Bellamaré More Than Half Sold, ZOM Named Best Apartment Management Firm, Barreto Hogan Appointed to Florida Real Estate Commission, Ocean Bank Receives Education Recognition Award

Business News:

WCI Communities, Inc., developer of BellaMaré at Williams Island, has announced that 112 of the 210 Sky Homes featured within the new 30-story tower have been sold. In addition, now that the tower’s foundation has been completed and the City of Aventura has given WCI a building permit to proceed farther, the luxurious condominium building has begun its skyward ascent bordering the Intracoastal Waterway.

According to Director of Sales Rigo Plasencia, BellaMaré Sky Homes – priced from the low $900s to over $3 million – are presented in a number of thoughtfully designed floor plans, each encompassing a private elevator foyer, expansive windows for scenic sunrise and sunset views, and volume ceilings. Typical residences, with three to five bedrooms, range from 2,185 to 4,430 square feet of air-conditioned space. Spacious two-story penthouses, from 4,805 to 7,225 square feet, are available as well.

Among other selections are bayview residences, from approximately 1,450 to 2,420 square feet of air-conditioned space, located on the tower’s three amenity levels.

“BellaMaré’s contemporary exterior design will be compatible with the other towers at Williams Island. However, the difference is in the grandeur, size and livability of the residences themselves. WCI designs from the inside out, bringing the best within, including the finest detailing,” Plasencia noted in a press release. “And, we may be able to customize residences to accommodate a buyer’s unique needs, depending upon the constraints of the structure.”

BellaMaré is located at 6000 Island Boulevard. Sales center hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday or by appointment. For more information, call 305-936-0936 or 800-827-0314 or visit www.wcicommunities.com.

Congrats:

ZOM Residential Services, Inc. was awarded the highest honor for “Property Management Firm of the Year” by the National Association of Home Builders at the 2003 Pillars of the Industry awards gala, recently held in Boca Raton, Florida during NAHB's Multi-Housing World Exposition.

Winners are selected from among the nation’s top firms.  The awards pay tribute to multifamily housing professionals in development, management and marketing.

The “Property Management Firm of the Year” Pillars Award is based on the company’s management portfolio, core values, commitment to the community, management practices, growth, financial goals / strategies and competitive-edge over competition.  Said Steve Buck, president of ZOM Residential Services, Inc., in a press release, “The award recognizes our focus on quality and service and is a tribute to the people on site who truly separate us from other management companies.  We’re very proud to be selected from an excellent group of competitors.”

ZOM manages 37 properties totaling 12,000 units. Several of those communities can be found in South Florida, including The Waverly at Surfside and The Island Club on Brickell Key.  For additional information on ZOM, visit www.zomusa.com.

* Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, Inc. has announced that Nancy Barreto Hogan, district manager for the Miami-Dade County region, has been appointed to the Florida Real Estate Commission (FREC) by Governor Jeb Bush.  Her term begins immediately and runs through October 31, 2006.

The FREC consists of seven members – four real estate brokers, one real estate broker or sales person and two consumers – who are named by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate. The Commission administers and enforces the Florida real estate license law and is also empowered to pass rules that enable it to implement its statutorily authorized duties and responsibilities.

“It is a wonderful honor to be recognized by Governor Bush and be appointed to the FREC,” said Hogan in a press release.  “I look forward to not only maintaining the high standards that are established for Florida’s Real Estate community, but to also help establish improvements that will benefit real estate professionals and our clientele.”

Hogan, who was also recently promoted to district manager for Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, Inc. and named to the NRT President’s Council (parent company of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate, Inc.), is a 25-year industry veteran who has earned numerous sales awards throughout her career.

* For the second time, Ocean Bank is the recipient of the Commissioner’s Business Recognition Award granted each year by the Florida Education Foundation and Florida Department of Education. Ocean Bank is recognized for its commitment to improving education and contributing to local schools in our community through its Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials. The award was recently presented to José A. Concepción, Ocean Bank President and CEO by Jim Horne, secretary of the Florida Board of Education.

“We are thrilled to once again receive this prestigious award from the Florida Department of Education,” said Concepción in a press release. “At Ocean Bank we feel it is our responsibility to help the youth of our community excel and the Ocean Bank Center for Educational Materials is one of the Bank’s most important educational projects.”

The OBCEM is a large warehouse and distribution program sponsored by Ocean Bank and coordinated by The Education Fund. The OBCEM collects surplus inventory and supplies from the business community and makes them available for free to Miami-Dade County Public School’s teachers for their students.

Since its inception in 1993, as a result of Hurricane Andrew, Ocean Bank has donated more than half a million dollars in support of the program. This investment has leveraged in excess of $4.5 million in goods donated to the Ocean Bank Center by companies throughout South Florida and the United States. 

 Business Focus

AJ Japour Gallery Soon to Open In Miami Beach 

A special exhibit will feature a unique selection of Salvador Dali sculptures. Prominent art dealers, galleries and dignitaries are expected to be among the attendees. 

Caption: Anthony Japour 

The intersection of arts and sciences is an evocative process of creativity and technology. In creating The AJ Japour Gallery, a new art gallery in Miami Beach, Dr. Anthony Japour blends his passion for both art and science. The 2,600 square-foot showcase space will house a permanent collection and highlight different artists during a series of Sunday afternoon salons. The gallery will feature abstract and contemporary works, specifically 3-D, sculptural and textural art. He calls upon favorite artists who employ natural elements such as clay and glass and use chemical processes to create their masterpieces. The Harvard doctor is bringing a new form of art to the area and promoting artists who share his vision.

The AJ Japour Gallery is dedicated to supporting established 21^st century artists and public service organizations and communicating the vision of 20^th century artists. The business venture was born out of an epiphany he experienced while on sabbatical. Although Japour was always an art lover, he found that throughout the 1990’s, art was predominantly uninspiring, representing little more than “pretty pictures.” However, following the events of September 11, he realized the significant role artists had played in restoring the health of the country. People were beginning to find comfort in art. “It had become alive, serving as an escape from the everyday, yet still capturing elements of every day life.” The gallery is a channel for accomplishing his personal mission of giving comfort to the world, and providing some kind of relief.

AJ Japour Gallery will kick off its grand opening with “Art with A View,” an upcoming art show and gala event. A special exhibit will feature a unique selection of Salvador Dali sculptures. Prominent art dealers, galleries and dignitaries are expected to be among the attendees. While new to the area, the respected doctor has already made significant headway by establishing important local alliances. He is also fostering relationships with the Corcoran Gallery, various hospitals and other prestigious organizations throughout the country.    

Born and raised in Michigan, Japour was educated at the University of Michigan, Harvard and Northwestern Universities. Following a residency and fellowship, he became assistant professor at Harvard. He balanced his time between a small clinical practice and the laboratory bench in AIDS research. Because current medications were still unavailable in the late 80’s and early 90’s, seeing severely ill patients was too emotionally devastating for him. He found solace in lab research and instead, pursued the academic side. While on the faculty there, he held leadership roles on numerous national and local infectious disease committees. “I felt I could still contribute to society and medicine by researching treatments. I never imagined we would get as far as we did in such a short period of time. At that time it was so new, exciting and important. It was also quite intellectually stimulating.”

In 1989, Japour was one of 10 recipients nationally awarded the AMFAR (American Foundation for Aids Research) Scholar Award, familiar to many as the foundation Elizabeth Taylor spearheaded. It was a prestigious honor and according to Tony, “an opportunity I never took for granted.” Three years of funding at a critical point in his career became a life-changing event for the young doctor.

After seven years in research, Japour was lured away from academia and into corporate America to help develop the new HIV drug, Kaletra. From 1996-2002, he held several positions at Abbot Laboratories in Chicago, including Director of Professional Development and a Global Director for Marketed Products. There he oversaw post-marketing clinical development programs for HIV, Transplant, Immunology and Pain. During his tenure at Abbott, he played an integral role in empowering patients by making himself available to the community and by helping to keep lines of communication open between the pharmaceutical industry and consumer advocates.

While Dr. Japour had become a distinguished leader in laboratory and clinical science, by mid 2001, he found himself at a crossroads in his career. Japour felt he had reached a kind of success that left few stones uncovered. It was then that he approached Harvard Provost Harvey Fineberg, for professional direction. The long time friend and colleague suggested he consider public service. Over the following year, he considered many opportunities and also traveled the country to pitch Americans about drug development and safety issues. 

In September of 2002, over 20 senior physicians recommended him to President George Bush as a candidate for Commisisoner of the FDA, however another candidate had just been selected. Shortly after, Japour began his sabbatical. He moved to Miami in the fall of 2002 to recover from the rigors of his travels and has since made Miami Beach his home.

To some, the brilliant individual as well as his vision will be welcome additions to a flourishing community of young professionals, artists and intellects. To Japour himself, AJ Japour gallery will be a dream realized, and heeding the advice of Fineberg, his foray into public service. 

“Art with A View” art show and gala event will be held on Saturday, March 29^th from 8pm till midnight. A special exhibit will feature a unique selection of Salvador Dali sculptures. Tickets are $150 per person in advance and a portion of proceeds will benefit the Miami Children’s Museum. A cocktail party and viewing will be held in the AJ Japour Gallery at Murano at Portofino, 1000 South Pointe Dr., No 3302, Miami Beach.  The celebration will continue at La Piaggia with dinner, dancing and entertainment. For tickets or more information, please call 305-538-7209.

Tony Japour is a senior fellow at the University of Chicago McLean Center for Medical Ethics and is co-editing a book, “Where Science Meets Ethics in Clinical trails: the AIDS Program.”  He is the recipient of numerous awards including the reoccurring Physician Scientist Award by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases from 1992-1996 and the 2001 Global Medical Affairs Education Award by Abbott Laboratories. Japour has been published in national publications and medical journals. He is a member of the American Board of Internal Medicine, the National Board of Medical Examiners, is a Massachusetts and Illinois licensed physician and is currently a Senior Affiliate Consultant to Seraphim LifeSciences, LLC.