Seven Valleys Acquires Wynwood Development Site From RedSky And JZ Capital For $26.06 Million

An entity affiliated with the New York-based RedSky Capital and London-based JZ Capital Partners has sold a 1.25 acre development site located at 2700 NW 2nd Avenue in Wynwood for $26.06 million. The buyer was the New York-based real estate investment and development firm Seven Valleys. The trade equates to $479 per square foot dirt value and there is currently a 2,576 square foot structure on the property. The joint venture initially acquired the property in 2016 from Goldman Properties for $30.75 million and had proposed the Forum, a 144,781 square foot mixed-use development with office and retail space designed by Enrique Norten of Ten Arquitectos.

Gatsby Enterprises Acquires DiVosta Towers Office Complex In Palm Beach Gardens For $80 Million

A joint venture led by the New York-based real estate investment firm Gatsby Enterprises has acquired the DiVosta Towers office complex in Palm Beach Gardens for $80 million. Gatsby Enterprises is led by Nadar Shalom and the complex was acquired in partnership with Master Mind LLC, led by Babak Ebrahimzadeh. DiVosta Towers was reportedly 70% leased at the time of sale with tenants including JP Morgan and the law lawfirm Comiter, Singer, Baseman & Braun LLP. The seller was represented by Tony Hollis of Hollis Realty Group. Jon Blunk of Tower Commercial Real Estate will oversee leasing of DiVosta Towers.

DiVosta Towers was the first new office complex to be delivered in Palm Beach in over a decade. Located at 3825-3835 PGA Boulevard., the project was developed by Otto DiVosta and was completed in 2019. The 6.6-acre complex features two 11-story towers topped with iconic white steel pyramid statue structures overlooking The Gardens Mall. DiVosta Towers offers 220,000 square feet of luxury Class A office space and 889 covered parking spaces with a full-time concierge, secure elevator access, 10’ ceilings, floor-to-ceiling impact glass windows, a ground-floor patio with public art and car charging stations. The South Tower features suites ranging from 2,500 - 10,000 square feet while the North Tower offers 10,000 square foot floor-plates for custom tenant build-outs.

Otto DiVosta was the founder of DiVosta Building Corp., which sold in 1998 to Pulte Homes for $155 million. DiVosta acquired the site in 2015 for $8.5 million. Gatsby Enterprises entered the South Florida market in 2019 when they acquired 800 Brickell for $125 million and is currently redeveloping the tower into a modern office building.

Miami-based Private Equity Group Galium Capital Enters The Houston Multifamily Market With The Acquisition of The Fairmont on San Felipe

Galium Capital, a Miami-based real estate investment group, has announced the acquisition of The Fairmont on San Felipe in Houston, TX. The Fairmont on San Felipe is a 361-unit institutional-grade multifamily apartment building located within the business and Galleria shopping district of Uptown in Houston. The transaction closed on September 21, 2020.

“We have had our eye on the Texas markets for some time, and we are happy to enter Houston by acquiring one of the most iconic multifamily properties in its submarket. The Fairmont on San Felipe is an institutional-grade legacy asset located in one of the most desirable areas in Houston. It is a stabilized asset with significant value add potential, and we look forward to continuing enhancing the building’s long-term performance with Greystar as our partner on the management side.” said Jacques Bessoudo, Managing Partner of Galium Capital.

The Fairmont on San Felipe was developed in 2009 and is located at 6363 San Felipe St. The property features 361 units with 41,383 SF of retail on 6.10 acres of land. The Fairmont on San Felipe was 94% occupied at acquisition with an average rent of $1.61 PSF. Upon acquisition the property will be operated by Greystar, the largest multifamily operator in the United States with over 660,000 units under management.

Units at The Fairmont on San Felipe range from one to two-bedroom floor plans and 609 to 1,403 square feet. The Fairmont on San Felipe also offers residents some of the best amenities in the area including a two-story state-of-the-art fitness center with complimentary workout classes, a resident’s library with work stations, a resident’s lounge, a rooftop garden, courtyard and an outdoor living room overlooking a resort-style swimming pool as well as a second swimming pool on-site. Tenants in the retail properties provide further convenience for residents and include St. Luke’s Hospital, Cafe Adel, University Oaks and La Argentina Gelato & Coffee, amongst others.

“We are excited about our first acquisition in Houston and happy to be entering the market with such a premier asset that is stabilized while having strong upside opportunities. We see tremendous potential for growth in the Houston market as well as in this this asset, and look forward to maximizing performance for our investors during our ownership,” said Jonathan Slomianski, Acquisitions at Galium Capital.  

Jordon Emmott from National Apartment Advisors represented the seller. Matthew Wallach from Walker & Dunlop arranged the financing.

Galium Capital owns and manages a portfolio in excess of $350 million of commercial real estate assets across the multifamily, office, and retail sectors in major markets across the United States. The Fairmont on San Felipe is Galium Capital’s second acquisition of 2020 after the group closed on the 1333 Main St. office assemblage in the Downtown CBD of Columbia, SC. in March 2020.

Cardone Capital Acquires Port Royale Apartments In Fort Lauderdale Via Crowdfunding Campaign

Cardone Capital, led by the “10X Rule” author and founder of the 10X Movement Grant Cardone, has acquired the Port Royale Apartments in Fort Lauderdale in one of the largest crowdfunding real estate deals to ever close in South Florida. Port Royale Apartments features 533 units located on the Intracoastal Waterway at 3101 Port Royale Blvd. and 3201-3300 Port Royale Drive in Fort Lauderdale. The property spans over 36 acres with a private marina. The property also has development rights to build an additional 292 units.

The deal closed for roughly $130 million, although the closing price has not yet been made public. The acquisition was financed with a $79.24 million, 10-year interest only loan at 2.3% from CBRE Multifamily Capital. The transaction was completed by the transfer of the Delaware-registered Port Royale Propco LLC. from Waterton Residential LLC to Cardone Capital, avoiding the need to pay documentary stamp taxes. Cardone Capital led a successful crowdfunding campaign for the equity piece, reportedly raising a $50 million. The Chicago-based Waterton Residential was the seller who was represented by Robert Given of Cushman & Wakefield. Waterton Residential initially acquired the apartment complex for $94 million in 2015.

Port Royale Apartments was originally developed in 1991 and renovated in 2016. Units range from one-bedroom, one-bathroom 540 SF units asking $1,400 per month up to two-bedroom, two-bathroom 1,000 SF units asking $2,247. Units include wood plank-style floors, full equipped kitchens, ceramic tile flooring in kitchens and baths, Juliette balconies, in-unit washer/dryers and walk-in closets. Amenities include a car wash area, residents lounge, outdoor barbecue and dining area, gated entrance, storage units and walking paths.

Cardone Capital now has 8,275 residential units and 26 properties in its portfolio. The Aventura-based real estate investment firm as raised over $440 million through crowdfunding to-date. Cardone Capital plans to be aggressive in multifamily acquisitions over the next several months, expecting to close on another $350 million in transactions.

Bar Invest Group Acquires Visions at Willow Pond Multifamily Community In West Palm Beach For $56.23 Million

The Miami-based private equity group Bar Invest Group, led by Jacques and Herve Barbera, have acquired the Visions at Willow Pond apartment community in West Palm Beach for $56.23 million. Visions at Willow Pond, which is located at 4860 Sandstone Lane, was built in 1987 and was fully renovated in 2013. The 300 unit community spans 14.3 acres and 347,790 square feet of total development, breaking down the acquisition cost to roughly $187,433 per unit. The acquisition was financed with a $36 million loan provided by BankUnited NA.

Visions at Willow Pond features a fitness center, tenant lounge, tennis courts and a community swimming pool. The property was reportedly 95% occupied at the time of acquisition and traded at a 4.8% cap rate. The seller was the New York City-based Axonic Capital who was represented by Tal Frydman, Avery Klann, Hampton Beebe, Tyler Minix and Jonathan Senn of ARA Newmark.

Over the past year Bar Invest Group has become a major player in the South Florida multifamily sector having also acquired the 405 unit Sunny Lake apartment community in Fort Lauderdale. Since the formation of Bar Invest Group USA in 2001, the firm has partnered with Constructa Group for the development and delivery of Mary Brickell Village in addition to having developed or acquired over 1,500 apartments homes and 600,000 square feet of retail with a total investment in excess of $400 million.

Aimco Acquires Hamilton On The Bay Multifamily In Edgewater For $89.6 Million

The 275 unit bayfront multifamily rental tower Hamilton on the Bay in Miami’s Edgewater neighborhood has sold for $89,600,000, which breaks down to roughly $330,000 per unit. Rani Hussami of Marcus & Millichap’s Hussami Rockson Group represented the seller, Properties of Hamilton, Inc. in the transaction. The property was originally developed by Ted Arison, founder of Carnival Cruise line, in 1984.

Apartment Investment and Management Company (Aimco | NYSE: AIV), is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) who owns over 120+ apartment communities comprising 32,000+ apartment units in major markets across the United States. Aimco also owns Atlanta, New York, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Seattle and San Diego. In Miami Aimco also owns Flamingo in South Beach, Bay Parc Apartments in Edgewater and Yacht Club in Brickell.

Tricera Capital And Merrimac Ventures Close On Society Las Olas Retail Acquisition

Tricera Capital and Merrimac Ventures have acquired the ground-floor retail space within the newly developed Society Las Olas mixed-use project in downtown Fort Lauderdale developed by PMG. The purchase of the prime 301 SW First Ave. space closed on Aug. 27. The venture purchased the retail for $3.8 million, while also acquiring 40 parking spots as part of the transaction.

Society Las Olas is the premier mixed-use project along the revitalized Riverwalk in the heart of downtown Fort Lauderdale. Tricera’s partner, Dev Motwani-led Merrimac Ventures, has been a driving force in the neighborhood’s reemergence. Merrimac acquired the former Las Olas Riverfront complex and brought in PMG to develop Society on a portion of the property before partnering with Tricera to acquire and curate the retail component.

Merrimac also owns the adjacent property and operates the Wharf Fort Lauderdale and Rivertail with Breakwater Hospitality Group. Tricera and Merrimac own a total of ~16,500 square feet of retail at Society, with ~8,500 square feet of prime space still available. Nearly half of the space is already home to numerous first-to-market tenants of national prominence. 

Thompson Hospitality, one of the largest retail food and facilities management companies in the country, is leasing over 6,000 square feet of space that will house the company’s popular Matchbox Restaurant and Big Buns Damn Good Burger Co. After an initial $14 million investment earlier this year, Thompson Hospitality has fully acquired the Matchbox Brand and strategically expanded the concept into emerging markets. Since 2003, the Washington, D.C.-based chain has provided a quintessential neighborhood gathering place for communities.

With 11 locations across the U.S. and more on the way, Matchbox’s menu is centered around fresh, premium ingredients, offering something for everyone, from wood-fired pizzas and mini burgers to simple, yet refined main courses, and a full bar featuring specialty cocktails, local beer and wines from around the globe.

Thompson is also bringing its latest venture, Big Buns Damn Good Burger, to Society. Big Buns is a fun-casual restaurant specializing in burgers, burger bowls, shakes, craft beer and cocktails. The restaurant is inspired by a true love for burgers and beer, and the belief that eating out should feel like a fun backyard party with delicious food, ice-cold drinks and good friends.

Pura Vida Miami, the popular Miami casual health food restaurant, is leasing an ~1,600-square-foot space. Society Las Olas marks the first ever Fort Lauderdale location for Pura Vida, which strives to bring healthy food and a sense of community to each of its South Florida locations.

“Fort Lauderdale continues to offer great opportunities for us to expand our presence in the market,” Tricera Capital Co-Founder and Managing Principal Ben Mandell said. “We are thankful to be able to close this deal mid-pandemic with confidence and plan to continue our efforts in the area.” 

“Bringing these exciting concepts to downtown Fort Lauderdale continues our company – and my family’s – long history of enhancing the city we are fortunate to call home,” Merrimac Ventures President and CEO Dev Motwani said. “The tenants we are securing at Society nicely complement Wharf and Rivertail and will help make this area the focal point of the Riverwalk.”

Star Island Heats Up As Alex Rodriguez, Jennifer Lopez and Ken Griffin Acquire Multimillion-Dollar Properties

Ultra-luxury real estate on Star Island is heating up amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Celebrity power couple Alex Rodriguez and Jennifer Lopez have acquired 13 Star Island Drive for $32.5 million and Ken Griffin, the billionaire hedge-fund manager and founder of the Chicago-based Citadel Securities, has acquired 11 and 12 Star Island Drive for $37 million. A 6-bedroom, 14,268 SF estate located at 14 Star Island Drive has also closed for $24 million.

Rodriguez and Lopez’s new home spans 10-bedrooms, spread over 15,011 SF with over 100’ of water frontage. The lavish mansion also features a chef’s kitchen, wine room, luxurious master bedroom with bay views, pool, spa, cabana with summer kitchen, wet bar and dock. E&A Estates was the seller, represented by Jill Hertzberg and Jill Eber of the Jills Zeder Group at Coldwell Banker. Arlene Susy Dunand of Coldwell Banker represented the buyer.

An entity tied to Ken Griffin acquired a double lot with views of Downtown Miami at 11 and 12 Star Island Drive in an off-market deal. Griffin has also spent roughly $350 million acquiring an assemblage on Blossom Way in nearby Palm Beach.

These sales follow the sale of 22 Star Island for $49.5 million in July. The home was developed by Todd Michael Glaser, designed by DOMO Architecture + Design with interiors by Dunagan Diverio Design Group. The neighboring 46 Star Island is currently listed for $39,950,000 with Dora Puig of Luxe Living Realty.

Tropical Modern Palm Island Spec Home Designed By Choeff Levy Fischman Sells For $20.5 Million

 A tropical modern mansion on Palm Island designed by Choeff Levy Fischman has sold for $20.5 million. Located at 19 Palm Avenue, the two-story home spans 9,386 square-feet complete with a $500,000 custom Fendi kitchen. Dina Goldentayer of Douglas Elliman represented the sellers and Ivan Chorney and Michael Martinera of Compass represented the buyers. Dean Carr, an investor from London, and his wife Melissa Carr, sold the home to a California family.

19 Palm Avenue is one of Miami Beach's most opulent new residences and leaves you in awe the moment you step onto its lavish motor court. Boasting a colossal cascading water feature and British-made automobile rotating turntable, the private driveway also includes an outdoor stairway and a three-car garage with lift capacity concealed by rich Timura wood. The home's exterior façade also features gray limestone to create a warm aesthetic.

The residence offers six bedrooms and seven and a half bathrooms. The home offers large living spaces in an open-concept format that includes floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors that open up to the rear deck, blending the indoors with the outdoors.

A focal point of 19 Palm Ave. is home's interior is a stunning 460 square foot open-air atrium with floating steps that take you across a shallow pool of water. Additional soul-soothing reflecting ponds and cascading water features are spread throughout the property on all four sides of the residence to emphasize its waterfront location.

The master-suite is another highlight of the home, spanning 1,490 square feet and overlooking Biscayne Bay on one side with the glass atrium on the opposite end. Complete with separate custom Ornare closets with Cavalli wall coverings, the master suite also boasts a midnight kitchen, a sitting lounge, and a fireplace. Two spacious bathrooms feature exotic floor-to-ceiling marble, and each comes with a seamless glass zero-edge spa shower with steam and scent ventilation. One of the master suite bathrooms also includes a bespoke vanity and a standalone floating Boffi tub. Cantilevered wood ceilings shade the room's private balcony, which also consists of a glass railing to provide unobstructed northeastern waterfront views.

19 Palm Ave.’s second level also includes an atrium-facing pajama lounge where the family can relax in a private setting away from the traffic of the ground level. Additional amenities include a fully integrated Savant home automation technology system and one of the largest residential-grade elevators. Located above one of the home's reflecting ponds, it provides access to three levels, including the private rooftop.

Outside, the home's infinity-edge pool is accentuated by a sleek three-sided Lautner knife-edge deck creating a visually seamless plane of water without any distinction of a pool wall. The fourth side creates the illusion that the edge vanishes into the bay. Adjacent to the pool, the architects incorporated a sunken living room element with custom seating that surrounds a fire pit on three sides. The home's outdoor deck incorporates a shaded cabana with separate bath, dining, bar, and kitchen with a spiral staircase that leads up to a rooftop lounge ideal for sunbathing.

Taurus Investment Holdings To Redevelop Civica Center Into Medical Space

The Boston-based Taurus Investment Holdings has acquired the Civica Center for $30.5 million in Miami’s hot Allapattah neighborhood. The Civica Center is located at 1050 NW 14th Street at the entrance to Miami’s Health District, which is home to a large concentration of medical firms and institutions including the University of Miami Leonard Miller School of Medicine. The Civica Center broke ground in 2014 and was developed by the Swerdlow Group. The two-story retail property was sold with an adjacent parking lot and the deal also included a small office building. The Dallas-based Rockpoint Group was the seller.

Tenants at Civica Center include 7-Eleven, Au Bon Pain, Burger King, Chicken Kitchen, Dunkin’ Donuts, Flavors, Food Court, Gateway Dental, Jimmy John’s, La Estancia, Optical Boutique, Panera Bread, Pasha’s, Quest Diagnostics, Salsa Fiesta, and Smoothie King, amongst others.

Taurus has been agressively acquiring life-sciences and medical buildings and plans to convert the 0.77-acre parking lot into a giant 460,000-square-foot medical office building. It also plans to expand the existing 47,000-square-foot retail building into a 62,500-square-foot retail and medical office property. Taurus expects to start work on the redevelopment in the next 24 months.