Brickell for Aon Insurance Company. The company will occupy the 32nd floor of the office building, which is located in Miami's Brickell financial and tech neighborhood. Aon is relocating from a building where their name was on top, located at 1001 Brickell Bay Dr.

Cushman & Wakefield’s Brian Gale, Andrew Trench and Ryan Holtzman represented the landlord, Nuveen Real Estate, in the lease negotiations and CBRE’s Scott Goldstein and Keith Edelman represented the tenant.

“701 Brickell has added another household named tenant to one of the most prestigious tenant rosters in Miami,” said Gale, Vice Chairman at Cushman & Wakefield. “With this latest lease by Aon Insurance Company, 701 Brickell has signed five new leases totaling 60,000 sf in the past 12 months, including Apollo, Point72, Manhattan Life and Moore Capital. The trophy asset also contains other notable tenants like Holland and Knight, Facebook, Bank of America, Kaseya, AIG, EFG Capital and Alliance Bernstein.”

The 701 Brickell office building spans 33 stories and is situated on Brickell Ave. and Biscayne Bay. The LEED Gold Certified and Energy Star labeled building features efficient floorplans with unbeatable bay views, a conference facility, tenant only fitness center, covered parking accessible from Brickell Ave. or SW 8th St. and various on-site retail establishments. 701 Brickell is also at the center of Miami’s business community and located near 31 distinct transit routes.

“As the largest owner of Class A office on Brickell Ave., we have seen unprecedented tenant demand over the last 24 months. We couldn’t be more pleased to welcome Aon to 701 Brickell on our 32nd Floor with expansive views at a time when our substantial building lobby and amenity renovations are completing as well. We look forward to including them in our impressive tenant roster for years to come,” added Charles Russo, Nuveen Real Estate’s Southeast Regional Head for Office and Life Sciences.

Article by Katya Demina

Cordova Building In Fort Lauderdale Trades For $7 Million In Off-Market Office Transaction

The Cordova Building in Fort Lauderdale has sold for $7 million in an off market transaction. Southern Centers Associates I LP, led by longtime Fort Lauderdale developers and investors Kevin Buckley and Randall Kella, sold the 1500 Cordova Road property to Sunrise-based Centerline Capital Advisors. The transaction closed on April 6 and was represented Native Realty CEO Jaime Sturgis who represented both sides of the transaction.

The 29,333-square-foot office building sits on a 0.8-acre property. Willis Tower Insurance and Luke Brown Yachts are two of the building’s notable tenants. Sturgis was engaged by the seller to handle the discreet off-market disposition process.

Centerline actively purchases and manages income-producing assets in South Florida. The company was launched in 2013 to continue the legacy of predecessor Centerline Homes, a prolific homebuilder that was acquired by Standard Pacific.

The Cordova Building sale is Native’s second significant closing in the past few days. Sturgis and Senior Associate Dan Ross represented the sellers in the $11 million sale of the future site of Advantis Station at Flagler Village on March 31. The duo brought together four different property owners to complete that transaction.

“From complex land assemblages to trophy office buildings, we are making significant deals happen in a tight market with limited inventory,” Sturgis said. “With the off-market Cordova Building sale, we identified the right buyer to execute quickly and allow the seller to have a smooth exit. We are actively looking for more inventory to help sellers realize maximum value for their properties.”