Yearly Archives: 2015

Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater today announced that a $15.5 million settlement has been secured as a result of a contract investigation involving U.S. Foods, Inc. The investigation conducted by the Department of Financial Services’ Office of Fiscal Integrity concluded that U.S. Foods falsely inflated its prices for supply food services to the Florida Department of Corrections (DOC) between 2008 and 2014. Through this deceitful billing practice, U.S. Foods wrongly collected millions in state dollars.

Jacque Huttoe and James “Chip” Black of The Huttoe Group at Berkshire Hathaway Florida Realty Commercial, announce the sale of 283 Catalonia Avenue in Coral Gables, Florida. The 1955-built, signature 2-story building, which totals 22,209 square feet, is situated on a 12,000-square-foot lot and adjacent to three 4,000-square-foot lots, which serve as on-site surface parking for the property.

MetWest International is adding Thai Prime to its already impressive line-up of restaurants at its retail center across from International Plaza and Tampa International Airport. Thai Prime is a local restaurant known for its authentic Thai cuisine and is slated to open in the fall. It will offer 176 seats, a full liquor bar and outside seating

Dave Donnellan has been named Senior Vice President. A Fort Lauderdale-based senior member of CBRE’s Investment Properties group, Mr. Donnellan focuses on the sale of shopping centers and single-tenant net-leased investments in southeast Florida. He has successfully represented many of the region's high-profile developers and private investor groups in the acquisition and disposition of their retail property assets.

Florida Realtor, the Business Magazine of Florida Real Estate and monthly trade publication of Florida Realtors®, recently won nine awards in the 2015 Florida Magazine Association’s (FMA) competition.

CBRE arranged the sale of a prime downtown development site at 100 E. Las Olas Blvd. in the heart of the main business corridor of Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The 0.88-acre property was acquired from SVP Las Olas Limited Partnership by Kolter Acquisitions, LLC for $17.25 million.

Cushman & Wakefield announced today that it has brokered the sale of Westshore Center, a 216,410-square-foot, Class A office building in Tampa, Florida. Executive Director Mike Davis, Senior Director Rick Brugge, and Senior Director Michael Lerner represented an institutional owner in the transaction. The buyer was Roseview-PMRG Fund I, LLC, a joint venture between The Roseview Group and PM Realty Group (PMRG)

Inc. has announced that RE/MAX Dynamic-The Duncan Duo & Associates has earned the position of 561st on the 2015 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America. They were one of only 159 real estate firms in the nation to appear on the Inc. 5000 and the fastest growing residential real estate sales firm in Tampa Bay. Past companies to make the prestigious list include Microsoft, Oracle and Zappos. This is the second consecutive year RE/MAX Dynamic has made the list, jumping nearly 500 places from the 2014 list in the No. 1,052 spot

The Council of the District of Columbia has passed resolutions confirming the appointments of Mr. Buwa Binitie, Mr. Stephen M. Green and Mr. Bryan “Scottie” Irving to the Board of Directors of the District of Columbia Housing Finance Agency (DCHFA). “The new board members possess a range of expertise in development and housing in the District of Columbia.

Banker Lopez Gassler P.A. is relocating its downtown St. Petersburg office to First Central Tower later this year. The law firm has leased a full floor, 15,296 square feet, at the building. The long term lease was brokered by Mia Jarrell of Colliers International.

Late yesterday, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi joined 14 other state attorneys general seeking to block the EPA’s Clean Power Plan. Finalized earlier this month by our Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Power Plan will reduce carbon pollution from power plants.

CBRE Capital Markets arranged the sale of Hidden River Grande Apartments, a 212-unit waterfront rental community in Tampa, Florida to San Diego-based The Focus Group for $8.3 million. The complex is located at 8024 Hidden River Drive on the Hillsborough River. CBRE represented the seller, NR Investments, in the transaction.

The National Congress of Black Women, Inc. (NCBW) supports the efforts of the Consumers for Smart Solar. As stated in our Amicus Brief filed at the Florida Supreme Court on June 10, 2015, the NCBW opposes the Floridians for Solar Choice (FSC) Solar Ballot Initiative because the proposed amendment, if approved, will have a recurring detrimental financial impact on Black women, their families and communities in particular, as well as generally upon members of the public dependent upon electric utility service

CBRE arranged the sale of Venture Corporate Center, a three-building office community located at 3440 Hollywood Blvd. and 200-300 S. Park Road in Hollywood, Florida. The property, which is improved with three office buildings totaling approximately 253,000 rentable square feet, was acquired from MetLife Real Estate Investors by Dividend Capital Trust

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is leading 16 other attorneys general in a legal action against the United States Environmental Protection Agency for illegally invalidating the individual air quality protection plans in those states. In June, the EPA issued a final rule requiring 35 states, including Florida, to revise their individual State Implementation Plans governing carbon emissions during power plant Startup, Shutdown or Malfunction.

With the release of year-over-year market statistics for the 2nd quarter, we saw trends of consumer confidence in the single family homes sector. Closed sales increased 13.2 percent to 5,383 transactions, and median sale price increased 5.6 percent to $299,900. Meanwhile, median days on market dropped 20.8 percent to 42 days. Also, inventory decreased 7.4 percent to 6,726 active listings, and months’ supply decreased 21.9 percent to 4.5 months

Cushman & Wakefield announced today that it has brokered the sale of Forum Corporate Park II, a 60,777-square-foot Class A office building in Fort Myers, Florida. Senior Director Rick Brugge, Executive Director Mike Davis, Senior Director Michael Lerner, and Songy Highroads Regional Director Robert Brooks represented ownership in the transaction. Holden Properties was the buyer.

CRE Rauch Lupo Robertson, a CRE Florida Partners Company, is pleased to announce the addition of David Walsh to its South Florida team. Walsh has joined CRE as a Multifamily Specialist in our Boca Raton office as Senior Investment Associate. In his new role, Walsh will lead and build the firm’s multi-family businesses in South Florida

CBRE is pleased to announce that José Lobón has been promoted to Vice President. Lobón, who joined CBRE in 2011, is a member of CBRE’s Capital Markets, Institutional Properties team based in Miami. He helps advise many of the largest U.S. real estate investors on their investment, disposition and capitalization strategies.

CBRE has arranged the sale and financing of Rivergate Tower, a Class A, 515,965-square-foot iconic office building located at 400 North Ashley Drive in Tampa, Florida, for an undisclosed price. The sale of Rivergate Tower is the third recent Tampa CBD office tower sale that CBRE has brokered in the last year, following Wells Fargo Plaza and Fifth Third Center.