The Evolution of Wynwood

Tony Cho is a real estate pioneer, impact entrepreneur, and founder of the Future of Cities – a mission-driven consortium and multi-pronged platform invested in transforming the built environment by adopting environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategies to improve the quality of urban living. Influenced by his work as founder and chairman of Metro 1 – an award-wining, forward-thinking real estate investment, brokerage, management, and development firm that he still leads - Cho’s career has focused on shaping neighborhoods and developing sustainable cities in South Florida and beyond. He has completed over $3 billion in real estate transactions since 2005.

Jon Paul “JP” Pérez is responsible for overseeing development operations across the company’s various divisions, managing land acquisition efforts and leading the procurement of major construction financing. He also forms a part of Related’s Executive Committee, where he works with the firm’s C-level executives and division presidents to establish corporate priorities, growth strategies and other key company-wide initiatives. Jon Paul aims to continue supporting the firm’s reputation as a “market maker” and its proven ability to capitalize on opportunities well before competitors. A market maker himself, Jon Paul has personally spearheaded Related’s recent entrance into Miami’s popular Wynwood neighborhood, where he’s working to deliver several major mixed-use projects set to transform the area into a true live-work-play neighborhood. Current projects include Wynwood 25, a 289-unit luxury rental property across from the iconic Wynwood Walls; The Annex, an eight-story, 50,000-square-foot, class A office building; and The Bradley, a 175-unit rental tower with interior design by Kravitz Design. Since joining Related in 2012, Jon Paul has overseen the development of several thousand market-rate rental, affordable and luxury condominium units—including the 200-unit The Manor, the 365-unit Town City Center and the 690-unit Brickell Heights condo property. He has also played a key role in several marquee sales and acquisitions. Prior to joining Related, Jon Paul worked for The Related Companies of New York where he oversaw all aspects of the development process for more than 900 units, with direct responsibility for financial modeling, design programming and construction management. He also participated in securing capital for the firm’s $900 million distressed opportunity fund, and in 2009 successfully led efforts to sell 425 unsold condominium units in Fort Myers, Florida over the span of 18 months. Jon Paul graduated from the University of Miami in 2007 with a B.S in business administration and received his MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University in 2015. Nurturing Miami’s growing arts and culture community, Jon Paul remains closely aligned with the Pérez Art Museum Miami as well as with The National YoungArts Foundation (YoungArts), participating in its annual Miami YoungArts Week. He also sits on the board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Miami and is an active United Way Young Leader. Every holiday season, Jon Paul also puts together Related’s annual Thanksgiving Turkey Drive to coordinate the delivery of over 2,600 turkeys across Miami-Dade, including to the firm’s affordable housing properties.

David manages all activities and growth at East End, along with co-founder Jonathon Yormak. David’s primary areas of focus include the acquisition of new investments, establishing acquisition strategy and target market focus, and growing the firm’s capital relationships. Prior to founding East End, David was a Director at Broadway Partners responsible for running acquisitions in the Eastern United States. In that role, David was directly responsible for the acquisition of 4.5 million square feet of assets in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C., and Florida. As one of the firm’s first employees, David was instrumental in the growth of the company and building out the infrastructure of the firm. David was also involved in asset management, dispositions, and new business initiatives. Earlier in his career, David was in the real estate investment banking group at Lazard Frères & Co, where he was involved in transactions totaling over $1.4 billion in value. David holds a B.S. from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

With development and asset management experience in both New York and Florida, Shari brings a creative thought process grounded in reality to each project. In her role as VP of Development, Neissani is involved in the predevelopment process from acquisition through stabilization, focusing on maximizing value and efficiency for projects across varying asset classes and sizes. Neissani leverages her prior project experience, working for developers including, The Moinian Group, Extell Development, and RedSky Capital, to ensure all properties maximize value through remaining on schedule and budget while maintaining quality. Shari Neissani obtained a degree from Yeshiva University in New York where she graduated Cum Laude.

As executive managing director and director of design at MKDA, a Miami architecture and interior design studio, Amanda Hertzler, NCIDQ, leads an innovative design studio that produces spaces unmatched in creativity yet rooted in the business of real estate. Since establishing the studio in 2013, Amanda has been a trusted advisor on investment and development opportunities to major real estate owners and their agents, including East End Capital, Brickman, Goldman Properties, RedSky, The Safra Family, The Gindi Family and Metro1, among others. She helps owners define opportunities and possibilities in areas under transformation—such as the Design District, Downtown Miami and Wynwood Arts District, where she was invited to sit on the Board of the Wynwood Design & Review Committee. She also assists owners and their agents with marketing, leasing, design and build-out. This work includes: Wynwood Park, the adaptive-reuse of a full city block in Wynwood into 50,000-SF of retail space and 20,000-SF of green rooftop space on behalf of the Gindi Family 2407 NW 2nd Avenue, the adaptive-reuse of a Wynwood art gallery into two floors of retail and outdoor space on behalf of owner Redsky. 2509 N. Miami Avenue, the adaptive-reuse of a former Wynwood printing warehouse into a three-story office and retail building on behalf of co-developers Link Real Estate and Jameson Equities. 100 Biscayne, the repositioning of 100 Biscayne Blvd., formally New World Tower, in Downtown Miami on behalf of East End Capital. The MKDA upgrades include an amenity space, conference and fitness center, common corridors, bathrooms and prebuilt spaces. 80 NE 40th Street, the adaptive reuse of a dated Design District retail showroom into a 6,000-SF premier retail destination on behalf of Century Realty. Under Amanda’s leadership, the studio has also completed work on Douglas Entrance, La Puerta del Sol, Brickell City Tower, Courthouse Tower and 200 Southeast First. She is additionally leading the design of a Wynwood hotel, and has undertaken hospitality assignments in Miami and the Caribbean, where the firm is nearing completion on Spanish Court Hotel Resort, a $12.5 million, 120,000-SF redevelopment. Amanda is committed to being on the leading edge of design trends and the use of advanced technology, such as Building Information Modeling (BIM) and 3D virtual reality, but it is her design vision—designing for the desired behavior of a space as well as functionality—that serves her clients well. In addition, she utilizes her marketing background to hone in on her clients’ strategic marketing positions to create branded environments alongside logos and signage to provide a cohesive image. This integrated approach has aided Amanda in the design of many successful workplaces for brands that include Creative Artists Agency, SproutLoud, DLD Lawyers, Ink Global, Retail Outsource, Bayview Loan Services, Burr and Forman, VUMI, Liberty Power, Fanatics, Banyan Street Capital, and Offizina, a 16-story, ground-up office condo in Coral Gables. Amanda has been named a 2019 South Florida Business Journal Most Influential Woman, 2018 Bisnow South Florida Power Woman and 2017 South Florida Business Journal 40 Under 40 Honoree. She has also secured a place for MKDA as one of South Florida Business Journal’s 2017 Best Places to Work. She earned a Masters in Interior Design at New York’s prestigious Pratt Institute School of Art and Design after studying design and architecture in Paris, France at the Université de Sorbonne. Prior to joining MKDA, she worked for large, world-renowned architecture firms and was an owner of her own successful design studio. Lastly, Amanda spent many years as an adjunct professor at Miami International University of Art & Design, teaching coursework that includes a variety of creative design studio and technology classes. She was also a former Committee Chair of UCREW, a subcommittee of CREW (Commercial Real Estate Women), a group that holds University programs to foster interest in commercial real estate and related fields as career choices.

Ryan Bailine’s practice focuses on the development and financing of complex real estate projects, including real estate, land use, and regulatory aspects. Noted for his responsiveness to his clients’ needs, attention to detail, and his project development acumen, Ryan represents some of the most active and prolific developers in North America, advising on residential, commercial, industrial and mixed-use projects, including Transit Oriented Developments (TOD), opportunity zone elements, affordable and workforce housing issues, and public-private endeavors. Ryan routinely works with local, regional and national regulatory agencies to facilitate the permitting, construction, development, and financing of real estate projects, including negotiating long-term ground leases, development agreements, development rights transfers, financing documents, joint venture agreements, and qualified opportunity zone structures, along with infrastructure and utility components. Regarding real estate finance, Ryan routinely negotiates and secures debt and equity placement, as well as tax credit based financing, ranging from low income housing, new market and historic tax credits, to other government sponsored programs such as SAIL and HOPE VI funding sources. Clients and real estate professionals regularly turn to Ryan for advice on opportunity zone real estate development and financing issues. He routinely advises developers, property owners, and qualified opportunity funds on regulatory structuring issues related to opportunity zone issues. Ryan has lectured a presented to clients and real estate consultants and professionals across the country on financing and qualified opportunity zone structuring and compliance issues.

David Polinsky, Ph.D. is an engineer, real estate developer/builder and local community change agent. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering from Cornell University, a Master’s Degree in Financial Risk Management from Simon Fraser University in Vancouver and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. After co-founding and running a high-tech company in Silicon Valley for 20 years, he moved to Vancouver, Canada. From there he developed affordable housing, and luxury town-home styles lofts in West Hollywood, California. In 2011, he moved back to Miami where he has been assembling a portfolio of live/work development sites in Wynwood as well as serving as a Director of the Wynwood Business Improvement District and Chair of its Planning and Transportation Committee. His aspirations are to build art-infused, boutique commercial/residential projects that serve as a model for smart infill development in Wynwood and beyond.

Kobi Karp is the Founder and Principal of Kobi Karp Architecture and Interior Design, Inc (KKAID). Kobi Karp founded the firm in 1996 and has been the Principal-in-Charge of design since that time. KKAID is a full-service architectural and interior design firm providing a vast array of services, ranging from the design of large-scale, high-rise condominium and hospitality projects to intimate, small-scale low-rise residential and commercial structures. Educated at the University of Minnesota’s Institute of Technology, Kobi Karp earned degrees in both Architecture and Environmental Design. Subsequently, Kobi Karp began his career working on major hospitality and all- inclusive resort projects throughout the United States and the Caribbean. His restoration design techniques have contributed to a renaissance in one of this country’s most cherished areas, Miami Beach’s Art Deco District which is internationally recognized around the world. Kobi Karp has developed expertise in design over the last 20 years, working with a wide range of project types, sizes, complexities, and budgets. It is through this last quarter century working in warm weather climates that KKAID has garnered international acclaim and been selected to spearhead numerous resort projects. Developers and builders in the Caribbean, Black Sea region, and the Middle East have relied on the firm for their design eye and planning. Kobi Karp is a recognized member of the American Institute of Architects, honored for his award-winning designs and buildings and he is a licensed Professional Architect in 9 states and in Abu Dhabi (UAE). His firm has been featured in renowned national and local publications based on their major contributions in the preservation of historical areas.

David Snow is the current Chief of Urban Design for the City of Miami Planning Department and has been with the City since 2007 (11 yrs). Currently he is responsible for coordinating Urban Design efforts within the Department and has overseen high-profile projects such as the Neighborhood Revitalization District (NRD-1) for the Wynwood Neighborhood, Mana Wynwood and Miami Design District Special Area Plans, Regatta Park Design and Virginia Key Master Plan Implementation and Miami 21 Sign Code. David has a Bachelor of Science in Planning and Urban Development from Arizona State University. Served as Chair of the Planners Technical Committee of Miami-Dade County from 2013 – 2014 and currently serves as Vice Chair on the Miami Shores Village Planning and Zoning Board. David continues to work towards making the City of Miami a successful metropolitan center by addressing planning issues related to emerging urban development trends and future adaptation to sea-level rise challenges.

A creative and innovative land use attorney, Steve Wernick guides developers, property owners, and operators through complex land use regulations, state and local government law, and the development approval process. His work includes pre-acquisition due diligence, – entitlement strategy, platting/subdivision, and handling a wide array of zoning/development approvals from public hearing applications to administrative approvals. Steve works closely with clients to navigate the intricacies of government affairs, including advocating for client interests in administrative and quasi-judicial hearings, securing entitlements and zoning interpretations and procurement of government contracts and public/private incentive agreements for urban redevelopment projects. Steve also has significant experience drafting master plans and land use development regulations, including the City of Miami’s first Neighborhood Revitalization District for Wynwood. With his background in urban planning and involvement in public policy at a local and state level, Steve has developed a reputation as a go-to resource for land use policy and legislative initiatives, master planned projects, and special district initiatives to develop creative tools and incentive-based zoning solutions that help to implement urban revitalization strategies in emerging neighborhoods and transit corridors embraced by stakeholders, development industry, and local government agencies. A regular speaker on land use and local government law, he has been cited in numerous secondary sources, including Powell on Real Properő and Land Use Planning and the Environment: A Casebook (2010).

Albert Garcia is the Managing Principal of Wynwood Ventures and is also Chairman and Co-Founder of the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID), an autonomous government agency created in 2013 that leads the renaissance of the Wynwood Arts District in Miami, Florida. For over 30 years, Albert and his family have been commercial property and business owners focused on the betterment of the communities they serve. He has been a driving force behind Wynwood’s transformation from blighted industrial area to a world-renowned business, cultural, educational, residential, and retail destination that’s now home to one of the largest collections of public street art murals in the world. Albert has received numerous accolades for spearheading a wide-ranging slate of public policy, marketing and economic development initiatives. In the past decade, Wynwood’s revitalization efforts resulted in 5,000+ new jobs, 4.2 million annual visitors (3,400% increase) and over $500,000,000 in local spending for the South Florida economy. Previously, Albert was Chief Operating Officer of an international apparel company managing global operations across five continents. Prior to that, he was an agent at the William Morris Endeavor talent agency procuring opportunities for clients across television, motion pictures and digital media where he also formulated and implemented entertainment-based content strategies for several of the world’s leading consumer brands. He began his professional career at NBCUniversal. He is an avid enthusiast of emerging technologies, smart cities, and initiatives that foster sustainable, pedestrian-oriented, urban neighborhoods. Harnessing his international business and public policy background, Albert focuses on driving growth in public and private sectors that operate in highly regulated environments. In his spare time, he mentors startup entrepreneurs and advises private equity managers in strategy, regulatory issues, technology policy and global supply chain management. Albert attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and the University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida. He currently resides with his family in Miami Beach, Florida.

Originally from Cincinnati, OH, Della has worked in the fields of political communications, textile manufacturing, and venture capital in the U.S., Israel, Jordan, China, and Ethiopia. She holds a BA in History and Spanish Literature from Washington University in St. Louis, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She is also a certified Bikram Yoga instructor with passion for holistic health and wellness. Della's desire to make healthy food affordable and accessible to all was the catalyst for della test kitchen, a globally-inspired, plant-based, fast-casual concept. After testing the concept in Boston, she moved to Miami in 2014 to open the first store. della test kitchen is a prototype restaurant designed to gather and adapt to community feedback in real time. The Wynwood Yard concept was galvanized by Della’s experience in attempting to find a location for her fast-casual restaurant in Miami. She realized that there was a great need for a culinary incubator and community hub to foster the development of innovative Miami food, culture, design and fitness entrepreneurs.