Hottest Startup City
Goldman Properties founder Tony Goldman died five months ago, but his vision--turning less desirable locations into vibrant communities--is living onthroughdaughter and CEO Jessica Goldman Srebnick. We talked to her this morning about her plans in one of the country's hottest startup cities.
Wynwood, Miami (named byForbesas one of the top hipster neighborhoods of '12) had no street life, no retail,a handful of shoe manufacturers, and rents of $6/SF only seven years ago. The firm then purchased a critical mass of properties andtransformedit. Today:11 restaurants and bars, over 70 entrepreneurial companies, and rents from $22 to $36/SF. Jessica realized the impact this week at the StartUp Miami conference, where 1,000 attendees pegged the city as one of the countrys hottest startup locations. Thesearen'ttenants youd know now, but you will in two years, she says.
Jessica took the helm when Tony passed away in September and has no plans to change his vision that drove the company for four decades. It was his pride and passion to turn the hopeless into the hopeful, she saystransforming areas like Miami Beach, NYCs SoHo and Stone Street, and Center City, Philadelphia. Over the next year, theres no plans to take on a new neighborhood, but she hopes the firm's work will inspire others to transform neglected areas into new creative hubs. After that? To be continued, she says. Growth is a part of our core philosophy.
The focus is growing where Goldman Properties already operates. Its recently completed 40k office-and-retail Wynwood Building is nearly leased up (only one restaurant space is available), and it is building its first residential mixed-use project and a smaller version of The Wynwood Building, both delivering by October. The firm is also continuing its tradition of art and design-focused projects with an art curation advisory arm,including hosting up-and-comingvirtuososat its Houston Bowery Wall in NYC. Its Wynwood Walls (above), also in Miami, is the worlds only outdoor street art museum.
