Founded 60 years ago by Tibor Hollo, Florida East Coast Realty, LLC (FECR) since has built in excess of 60 million square feet of construction, consisting of single-family homes, landmark residential and commercial high-rises, government buildings, marinas, high-end retail centers, warehouse complexes, and telecommunications centers.
Beginning in 1977 and continuing throughout the 1980s, the company forged new ground by developing Miami's Omni/Venetia area, sparking the transformation of the district into what now is known as the Media and Entertainment District. Covering six square blocks on the northern edge of Downtown Miami, FECR's vision for the neighborhood includes several landmark developments, including Plaza Venetia (now known as Venetia), a mixed-use luxury rental building; the 605-room Biscayne Bay Marriott Hotel; Venetia (now known as the Grand), comprising over 3.4 million square feet of residential and commercial space; the Omni International Mall, which contained over one million square feet of high-end retail space, as well as what now is known as the 527-room Hilton Miami Downtown (opened as an Omni and later converted into a Radisson); and Sea Isle Marina & Yachting Center, a full-service marina and home of the annual Miami International Boat Show.
More recently in the Media and Entertainment District, FECR completed Opera Tower, a 635-unit luxury residential tower adjacent to FECR's renowned Bay Parc Plaza. Still coming up for FECR, the Mikado, a new residential tower, will be the final phase of the company's 40-year development plan for this area.
In Miami's famous Brickell district, FECR has owned and developed many projects, most notably the Rivergate Plaza Complex, containing 444 Brickell, the first high rise office building on Brickell Avenue, and two U.S. treasury buildings. Other noteworthy projects in the area include 888 Brickell; Vizcaya Towers and Vizcaya North; the Club at Brickell Bay; and Colonnade Plaza. Nearby, FECR also owns a 19-story, 700,000 square foot office and retail complex called One Bayfront Plaza.
FECR acquired 1101 Brickell in 2009, which contains approximately 300,000 square feet of recently-renovated office space in two glass-walled towers. In addition to the office towers, FECR is constructing the new Panorama Tower, a luxury high-rise residential apartment tower, along with additional high-end office and retail space, on the site. Also planned for the future is 1201 Brickell Bay, an ultra-luxury condominium tower with the finest services and amenities, which will be built on the only undeveloped bay front parcel remaining in the Brickell area.
FECR also is making its mark in Coral Gables, the "City Beautiful," where the 130,000 square foot premier office condominium, 2020 Ponce, was completed in 2009, and Villa Majorca, a charming upscale residential community, was completed in 2010. Coming up in Coral Gables for FECR are several new, high-end residential projects.
Additional residential projects in Florida over the years include Centre House in the Civic Center (now known as Dominion Tower), which was the tallest residential tower in Miami at the time of its completion; Twin Lakes Raquet Club; San Souci Manor; Tropicana East and Tropicana West; Quayside Townhomes; Flamingo Plaza (now known as North Bay Landing); Sport Acres; and Bass Lakes. In Miami Beach, FECR owned and operated the world-famous Eden Roc Hotel throughout the 1980s, as well as the Decoplage Condominium (formerly known as 100 Lincoln Road).
Further, FECR has delved into the telecommunications industry with the development of the SSAE 16 Type II Certified Miami Data Vault, Miami's finest and most secure collocation and disaster recovery center and home to some of the nation's most renowned providers of technical services. Additionally, FECR owns the adjacent parcel, which is fully-entitled for an additional 235,000 square feet of technology/data center space.
FECR also has many exciting projects outside of South Florida, including several exciting office and residential developments in Las Vegas; the Element Condominium located near Columbus Circle West in Manhattan; luxury residences at 20 East End Avenue in Manhattan; and Brynwood Golf & Country Club (formerly the Canyon Club) in Armonk, New York. Additionally, FECR has a mixed-use project (Gulfstream Point) planned for Hallandale Beach, Florida.
FECR's grandest project to date will be the new One Bayfront Plaza. This global landmark will be a mixed-use development of contemporary modern design, encompassing a total of over three million square feet, principally-comprised of premier, class AAA office space, together with a luxury convention hotel and high-end residences. Additionally, within the pedestal base that will comprise two full city blocks, the edifice will include an upscale retail mall and a parking garage with more than 2,000 spaces. The tower will be Miami's signature project and the tallest building in the skyline, rising 80 stories above Biscayne Bay and reaching a height of 1,010 feet, with 360-degree, panoramic views truly beyond compare.
Throughout FECR's extensive history, the company has built, owned, and managed a wide array of properties, and the company's strategy for the future includes steady, continued growth in several real estate industries. With new ideas and ambitious projects on the drawing board, Mr. Hollo and Florida East Coast Realty, LLC are eager and ready to venture well into the 21st century.