Black Lion Investment Group Acquires Bayfront Amara at Paraiso Property For $12.1 Million From Related Group

The Los Angeles-based Black Lion Investment Group has acquired the trophy waterfront restaurant building Amara at Paraiso, located at 3101 NE 7th Ave., from Related Group. The deal was overseen by Fabio Faerman and Sebastian Faerman of FA Commercial with Fortune International Group, who represented both Black Lion and Related Group in the transaction. Amara at Paraiso is a 12,300 SF commercial property and is one of the only free-standing restaurants in Miami located directly on Biscayne Bay. James Beard Award winning chef Michael Schwartz’s Genuine Hospitality operates the popular indoor-outdoor dining space.

“We are thrilled to be a part of the vibrant retail and fine dining experiences that are making Miami the go-to destination in a post COVID-19 world. We believe this is the first step in a multi-faceted approach to creating new experiences within the Miami community,” said Robert Rivani, President of Black Lion Investment Group.

The unique Class A experiential retail and dining facility was built by Related Group as part of the 11-acre Paraiso District, which the development firm delivered in 2018. The Paraiso District consists of the 384-unit Paraiso Bayviews, the 357-unit Paraiso Bay, the 317-unit Gran Paraiso, the 276-unit One Paraiso, and seven standalone townhomes at Paraiso Bay Homes.

Black Lion Investment Group’s portfolio of properties in Florida includes the recently renovated Crystal Cove Commons and Brickell Bay Boardwalk. The Los Angeles-based firm recently acquired the Tucson luxury retail center Oracle Wetmore for $38 million.

Imagery via Genuine Hospitality Group

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Popular Miami-Based Sushi Concept Omakai To Open In Coconut Grove

OMAKAI sushi will be expanding its fine casual, high-quality sushi concept beyond its original restaurant in Wynwood by opening in the heart of Coconut Grove in early 2022.

OMAKAI sushi launched in November 2019, and is the brainchild of two brothers, Diego and Pedro Quijada, along with Nicolas Sayavedra and Chef Aaron Pate. The team’s combined hospitality experience and passion for gastronomy led them to create this sushi concept, with omakase at the helm. The menu features various tasting options, along with its latest ‘HOME-AKASE’ offering, which is a tasting menu to go. Most recently, OMAKAI expanded operations with a ghost kitchen in Aventura to meet growing demand for take-out and delivery.

“We’re humbled by how receptive the community has been to OMAKAI sushi since the onset,” said Diego Quijada. “We’ve had unwavering support and loyal customers who keep returning to enjoy the highest-quality, most accessible traditional sushi in Miami. Our clients have truly paved the way for our business growth and these exciting expansion plans.”

Recognizing the bourgeoning restaurant scene in Coconut Grove, the OMAKAI sushi team plans to join the neighborhood in Q1 of 2022. Set to open at 3304 Mary Street in Coconut Grove, this new location is 2,182 square feet and will seat approximately 65 guests. Located at Terra Group’s headquarters building, the latest OMAKAI sushi restaurant was brokered by Sam Noddle of Comras Company.

“OMAKAI sushi is poised to be a key player in the growing restaurant landscape of Coconut Grove. We’re confident that this new audience will embrace our fine casual, premium traditional sushi concept as they have in Wynwood. With more locations and additional concepts in the works, this is truly just the beginning,” said Pedro Quijada.

Major Food Group Continues Miami Expansion Opens ZZ's Sushi Bar In Miami Design District

Coming off the heels of the opening of Carbone Miami in the South of Fifth neighborhood, critically acclaimed global restaurant company, Major Food Group, is continuing to grow their presence in Miami with the recent opening of ZZ’s Sushi Bar, in the heart of the Miami Design District. Having officially unveiled this past Thursday, April 22, ZZ’s Sushi Bar is a Japanese restaurant and membership club, presided over by Masa Ito and Kevin Kim, two of New York City's most revered and beloved sushi chefs. ZZ’s Sushi Bar offers cuisine of the highest caliber, personalized hospitality, and unmatched amenities. ZZ’s Sushi Bar remakes the former Ember space into a high-end Japanese restaurant with a private 16-seat omakase chef’s choice sushi bar with ingredients flown in from Tokyo. An adjacent dining room serves modern Japanese cuisine with an a la carte menu, from raw dishes to cooked plates of premium Japanese beef on custom-built charcoal grills. Additional restaurants are set to open in the Miami Design District and Brickell later this year.

Miami Design District has been a hotspot for new restaurant openings. COTE, the Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-nominated KOREAN STEAKHOUSE™ and vision of proprietor Simon Kim, officially unveiled in February 2021 and is considered one of New York’s most coveted reservations. Pastry sensation Antonio Bachour will debut Bachour Restaurant and Bakery in the neighborhood in Summer 2021. Tacombi, a hospitality company born on the balmy beaches of the Yucatan in 2005, will be opening a brand-new local taqueria, sharing its love of Mexican taco culture in the Miami Design District at the end of 2021. Santa Fe News & Espresso will unveil a cozy cafe in the neighborhood later this year, French market Biltoki is slated to open up shop in 2022, and a new two-story Italian trattoria from Major Food Group will also debut in the coming future.

Tricera Capital And Alex Karakhanian's LNDMRK Development Acquire Cube Wynwd For $28 Million

Scott Sherman and Ben Mandell’s Tricera Capital in partnership with Alex Karakhanian’s LNDRMK Development have acquired the recently completed Class A office building Cube Wynwd for $28 million. The transaction was financed with $19.6 million in financing split between a senior loan from Amerant and a mezzanine loan from Glacier Credit Strategies which were arranged by Scott Wadler of Berkadia. Cube Wynwd was developed in 2019 by Redsky Capital in partnership with JZ Capital Partners and was financed by Bank OZK and Lionheart Strategic Management.

The building is located at 222 NW 24th St. in Wynwood. Cube Wynwd was designed by Arquitectonica and rises eight stories and offering 100,000 square feet of commercial space. Coworking operator Spaces had leased roughly 30% of the property prior to the sale. The New York-based restaurant group Kissaki also recently signed a lease for the rooftop restaurant space. Other tenants include local retailer ILLIMIT and Bonci Pizzeria.

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Freddo Gelato Seeks To Continue South Florida Expansion After Inking Leases In Midtown And Pembroke Pines

SPONSORED - Freddo arrives at the American market to offer its 50 years of success and experience in offering the best artisanal gelato in Argentina. Not only does Freddo use the highest quality ingredients to make gelato, but it also combines tradition with a unique recipe for each flavor, there are no additives or conservatives in the production process.

Freddo has over 180 branches in 8 countries and has recently signed master franchise agreements in Chile and Mexico. The pandemic did not stop Freddo from expanding. On the contrary, Freddo has been very active searching for second generation retail opportunities in the market. During 2020, Freddo was able to open two new stores in South Florida taking over previous stores that were operated by similar tenants such as CREAM or Yogurtland; also they are currently in negotiations with one location in the area of Pinecrest.

During the pandemic, Freddo leased the CREAM space located in Pembroke Pines at Pembroke Centre, a Class-A shopping center that features a unique blend of local and national tenants including Twin Peaks, Xfinity, AT&T, European Wax Center, The Habit Burger Grill, Pieology and Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. This will become Freddo’s 7th location in South Florida, adding to it’s 180+ stores worldwide.

Freddo also leased the ex. 4D Gelato at the Midtown Shops marking the 8th Freddo location opened in the United States, adding to Brickell, Sawgrass Mall, Miami Beach, Coral Gables, Aventura, Pembroke Pines & Charleston.

Freddo is actively seeking 2nd generation retail spaces ( previously occupied by cafe, yogurt, ice cream or similar tenants) to continue their expansion across Florida & soon the rest of the country. The typical store layout is from 500- 1,600 square feet in total size and does not require any venting or hood system.

Freddo Gelato is currently seeking master franchisee/ multi-unit operators across the US.

The brand features:

• Easy operations, no complicated buildout of kitchen or exhaust

• Very low entry fee

• Easily manage the operations by flexing other franchise or restaurant operations already in place

• Very low investment per store for buildout cost

• Virtually no direct competitors in the high end traditional gelato space

For more info on franchising or to submit sites for review, please contact Sebastian Faerman at sfaerman@freddo.com or 786-262-3771.

FA Commercial is a commercial real estate brokerage led by Sebastian and Fabio Faerman. The firm brings a holistic approach with advanced transactional services for real estate developers, landlords, institutional investors and tenants. FA Commercial specializes in the disposition, acquisition, & leasing of commercial properties within Miami's top districts. FA Commercial has overseen over 850 transactions across all asset types and has over $1 billion in transnational volume.

Ronny Finvarb Acquires Alton Road Site In Sunset Harbour For Luxury Boutique Hotel

Miami Beach developer Ronny Finvarb has closed on a site on Alton Road at the entry to the popular Sunset Harbour neighborhood where he plans a boutique hotel. Finvarb paid $4 million for the 10,200 square foot site which is located at 1790 Alton Road. He plans a luxury boutique hotel with 36 units and a ground floor restaurant. The renderings were designed by GEK Architecture. Finvarb expects to submit an application to the City of Miami Beach soon and begin construction in 2022. The site is across the street from the Kimpton Palomar South Beach, which Finvarb recently developed.

The Oasis Wynwood Is Gearing Up To Open In A Few Weeks With Six New Restaurants

The Oasis in Wynwood is gearing up to open in the next few weeks with six restaurants and a 75’ tall “Tower Bar” made out of shipping containers featuring a mural by Antonio Marest. The restaurants include Mr. Mandolin (Mediterranean), Prince Street Pizza, Los Buenos (taqueria), Alidoro (Italian), Buya Dumplings + Buns (Asian street food), and Chikin (crispy chicken concept). There will also be an indoor/outdoor cocktail lounge and nightclub named Huacachina inspired by Huacachina, Peru. The Oasis also features a selection of retail space, art studios, cafes and an outdoor stage for live performance. The indoor/outdoor urban campus is designed by Urban Robot Associates and is being developed by Carpe Real Estate Partners.

The Oasis encompasses 70,000 SF including 35,000 SF of former warehouse space converted into 20,000 SF of creative office space with a 2,500 SF rooftop and 17,000 SF of retail space. Outside offers 35,000 SF of heaving landscaped outdoor courtyard space with an outdoor food hall and the 75’ tall “Tower Bar” to activate the outdoors and complete the urban campus. Retail suites range from 1,000 SF to 6,000 SF.

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Aztec Group Secures Debt & Equity For Retail Acquisition In South Carolina

Aztec Group, Inc., Florida’s leading real estate investment and merchant banking firm for the past 40 years, has announced that Managing Directors Jason Shapiro and Sean Harrington, and Senior Associate, Joel Zusman secured a $10.75 million, 60% loan-to-cost, non-recourse loan and joint venture equity for the acquisition of Chapin Crossing, a 72,714 square foot Publix-anchored shopping center located in Chapin (Columbia MSA), South Carolina.

Located at 1235 Chapin Road, the property was built in 2017 and is situated at the southwest corner of Chapin Road and Lexington Avenue on 13.6 acres of land. Chapin Crossing is comprised of a 45,600 square foot Publix, 13,950 square feet of in-line space and a 13,164 square foot multi-tenant outparcel. The Property’s tenants include Anytime Fitness, Marco's Pizza, Bank of America, Palm Beach Tan, Pacific Dental, Jersey Mike's, Verizon and Palmetto Health.

Aztec Group represented the buyer, a partnership led by affiliates of Miami, Florida-based CF Properties Corp. The lender is a Missouri-based life insurance company, and the loan was executed with a fixed rate under 3.0% for ten years. “The low, fixed interest rate will further support the buyer’s objective of strong and long-term cashflow, which has become difficult to find today,” said Sean Harrington.

Over the last 90 days, Aztec Group’s team has closed over $250,000,000 in debt and equity engagements for multifamily, retail, office, land and industrial properties across the Southeast.

Pura Vida, Harry's Pizza And The Salty Coming To Miami Beach's Iconic Lincoln Road Despite Pandemic

As the retail industry worldwide continues to struggle amid the pandemic, Lincoln Road is once again demonstrating its resiliency. By putting all of its efforts towards ushering in a health and economic recovery at the onset of COVID-19, including creating unique and socially distant programming and aligning with brands that enjoy a local cult-like following, the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District is seeing a surge in foot traffic and new brands that want to establish a brick-and-mortar presence in the iconic shopping and entertainment district.

The latest dining concepts coming to Lincoln Road are Pura Vida, a fixture in Miami’s health-conscious dining scene, and The Salty, the artisan donut shop with one-of-a-kind flavors. Also opening on The Road are fine-art gallery Kush Fine Art, which has locations in Nevada, California and Hawaii; CBD experts Alter Native; heralded local optometrist Eyes Desire created by Dr. David Roth and Dr. Ashley Roth; and Kumpan Electric, purveyors of all things electric scooters.

In addition to these exciting new retailers, visitors can look forward to the previously announced restaurants and retailers coming soon to Lincoln Road, including Harry’s Pizzeria by James Beard award-winning chef Michael Schwartz; Amazon’s Flagship 4-Star Store; Yoyoso, the fashion and lifestyle brand hailing from China; and the first U.S. outpost of Colombian restaurant Andres Carne de Res, a unique concept that will mix delicious food with lively music, entertainment, and tableside theater.

“The Lincoln Road BID is incredibly excited and optimistic about the future of retail on Lincoln Road,” said Tim Schmand, executive director of the Lincoln Road Business Improvement District (BID). “The District is overflowing with new, unique concepts that have enhanced the outdoor experience for visitors as you shop, dine, stroll, and celebrate along Lincoln Road. Alongside collaborations with our district’s acclaimed performing arts institutions, our cafes and restaurants, our retail pop-ups, and our newly unveiled eight-block long botanic garden partnership with Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, these new retailers will help us continue ushering in a new, modern chapter for Lincoln Road.”

Terra Unveils Master Plan for CentroCity Mixed-Use Development in Miami and Signs 77,000 SF Lease with Target

Terra, one of South Florida’s most active residential and commercial development firms, has announced plans for the redevelopment and repositioning of what is currently known as Central Shopping Plaza into a 38-acre mixed-use project in the center of Miami-Dade County. The master plan for the newly reimagined community, CentroCity, includes up to 1,200 market-rate residential apartments, green space for residents, an office building, and a revamped shopping center with 300,000 square feet of lifestyle-oriented retail and restaurant space anchored by a 77,000-square-foot Target store.

Located in Miami’s West Little Havana neighborhood, CentroCity will come alive in multiple phases, beginning with the redevelopment of the property’s retail component with a newly re-imagined façade, common areas, landscaping, and signage. The project’s first phase of residential development will follow, encompassing three 8-story multifamily buildings with 460 garden-style rental apartments. Future phases with additional multifamily units and a 250,000 square foot class A commercial office building are also planned. Construction is expected to commence in Summer 2021.

The plan’s residential component has been designed by Arquitectonica, while the retail upgrades have been conceived by RSP Architects. The vision includes seven new multifamily buildings lining the perimeter of the property behind the L-shaped Target-anchored shopping center. The residential buildings will feature a series of courtyards, pool decks and lushly landscaped sidewalks. Units will range from one- to three-bedroom apartments measuring between 500 and 1,250 square feet in size. Community amenities will include multiple pools, poolside cabanas, barbecue grill areas, a children’s playground, a dog park, resident lounges, game rooms, and more.

“Our mission at Terra is to improve communities through developments that fill a void in the market, and that’s exactly what we plan to do at CentroCity,” says David Martin, CEO of Terra. “Our goal is to enhance this underutilized asset and make it a more positive contributor to the community through low-impact infill development that will enhance the property while bringing much needed market-rate housing to the neighborhood.”

The property’s central location – bounded by Northwest 37th Avenue on the east, Northwest 7th Street on the south, Northwest 39th Avenue on the west and Northwest 11th Street on the north – is near some of Miami’s largest employment centers, including Miami International Airport, the Coral Gables Business District and Blue Lagoon office complex.