{"id":29926,"date":"2017-12-18T07:31:32","date_gmt":"2017-12-18T12:31:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/?p=29926"},"modified":"2018-01-03T07:47:44","modified_gmt":"2018-01-03T12:47:44","slug":"hollo-school-boat-tour-brings-students-closer-to-latest-projects-and-professional-success","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biznews.fiu.edu\/2017\/12\/hollo-school-boat-tour-brings-students-closer-to-latest-projects-and-professional-success\/","title":{"rendered":"Hollo School boat tour brings students closer to latest projects\u2014and professional success."},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Hollo<\/p>\n

\u201cGet to know the person next to you. He or she could be the next person you get a job with, or do a deal with.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what Suzanne Hollander, an attorney and real estate broker who teaches at the College of Business, told 150 students from FIU\u2019s\u00a0Hollo School of Real Estate<\/a> as the\u00a0Island Queen, transformed into a \u201cfloating classroom,\u201d departed from the Bayside Marketplace dock <\/em>on November 3, 2017.<\/p>\n

Hollander led the seventh annual Miami River Real Estate Urban Property Development Tour, which included 13 speakers from Related Group and Swire Properties, two of Miami\u2019s largest developers, alumni, city planners, Downtown Development Authority Executive Director Alyce Robertson, and Miami River Commission Executive Director Brett Bibeau.<\/p>\n

As they headed down the river, Miami\u2019s storied \u201chighway between the Everglades and the Atlantic Ocean,\u201d Hollander instructed students to \u201cput your property eyes on\u201d as they observed the evolving, varied history \u2013 sleek high-rises worth $100 million or more next to commercial properties, industrial marinas and yacht repair businesses, historically designated neighborhood Spring Garden, affordable housing, and public green spaces.<\/p>\n

Hollander encouraged students to learn the different zoning codes along the river. \u201cBefore every boom and bust, there was the Miami River,\u201d Hollander said, quoting a 2015 Miami Herald<\/em> article. \u201cLook at these properties in a different way as you hear the stories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Hollo
Hollo School of Real Estate faculty members. From left to right: Eli Beracha, Julia Freybote, Suzanne Hollander and Zhonghua Wu.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Brickell City Centre: a tour highlight.<\/em><\/p>\n

The tour took place almost exactly a year after the opening of Swire\u2019s $1.05 billion Brickell City Centre, a 4.9-million-square-foot luxury shopping and mixed-use center that covers three city blocks and is visible from the river. The project has been a catalyst for development in the trendy\u00a0Brickell\u00a0neighborhood.\u00a0Its open-air, hurricane-resistant design is a nod to the future of Miami, said Maile Aguila, Swire senior vice president of sales.<\/p>\n

Brickell City Centre \u201cis a game-changer in the current real-estate cycle,\u201d Bibeau said. \u201cSwire and Related are visionary, looking at development from a long-term perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said the river\u2019s real estate property value arc can be traced from Swire\u2019s 2011 purchase of the City Centre parcel for $41 million, to an Argentine developer\u2019s 2014 purchase of land at the mouth of the river for $125 million; it will hold the dramatic, 66-story Aston Martin Residences.<\/p>\n

Ben Gerber, vice president of finance for Related Group, said the developer led the new downtown urbanism movement in 2005 with its first high-rise residential project on the river, the 45-story One Miami. \u201cBut Related\u2019s founder, Jorge Perez, actually started in affordable housing,\u201d he said, pointing out their development, slated for expansion.<\/p>\n

\"Real<\/p>\n

In 2013, Related bought the 444 Brickell office building, which houses Capital Grille, for $104 million, and will build the three-tower One Brickell, designed by Pelli Clarke Pelli and Arquitectonica. Its aim is to be pedestrian-friendly and \u201cconnect the waterfront,\u201d Gerber said. \u201cWe believe in respecting the environment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since 2000, 55 residential buildings have been built or approved for construction on the river. \u201cBut there\u2019s still a lot of working river front and public green space, like Jose Marti Park, and a commitment to keep it open,\u201d said Luciana Gonzalez, assistant director at the City of Miami Planning and Zoning Department. \u201cThe Miami River SAP (Special Area Plan), a public-private partnership with the city and Related, will maintain industrial space and upgrade the park to improve quality of life for residents.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alyce Robertson, of the DDA, noted the area\u2019s property tax roll has nearly doubled since 2010, from $9.8 billion to $18.8 billion. \u201cThe recession\u2019s low rents brought the 38-40 demographic to the area,\u201d she said. \u201cNow they come because the DDA has created more livability, walkability, and added events like Art Days.\u201d<\/p>\n

Advice: \u201cMake your mark on the city.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

As the tour ended, Wendy Hernandez, alumna and capital markets financial analyst at Transwestern real estate firm, encouraged those who weren\u2019t FIU real estate students to consider it: \u201cLearn the real estate\u00a0fundamentals\u00a0and you too will have\u00a0the opportunity to be part of exciting projects.\u00a0As you advance in your careers, think about how you can impact our city and leave your mark on Miami’s real estate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

The FIU real estate program \u201cis very practical,\u201d Hollander said. \u201cGraduates often go to work in the community. Jorge Perez started as a city planner. Most people don\u2019t begin as developers, so don\u2019t get discouraged\u2026.you have to start somewhere where you can learn and build on your real estate experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n

She added a final piece of advice: \u201cAs Ben Franklin said, investment in education pays the best dividends. Stay in touch with your educators, who support you.\u201d<\/p>\n