PROJECTS AND OPPORTUNITIES
downtown CRA project in
Tallahassee’s history. There will be
apartments, brownstones, retail,
restaurants, a hotel, a gym and a
$353.6 million total economic
impact. The T-D news site reports that the
project occurs at a crucial time for
the downtown CRA, “which has
been the focus of an ongoing FBI
public corruption investigation
regarding dealings with a number of
high-profile local business people
and lobbyists who have ties to city
elected officials.”
Construction starts on
11-story Ft. Lauderdale
condo following $10 million
land purchase in 2015
Developer SobelCo has
announced the groundbreaking of an
11-story condo project at 321 N.

Birch in Ft. Lauderdale, with an
overall retail value of at least $46
million. Guests at the ceremony for the
project marketed as 321 at Water’s
Edge included City of Fort
Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler,
SobelCo chairman Samuel Sobel,
president Jeffrey Sobel, and vice-
president of residential development
Tirso San Jose; Gus Rubio, COO,
Douglas Elliman Florida, and Caprice
Weber, executive vice-president and
managing director of Douglas
Elliman Development Marketing; and
Michael Kaufman, CEO of contractor
Kaufman Lynn. Fort Lauderdale city
commissioners and local real estate
brokers attended the event on Jan.

24. The project with 23 residences is
on a site with signage that indicated
the least expensive units would sell
for at least $2 million (while
marketing materials assert that the
starting price is $1.95 million.)
Property records indicate that 321
Birch LLC purchased the site in 2015
for $10 million and the land has an
assessed value of $4,290,130.

Miami Jewish Health adds
to affordable senior housing
in Broward
Miami Jewish Health has
announced it will add 110
independent living apartments for
low-income seniors at its 25-acre
Douglas Gardens North community
in Pembroke Pines.

“It always has been our goal to
assist the elderly by providing
affordable housing,” said president
and CEO Jeffrey P. Freimark. “The
next phase of the Douglas Gardens
community in Broward County will
help those in need to enjoy a quality
standard of living.”
Miami Jewish Health obtained
financing for the $36 million project
at 709 SW 88th Ave. in a joint
venture with Housing Trust Group in
Coconut Grove. Amenities at the
building, which is expected to open
in 2019, will include a community
room, private courtyard and gardens,
and a computer lab.

This news follows a report from a
year ago that the organization is
working on a master plan for the
next 30 years and beyond.

The City of Miami’s Urban
Development Review Board in
February, 2017 recommended
approval of a sweeping master plan
for the health service, along with
Phase I, which will include
construction of a cutting-edge
memory care facility, Miami Today
reported. Empathicare Village would include
a new 142,708-sq. ft., three-story
facility and a 135,576-sq, ft. three-
story parking garage accented by
murals from local artists.

The review board’s unanimous
recommendation for approval
included two conditions: that the
developer considers adding liner
uses to the garage to help activate
Northeast 53rd Street, and a final
landscape plan must be brought
back to the board for review.

Boca Raton to see at least
two major condo projects
At least two major condominium
projects, with hundreds of units in
several buildings, will reshape
downtown Boca Raton.

Mizner 200 will be one of the
largest construction projects in Boca
Raton’s downtown, offering three
nine-story apartment buildings
across nine acres, the SunSentinel
reports. The project will include 384 new
condominiums and garages with 672
parking spaces. Southeast Mizner
Blvd. will be overhauled, with new
canopy trees, park space and
benches along an 8-foot-wide, paver-
laden sidewalk.

The published report says it is too
early to say when construction will
begin. Meanwhile, New York-based
developer Elad Group said it will
begin demolition on the future site of
its latest project, The Monarch Boca
Raton. With the commencement of
demolition, the developer makes way
for construction on the new project
which is set to break ground in the
summer of 2018.

“The demolition process marks an
important milestone in our journey to
bring this landmark project to the
Boca Raton market,” said Yoel
Shargian, CEO of Elad Group. “After
working collaboratively with the City
of Boca Raton and its community
members to create a plan for this
unique development, we are eager
and enthusiastic to bring this project
to market over the next few months.”
Florida Construction News — MARCH 2018 – 19