Florida East Coast Realty Sells Brickell Waterfront Development Site For Record $363 Million In Mega-Deal

Florida East Coast Realty has sold a 2.5 acre prime waterfront development site in Miami’s Brickell Financial District in a mega-deal for a record $363 million. The transaction breaks the previous record set when the former 14-acre Miami Herald site in Downtown Miami sold for $236 million to Genting Group. The buyer, an entity managed by the Chicago-based Randall Davis, paid roughly $145 million per acre, $3,340 PSF dirt value, for the site which is located at 1201 Brickell Bay Drive. Florida East Coast Realty, which is led by Tibor Hollo and family, acquired the site in 2000 for $15.5 million and revealed plans for a 1,049-foot, 660 unit supertall tower designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Norman Foster of Foster + Partners.

Black Lion Purchases Iconic Hospitality Destination In Miami Beach's South of Fifth Neighborhood

Black Lion has acquired an iconic restaurant space in Miami Beach’s South of Fifth neighborhood. The property is located at 200 South Pointe Drive, in front of the luxury Continuum Residences condo development. Black Lion is preparing to announce flagship restaurant concept which will be new to the Miami market. The property was formerly Cibo Wine Bar South Beach and is steps away from the beach and South Pointe Park. The 12,000-square-foot venue was purchased from Ian Bruce Eichner of The Continuum Company for $11.5 million, who developed the building, and brokered by Phil Gutman of PGutman, LLC and Pablo Camposano of Colliers International.

“We are excited to introduce something special to Miami Beach,” shares Robert Rivani, President of Black Lion. “Through relationships with high-caliber hospitality groups, we are able to create once in a lifetime opportunities that set the precedent for up and coming cities and curate unique lifestyle experiences at our properties. The soon-to-be-announced concept at 200 South Pointe Drive is no exception.”

The prime mixed-use retail/ restaurant space feature an open, multi-storied layout which allows for flexible design options and prominent branding opportunity with high visibility signage from two locations. Features include 19’ – 22’ ceilings, an outdoor courtyard and a rooftop lounge accessible by elevator.

This property is the latest addition to Black Lion’s growing South Florida portfolio of mixed-use, restaurant and hospitality commercial investments. Led b Robert Rivani, the company’s recently announced several Miami projects and acquisitions including Brickell Bay Boardwalk, Wynwood Jungle, Amara at Paraiso in Edgewater, new venues at Marea South Beach, and a yet-to-be-named restaurant concept on the ground level of the SLS LUX in Brickell.

Urbanica Sells Meridian Hotel To Miami-Based Investment Firm

The Urbanica Meridian Hotel, located at 418 Meridian Ave on Miami Beach was recently sold by Urbanica, the group responsible for facilitating the revitalization of the dwindling Fifth Street Corridor through their development of staple lodging, food, and beverage establishments. The hotel sold to Miami-based investment firm, Cambridge Lansdowne, for $30.5 million. Paul Weimer and Christian Charre of CBRE represented both the buyer and seller.

The Urbanica ownership team, Charlie Porchetto and Diego Colmenero, are now focusing on their new flagship projects, the largest within their hotel portfolio, including Urbanica Beach located in the North Beach neighborhood at 6747 Collins Avenue. The development, which includes 200 rooms and two pools, will be home to multiple restaurants and entertainment facilities. Urbanica has also acquired a property in the up and coming Edgewater area of Miami, Urbanica Biscayne at 3200 Biscayne Blvd. The hotel also offers 200 rooms for guests, 7,000 square feet of event space, and a number of conference, dining, and leisure options.

“We had a great opportunity to bring Urbanica Hotels to Miami seven years ago and contribute to the revitalization of Fifth Street, and did so with our first location of Meridian Hotel,” says Charlie Porchetto. “We’re proud of what this location has done for the neighborhood, and are looking forward to stepping into Edgewater and North Beach with these new properties, areas that have the same potential for growth as we saw with Fifth Street on Miami Beach.”

In Miami, Urbanica continues to own and operate the Urbanica Euclid and Urbanica Fifth hotels, both located on Fifth street on Miami Beach.

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.”

North Miami Beach Financial Center In Opportunity Zone Trades For $9.3 Million

The North Miami Beach Financial Center, a 2.47-acre site featuring a two-story Regions Bank building located in an opportunity zone at 16051 W. Dixie Highway in North Miami Beach, has sold for $9.3 million. Ivan Herrera of Florida Royalty Investments Group LLC acquired property from Alberto Lensi of Addi Properties. Adam J. Tiktin and Greg Matus of Franklin Street’s Florida Investment Sales Team represented the seller in the transaction.

North Miami Beach Financial Center was originally constructed in 1972. The SAE Institute has been a tenant of the Regions Bank building since 2002. The property features strong fundamentals including 675 feet of frontage along West Dixie Highway, easy access, sufficient parking and an excellent location. Situated two blocks from the signalized intersection of Biscayne Boulevard and NE 163rd Street, the site experiences traffic counts of 49,500 and 43,500 per day respectively

KUSH Building In Wynwood Sells For $2.6 Million

2003 North Miami Ave., a mixed-use property which is home to longtime Wynwood staple restaurant KUSH, has sold for $2.6 million. The transaction closed on March 25. Matt Kuscher, owner of Kush Property LLC, purchased the property from Michael Lilov. Both sides of transaction were overseen by Devlin Marinoff, Tony Arellano P.A. and David Richman of DWNTWN Realty Advisors.

The two-story mixed-use building totals 7,562 square feet on the highly trafficked North Miami Avenue corridor in Wynwood, which has been experiencing incredible development and corporate relocation activity. The building features three retail spaces and 10 studio apartment units on the second floor.

Kuscher brought his KUSH concept to Wynwood and quickly turned it into a Wynwood staple beloved by burger enthusiasts. KUSH Hospitality took home the coveted People’s Choice Award during the South Beach Wine and Food Festival’s 2021 Burger Bash, an annual competition that draws more than 30 chefs and restaurants from around the country. The gastropub is also a supporter of the neighborhood’s renowned art scene, displaying eye-catching pieces from local artists on its walls.

“Wynwood is entering a new era as a well-rounded professional, residential, dining and entertainment destination,” Marinoff said. “That shift is inspiring a flurry of investment activity. Established local investors are seeking to expand their holdings in Wynwood, while new-to-market players are eager to expand into the neighborhood.”

Wynwood has been a hot market recently as more than 400 businesses have moved into the neighborhood in including Blockchain.com, OpenStore, WeWork, Founders Fund, Spotify, Live Nation, Atomic VC, GAC Financial, Ramp Financial, Schonfeld and others. Currently, more than 3,500 new residential units, 400 hotel rooms and 1 million square feet of office space are in the pipeline. Wynwood’s 50-block district also has one of the most dynamic culinary scenes in the United States with a variety of highly rated restaurants including doma, Omakai, Hiden, Hiyakawa, Momosan, Uchi, Mister 01, Kyu, Bakan, Beaker & Gray and Pastis.

Recent notable transactions include Forte Capital and Sheridan Capital’s flipping 2830 NW Fifth Ave. for $11.2 million just mont’s after acquiring it for $6.35 million from from Alex Karakhanian’s LNDMRK Development. In February Related Group and East End Capital sold Wynwood Annex in February for $49 million and UOVO Storage Deluxe acquired of a core Wynwood development site at 330 NW 29th Street for $11.5 million from Red Group Estate. In August 2021 the Brooklyn-based developer LivWrk acquired a 2.45 acre assemblage for $38.86 million and David Edelstein’s TriStar Capital and RAL Development acquired the final 13,250 SF piece of their 72,000 SF Wynwood assemblage where an office campus is planned for $13 million.

Naftali Group Acquires Miami Worldcenter Development Site For $41 Million, Plans Two Supertall Residential Towers

The New York-based developer Naftali Group has acquired a development site at 1016 NE 2nd Ave. in Downtown Miami’s Miami Worldcenter for $41 million and is planning two supertall residential towers. The site was acquired in partnership with Cara Real Estate Management. The seller was the Chicago-based Akara Partners who acquired the site for $18.8 million in July 2020. The off-market transaction was overseen by Mika Mattingly of Colliers Urban Core Division. The site previously served as the sales center for PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter.

Naftali Group, led by Chairman and CEO Miki Naftali, is now planning two supertall residential towers which they aim to begin pre-sales for by the end of 2022. The project would be their first in South Florida. Akara Partners had previously planned Kenect Miami at the site, a Perkins + Will and Stantec-designed mixed-use residential two tower development. A project of up to 1.3 million square feet can be developed on the 44,500 square foot site.

Miami Worldcenter occupies ten city blocks within walking distance of Museum Park, home to Pérez Art Museum Miami and the Frost Museum of Science; FTX Arena; the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts; and Miami Dade College’s Wolfson Campus. It is also adjacent to Brightline’s MiamiCentral station, which will soon offer direct train service to Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach, and Orlando, together with access to Tri-Rail, the Metromover, and the Metrorail, making Miami Worldcenter the largest and most connected transit-oriented development in Florida.

Sabal Development Sells 10-Acre Parcel To Lennar Homes For $24.5 Million In Off-Market Transaction

Sabal Development, a Miami-based builder and developer who specializes in luxury custom homes led by Pascal Nicolai, has sold a 433,422 SF, 10.17-acre, parcel located at 8290 SW 120th Street in Miami, Florida for $24.5 million to Lennar Homes. The off-market transaction closed on March 23, 2022 with no listing agents involved.

Sabal Development purchased the parcel for $6.3 million on January 26, 2015. Sabal originally requested to rezone the site to build 20 single-family homes in a community known as Veridian Grove. Following the new Comprehensive Development Master Plan (CDMP), Sabal requested to rezone the site to permit 34 townhomes and 20 homes.

“We are thrilled to sell this special 10-acre Miami parcel for $24.5 million to Lennar Homes, who will make our vision for the community come to life,” said Nicolai.

Sabal Development and Sabal Luxury Builder achieved over $130 million sales in custom-built home sales in 2021.

Rendering via Sabal Development

Forte Capital Management Flips Wynwood Industrial Property For $11.2 Million In Off-Market Transaction

Forte Capital, led by Chaim Cahane, and Sheridan Capital have flipped 2830 NW Fifth Ave. in Wynwood for $11.2 million just months after acquiring the industrial property for $6.35 million in December 2021 from Alex Karakhanian’s LNDMRK Development. The buyers are developing an ultra-luxury spec home designed by Kobi Karp on Miami Beach’s Sunset Islands. The off-market cash transaction was brokered by Jordan Karp.

The 14,000 SF property was originally built in 1950 and is currently vacant in raw condition. It features three retail suites spanning, 4,620 SF 3,500 SF and 5,743 SF, the last two of which are combinable. 2830 NW Fifth Ave. sits on 17,160 SF, .39 acre, lot and features private gated parking, high ceilings and quick access to highways. It is walking distance to some of Wynwood’s most notable projects and landmarks, including 545wyn, the Wynwood Building, Love Life Café, Morgan’s and the Wynwood Garage.

Wynwood has been a hot market recently as more than 400 businesses have moved into the neighborhood in including Blockchain.com, OpenStore, WeWork, Founders Fund, Spotify, Live Nation, Atomic VC, GAC Financial, Ramp Financial, Schonfeld and others. Currently, more than 3,500 new residential units, 400 hotel rooms and 1 million square feet of office space are in the pipeline. Wynwood’s 50-block district also has one of the most dynamic culinary scenes in the United States with a variety of highly rated restaurants including doma, Omakai, Hiden, Hiyakawa, Momosan, Uchi, Mister 01, Kyu, Bakan, Beaker & Gray and Pastis.

Recent notable transactions include Related Group and East End Capital selling Wynwood Annex in February for $49 million. Also in February UOVO Storage Deluxe acquired of a core Wynwood development site at 330 NW 29th Street for $11.5 million from Red Group Estate. In August 2021 the Brooklyn-based developer LivWrk acquired a 2.45 acre assemblage for $38.86 million and David Edelstein’s TriStar Capital and RAL Development acquired the final 13,250 SF piece of their 72,000 SF Wynwood assemblage where an office campus is planned for $13 million.

Billionaire Entrepreneur Buys $23.5 Million Penthouse Through Social Media at Jade Signature

Billionaire entrepreneur Adam Weitsman, who made his fortune in scrap metal recycling and crypto, has purchased the penthouse at Jade Signature in Sunny Isles Beach for $23.5 million. Weitsman saw the unit and completed the deal fully through social media. Weitsman was represented by Chad Carroll with Compass, who he connected with on Instagram, and ultimately made the offer sight unseen and closed the deal virtually. Weitsman is the owner and CEO of Upstate Shredding, Weitsman Recycling and founder of Viridium.

“This sale is a testament to the power of social media in real estate,” said Carroll. “My social pages have become an invaluable tool to connect with buyers and sellers from around the world and I am seeing more deals than ever before directly converting from my strong online presence.”

The sale set a record price for the building which developed by Fortune International Group and designed by Herzog & de Meuron. There are now only two sky villas remaining, which are the last developer units available. Sandra Chartouni with Fortune International Realty repped the seller.

“We believe the buyer has acquired one of the best penthouse properties in all of Miami at Jade Signature,” said Edgardo Defortuna, CEO & President of Fortune International Group. “Not only is the home over 11,000 square feet of space but it encompasses a full-floor with a continuous balcony and stunning 360-degree oceanfront views.”

The residence is a one-of-a-kind, two-story penthouse with 7 bedrooms and 9.5 baths, spanning 11,661 sq ft and over 7,500 sq ft of wrap-around balconies with an oversized jacuzzi overlooking the ocean. This two story residence has a double master suite with a private elevator to the second floor entertainment lounge. The first level is the main master bedroom with double sitting areas, master study, midnight bar, his and hers bathrooms and his and hers dressing areas. The second floor master wing includes an entertainment lounge, midnight bar, full bathroom, sauna and steam room.