CRE Powerhouses Join Forces To Buy Iconic Coral Gables Office Building

A partnership among Miami-based real estate investment firms Torose Equities, Lndmrk Development and Terranova Corporation has acquired 255 Alhambra, an approximately 220,000-square-foot Class A office building in downtown Coral Gables. The acquisition gives the JV access to one of Miami’s most sought-after office submarkets.

255 Alhambra, located on 1.3 acres on Alhambra Circle, offers top-notch amenities, including floor-to-ceiling windows, a newly renovated lobby and proximity to Coral Gables’ best restaurants and entertainment. The seller was an affiliate of Deutsche Bank/RREEF.

The JV partners plan to further amenitize the property, building on the recent improvements and capitalizing on the demand for Class A office space in Coral Gables.

“It is rare to find an institutional-grade property like this strategically located in a high-barrier-to-entry submarket with so much upside potential,” said Scott Sherman, founder and principal of Torose Equities. “This property is positioned to generate strong returns with stable in-place cash flow. Our contrarian approach of buying office and retail spaces when everybody is being extremely cautious has once again enabled us to find strong value in an asset class and market we’re very bullish on.”

The JV partners expect to see strong demand for office space in Coral Gables in the coming months and years, as leases in more expensive office submarkets begin to expire. Rental rates in markets like Brickell, downtown Miami and Coconut Grove have increased significantly since the onset of the pandemic, making lease renewals unaffordable to some companies. Case in point: between Brickell and downtown Miami, approximately 1.9 million square feet of tenant leases are scheduled to expire over the next four years. On top of that, companies from outside the region continue to move to Miami in pursuit of a more business-friendly environment. The influx of tenants seeking to take advantage of Coral Gables’ discounted rents will, in turn, fuel rents in 255 Alhambra.

“Terranova has long seen the growth potential for Coral Gables, and we are thrilled to continue to invest in the community through the office building acquisition at 255 Alhambra Circle,” said Stephen Bittel, founder and chairman of Terranova Corporation. “We enjoy working alongside the Torose Equities team and aligning on our understanding that Coral Gables is in the midst of an incredible commercial and office real estate boom. The area offers companies a holistic business and lifestyle opportunity which serves as an extremely attractive alternate to traditional hot commercial real estate markets like Brickell and Downtown Miami.”

As the largest property owner along Miracle Mile, Terranova has a strong, active presence in Coral Gables. The company’s retail expertise will play a significant role in bringing top retail tenants to activate the building’s ground-floor retail space.

Together, Torose, Lndmrk and Terranova will execute the business plan for 255 Alhambra. The JV will leverage its extensive experience in leasing and operating office assets to lease up the existing vacancy and upgrade the building amenities.

“Coral Gables is a market with a great deal of untapped potential, and this acquisition is a tremendous opportunity for the partnership,” said Alex Karakhanian, founder and principal of LNDMRK Development. “I look forward to continuing to grow our relationship with Torose and Terranova as we explore other opportunities for acquisition and repositioning in this bourgeoning submarket.”  

Downtown Coral Gables is one of South Florida’s most pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods with the ideal environment to live, work, eat and shop all in one place. 255 Alhambra is a block away from Giralda Avenue, home to “Restaurant Row” with 22 food and beverage establishments all concentrated in the portion of the street closed to traffic. The building is also about four blocks north of Miracle Mile, a premiere destination for shopping, dining, and entertainment.

This acquisition comes shortly after Torose’s first office acquisition of 6302 Corporate Center in partnership with Merrimac Ventures in Tampa and its recap of a 300,000-square-foot office building in Midtown Atlanta, called The Peachtree, with Banyan Street Capital. Torose remains bullish on select office and retail markets as it continues to employ its contrarian approach to investing.