Ira Giller canceled plans for a Miami Beach mixed-use building, after selling his development site to jewelers assembling land for a larger project, The Real Deal has learned.
Gateway Group, a Miami Beach-based firm led by the architect, Jason Giller and other family members, sold three retail buildings at 976 West 41st Street, 3907 Alton Road and 3915 Alton Road for a combined $12.5 million to entities managed by Igal and Aaron Haimov, said Disruptive Real Estate’s Stefano Santoro, who brokered the off-market deal.
The father-and-son duo lead Miami Beach-based Haimov Group, and their family also owns an eponymous fine jewelry store in downtown Miami. With their recent purchase, the Haimovs now own a 1.2-acre assemblage spanning two blocks in a prime Miami Beach location. The properties are near the entrance to the Julia Tuttle Causeway in the city’s Mid-Beach neighborhood.
The current tenants on the properties include China Beach, Bagel Time Cafe and a UPS Store.
The Haimovs have retained Miami-based Kobi Karp Architecture & Interior Design to come up with a larger project than previously envisioned by Giller, Santoro said via email. “With Kobi’s help, [the Haimovs will be] attempting to upzone and add some density,” he said. “They have yet to decide if they are going to go the condo residential route or office.”
In September, the Miami Beach Design Review Board approved Gateway Group’s plan for a $21.6 million seven-story building with ground-floor retail and restaurants, three floors of offices and a three-level garage. The site is across the street from a five-story office building that is the headquarters for Giller’s architecture firm and Gateway Group.
The Haimovs began their buying spree in 2021, when they purchased a one-story building at 917 West 39th Street for $1.5 million, records show. A year later, the family bought two one-story retail buildings at 946 West 41st Street and 954 West 41st Street for a combined $5.2 million, as well as a two-story apartment building with 20 units at 3920 Gardens Avenue for $5.3 million.
In November, the Haimovs paid $8 million for a three-story office building at 960 West 41st Street, records show.
Their real estate firm also owns a 3.6-acre former hospital campus in Miami Gardens that Haimov Group bought for $11 million in 2022. The property, which is approved for mixed-use including hotels, multifamily and office, is currently on the market for $24.5 million.