MiamiSunpost.com Business Page

Ocean Bank Supports March of Dimes, Residences of Merrick Park Break Ground, Gulf Bank Appoints Reami Vice President of Private Banking, Pintos Named Director of ISG's International Department, April 11 Proclaimed “Jorge Perez Day”

Business News:

* On Saturday, April 6, more than 200 Ocean Bank employees and their families participated in March of Dimes 2002 WalkAmerica. In addition to the funds raised by those employees participating in the walkathon, the bank made a monetary contribution to the March of Dimes and several bake sales were held at bank branches throughout the month of March.

“The Ocean Bank family is excited to once again participate in March of Dimes WalkAmerica,” said José A. Concepción, president and CEO of Ocean Bank. “By working together as a community, and helping this cause, we will be better able to help save children’s lives.”

Ocean Bank is dedicated to enhancing the lives of people who live, work and play in South Florida, Concepción said, and since its inception, Ocean Bank and its employees have donated time and funds to charitable contributions for the betterment of the community.

Ocean Bank is one of the largest independent commercial banks in the state of Florida, with more than $4 billion in assets and $3.6 billion in deposits. Chartered in 1982, Ocean Bank operates a network of 21 branches throughout Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

*The Related Group of Florida recently held a groundbreaking for The Residences of Merrick Park.

The Residences of Merrick Park is the luxury apartment residential component of The Village of Merrick Park, a $276 million mixed-use project scheduled to open in Coral Gables in the fall of this year, created by the Rouse Company. The Village of Merrick Park includes 850,000 square feet of retail space and will feature a Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, “plus 115 world-class retail shops and restaurants along village streets in a lavish park setting,” said an Amy Zakarin press statement. The Residences of Merrick Park will feature 120 rental units from one bedroom to three bedrooms, ranging from 844 square feet up to 1,874 square feet. Rental prices range between $1,200 and $3,000 a month.

For more information on Merrick Park call 305-665-5225.

Congrats:

*Gulf Bank Chairman and CEO Salvador Bonilla-Mathé has announced that Jorge Reami has been appointed as vice president of private banking.

Reami’s responsibilities will include developing and promoting the bank’s services, ensuring compliance with all regulations, business development efforts, preparing transfers, stop payments, savings bond redemptions, and client bill payments.

“We are thrilled to welcome Jorge,” said Bonilla-Mathé. “His impressive background and professional demeanor make him an ideal candidate for this position and a welcome addition to the Gulf Bank team.”

Reami brings to the job more than 22 years of experience in banking. With a degree in Business Administration from Universidad Argentina de la Empresa, Reami has extensive experience in private banking, budgeting, personal lending and credit card sales. Before accepting his new position with Gulf Bank, Reami served as vice president of private banking at Banca Sella’s Miami branch.

Miami-based Gulf Bank has $118 million in assets and three branches throughout Miami-Dade County. The bank has almost 20 years of providing a broad range of personalized banking services, including extensive experience in the international banking arena.

* Sergio Pintos has joined the Aventura-based International Sales Group (ISG). ISG is the state's largest real estate firm specializing in the sale and marketing of luxury multifamily communities.
A native of Uruguay, Pintos is a third-generation real estate developer. In
Montevideo, he is president of Pintos Risso, Uruguay's largest residential
development company. With a 60-year track record and more than 36 million square feet of luxury residential construction to its credit, Pintos Risso developed the vast majority of Uruguay's upscale waterfront communities.

Noted Philip J. Spiegelman, president of ISG, "Our relationship with Sergio dates back many years. In the past, we dealt with him as a developer.
Today, we're even more pleased to welcome him to ISG as a colleague."
International Sales Group is the exclusive listing broker for Boca
Developers, which has about 950 luxury condominium units currently under
development in Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties. In Aventura, Hamptons South features luxury high-rise residences priced from $600,000 to $3 million, while The Peninsula, located next to Williams Island, is priced from the $600,000s to $2.9 million. Slated for occupancy in 2003, both waterfront enclaves are rising on sites overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway, with views of the Atlantic Ocean on the eastern horizon.
For further information, contact International Sales Group, 18753 Biscayne
Boulevard at 305-931-6511 or e-mail: info@intlsalesgroup.com.

Miami-Dade Commission Chair Gwen Margolis proclaimed April 11 “Jorge Perez Day” during a recent party at Murano at Portofino. Perez is president of the Related Group of Florida.

Nearly 1,500 guests “representing a Who’s Who of South Florida luminaries partied into the night at festivities outdoors on the pool deck overlooking Biscayne Bay and the skyline of downtown Miami,” according to a Related Group press statement. Among the guests were Miami Beach Commissioner Simon Cruz (who presented Perez with the key to the city) and Miami Mayor Manuel Diaz who delivered “a salute from the City of Miami.”

Following the ceremony there was also a fashion show by the Piedras modeling agency.

The Murano at Portofino is the third South Pointe tower to be developed by the Related Group of Florida. The tower’s 189 waterfront homes sold out in just 11 months, according to Related.

The Related Group is also developing Murano Grande just around the corner on a site fronting 700 feet of Biscayne Bay adjacent to Miami Beach Marina. The Sieger Suarez Architectural Partnership and Fullerton Diaz Architects jointly designed this three-tiered tower. Murano Grande is under construction and scheduled for completion by mid 2003. While the tower is already more than 80% sold, residences with panoramic ocean and bay views are still available, priced from the $600,000s to over $4 million.

For further information, visit the Murano Grande Sales Center, 400 Alton Road, Miami Beach, 305-604-2088, toll-free 877-604-2088, www.muranogrande.com

Business Profile

Saturnin Tomeho, the new general manager of the Bay Harbor Inn & Suites in Bay Harbor Islands, earned a Master of Arts in Hotel Management and Tourism from Universite de Nice in Nice, France; a Master of Science from Universite de Paris in Paris, France; and a Bachelor of Arts in Tourism Administration from Institut Superior d”Economie in Varna, Bulgaria. In addition, in 1999 he won the award of Manager of the Year from the Massachusetts Lodging Association. The Bay Harbor Inn & Suites is a Johnson & Wales University hotel/restaurant and educational facility. It has 45 rooms and 20 suites with half of them overlooking the Intracoastal. Restaurants include The London Tavern and The Islands Cafe. There are also meeting and banquet rooms that can accommodate parties of up to 200 people.

Business Focus

South Florida Developer Looks Ahead to Future Projects in Miami Beach, St. Barths

Set in a private and secure setting, Condominium Residences at Sonesta Hotel & Suites Coconut Grove is within walking distance of the area's popular shopping and restaurant districts.

Caption [if it is a pic of a single guy, if not… call me]: Richard Dunin

On the heels of the success of his latest development, the Condominium Residences at Sonesta Hotel & Suites Coconut Grove -- formerly known as Mutiny Park -- developer Ricardo Dunin has taken on two new projects, spanning from South Beach to the Caribbean.

Dunin, the 43-year-old founder and president of Miami-based Flagler Holding Group, is preparing to launch The Meridian, a new upscale loft project located in South Beach, while also undertaking the refurbishment of St. Barths’ renowned Sereno Beach Hotel.

Since its inception, Flagler Holding Group has developed diverse quality projects throughout South Florida and has built an extensive portfolio of successful properties. The company's initial project was South Florida’s very first luxury condo-hotel, The Mutiny Hotel, located on South Bayshore Drive in Coconut Grove. The hotel, a highly popular Miami social haunt in the 70’s and 80’s, had stood empty for years until Flagler
Holding Group spotted incredible potential for its next "life." Located in the very heart of the Grove and offering spectacular views of that city’s revered Sailboat Bay, The Mutiny was ripe for the picking, so Flagler Holding Group purchased the site and transformed it into a luxury condo-hotel. It officially opened in 1998 to a complete sell-out and operates successfully today, fusing the best of home and hotel.

Because of the project’s instant success, coupled with the demand for quality condominium living in the area, Dunin decided to secure a second site for a condo-hotel in the Grove. Opening next month, the neighboring Condominium Residences at Sonesta Hotel & Suites Coconut Grove at 2889 McFarlane Road is a 21-story, 211-unit development that will operate as South Florida's newest Sonesta Hotel. All of the tower’s residences are privately owned, with owners having the choice to rent out their unit through a customized program run by Sonesta Hotels & Resorts. This rental option is
ideal for seasonal or second-home residents.

Set in a private and secure setting, Condominium Residences at Sonesta Hotel & Suites Coconut Grove is within walking distance of the area's popular shopping and restaurant districts. Nearby movie theaters, parks and lounges mean residents and hotel guests are never far from the action. And when owners opt to stay at home, there’s an abundance of amenities and services to enjoy, including housekeeping and concierge service, a heated
swimming pool, spa, outdoor bar area, two restaurants, squash courts and a fitness center with steam and sauna rooms. Already 90 percent sold, a selection of recently released units is still available for purchase.

Meanwhile, Dunin is preparing to launch his next South Florida project -- The Meridian, an unconventional luxury loft project on the triangular site where Meridian Avenue intersects Dade Boulevard, two blocks north of Lincoln Road. Created as South Beach's first true loft project, The Meridian is ideal for those who long for ultra-modern living in a signature, unobstructed space. The Meridian will showcase 104 loft residences within seven stories and was designed by renowned Miami-based architect, Bernard Zyscovich. His firm is behind dozens of heralded local projects such as The Lincoln Retail and Cinema Complex off Alton Road, China Grill and the refurbishment of the historic Miami Beach art deco masterpiece, the St. Moritz Hotel.

All of the loft residences at The Meridian will offer loft-high ceilings throughout and will be sold with minimum interior walls and pillars, allowing buyers to configure their homes as they desire. Units will be priced from $250,000 to past $800,000 and sales are set to launch next month.

Besides offering a comprehensive range of services and amenities, The Meridian is adjacent to, and will overlook, the Bayshore Golf Course, which is currently going through a multi-million dollar renovation.

Finally, Dunin has also set his business sights on another venture -- only this time it’s off the mainland. Dunin recently purchased the revered Sereno Beach Hotel in red-hot getaway St. Barths, an island destination favored by movie stars and the international jet set, located some 2 1/2 hours away from Miami via plane. Having hired Andre Balazs, operator of The Mercer Hotel in New York and of The Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles to manage the hotel, and the world famous architect Christian Liaigre to do the
interiors, the 30-year old hotel, long an entity on the island, will be completely renovated. This beachfront estate features 32 spectacular rooms and suites overlooking Grand Cul De Sac beach, one of St. Barths’ most famous.

For more information on Condominium Residences at Sonesta Hotel & Suites Coconut Grove, you may visit the sales center located at 2889 McFarlane Road, tenth floor, open Monday-Friday, 10 a.m.- 6 p.m., and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on weekends, visit the project website at www.mutinypark.com or call (305) 445-9700. Prices range from $200,000 to over $2 million. For details on any of Flagler Holding Group's other properties, contact
303-373-5020.