South Florida elected leader worked remotely during COVID. His peers determined whether he could keep his commission seat

MIRAMAR — Miramar City Commissioner Winston F. Barnes, 73, will keep his seat on the dais. City leaders planned to vote at Monday night’s meeting on whether to oust Barnes for attending commission meetings remotely throughout the pandemic. But before any commissioners could discuss or vote, Commissioner Maxwell Chambers, who brought up the motion, withdrew […]

This elected leader worked remotely during COVID. Now he may get fired.

MIRAMAR — A 73-year-old elected official who worried about contracting COVID-19 faces losing his job — because he only showed up virtually for business during the pandemic. Miramar city leaders are expected to vote Monday whether to fire Commissioner Winston F. Barnes, concluding that leaders “may punish its own members for misconduct,” according to the […]

South Florida expects windfall from $1.2T infrastructure bill

The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill Congress passed is expected to jump-start major construction projects in South Florida, bringing a significant number of jobs and opportunities for local contractors. The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which President Joe Biden is expected to sign in the coming days, includes multiple areas of infrastructure that will be bolstered nationwide. Miami-Dade […]

Movers & Influencers

Government Law Group, Fort Lauderdale Attorney Payton H. Poliakoff has joined Government Law Group as an Associate. Government Law Group is a boutique firm that provides clients with a comprehensive 360-degree approach for government and litigation solutions. Mr. Poliakoff will focus his practice on complex commercial litigation and government contracting. Government Law Group, Fort Lauderdale […]

South Florida Business Journal Runs Jordan and Payton’s Announcements

NEW HIRE LEGAL SERVICES NOVEMBER 4, 2021 Jordan Isrow Partner at Government Law Group https://www.govlawgroup.com/ EDUCATION:  University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL) Attorney and City of Parkland Commissioner Jordan B. Isrow has joined Government Law Group as a Partner. Government Law Group is a boutique firm that provides clients with a comprehensive approach for government, litigation, and business […]

New lease on life: Apartment projects popping up at distressed South Florida shopping centers

Multifamily developers want sites in walkable places, and struggling shopping centers need to fill vacant spaces Residential redevelopment of South Florida shopping centers is becoming more common, amid solid demand for rental housing and a slack market for retail space. This month, Houston-based developer Morgan Group won a land use change to build 356 apartments […]

From Dubai to Surfside: Inside Damac’s plans to redevelop the tragic site

Billionaire Hussain Sajwani’s firm hopes for spectacular US debut Hussain Sajwani has made a career out of going against the tide. While his compatriots scaled back after the 2008 market downturn, Sajwani, the founder of Dubai-based Damac Properties, announced his biggest project yet, the 42 million-square-foot Damac Hills. And years later, as many high-profile businesses […]

Town blames rival for blocking big-money detention center. Now it wants $150 million.

PEMBROKE PINES — A long-running feud has finally made its way to a courtroom, where six jurors will decide whether Pembroke Pines is to blame for blocking a lucrative detention center from being built in Southwest Ranches. In a lawsuit filed nearly a decade ago, Southwest Ranches claims Pembroke Pines cost the town millions by […]

Selling out post-Surfside collapse

Buyers seeking warm weather and the amenities of oceanfront living have often sought out more affordable units in older buildings along South Florida’s waterfront. But now the supply of those condos may be dwindling. Developers, facing little to no inventory of undeveloped waterfront land, are increasingly targeting bulk buyouts of these buildings. And unit owners […]

New Plan To Preserve Doc’s Heads to Delray City Commission

With one iconic Delray Beach institution—Old School Square—in play, the fate of another goes before the city commission today. That would be Doc’s, the retro burgers-fries-soft ice cream restaurant just north of the intersection at Swinton and Atlantic avenues. Last year, the city rejected a proposal that would have preserved Doc’s in exchange for allowing a three-story […]

Ministerial privilege: Would Tony Blair’s transfer tax loophole work in the US?

Pandora Papers reveal the former PM’s slick trick for avoiding £300K in taxes on his London townhouse Last year, Americans bought $1 billion worth of whisky and $6.5 billion of vehicles from the UK. But this week’s Pandora Papers leak revealed another British export that might hook wealthy Americans: creative tax avoidance. On Sunday, the Guardian […]

City Commissioner Joins Government Law Group As Partner

Fort Lauderdale-based boutique firm Government Law Group announced on Friday the addition of a City of Parkland commissioner to its ranks. Jordan B. Isrow moves to the government-affairs outfit as a partner. He recently worked as general counsel for international cosmetics contract manufacturer Oxygen Development LLC and sat on its executive committee. “We welcome Jordan […]

Are you ready for a 3D-printed house? They’re cheaper, stronger and long-lasting, developers say

The three-bedroom, two-bath home has a corduroy-patterned exterior, rounded corners — and a cement pour that oozed from an industrial-sized toothpaste tube. And most intriguing of all, it comes from a 3D printer. When the house is finished around November, Kyndra and James Light, a husband-wife development team, will be asking between $175,000 and $225,000 […]

Before Surfside tragedy, neighboring tower faced opposition, delays over construction impact

Eighty Seven Park’s footprint moved closer to collapse site following sweetheart deal with Miami Beach When developer David Martin acquired the Dezerland Hotel, a former Howard Johnson’s that was built in 1951, his plan was to restore the North Beach building to its original glory. The stakes were high for Martin, as the project would […]

Real Estate Journal: Developers circle downtown Hollywood

Overlooked by developers for decades, downtown Hollywood is finally attracting more projects, leading to more residents and businesses in the city. While Fort Lauderdale to the north and Aventura to the south boomed with new towers, downtown Hollywood and its historic Young Circle didn’t see much major development. While that kept rents more affordable than […]

Eviction-minded landlords may head for the courthouse with moratorium ending

Some South Florida landlords are likely to move quickly to oust tenants behind on their rents after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal moratorium against evictions, lawyers said Friday. By a 6-3 vote, justices late Thursday struck down a Biden administration eviction ban designed to shield tenants whose financial health had been severely impaired […]

South Florida Attorneys Weigh In on Supreme Court’s Decision on Biden’s Eviction Ban

The U.S. Supreme Court ended the Biden administration’s eviction moratorium on Thursday, allowing evictions to resume amid rising COVID-19 cases. This decision is a big deal for landlords across the country, including South Florida, who have tenants behind on their rental payments. Alan Kipnis, an attorney with the Government Law Group in Fort Lauderdale, represents […]

HTG could rezone Deerfield Beach site for affordable housing

Housing Trust Group could team with the Broward County Housing Authority to develop affordable housing in Deerfield Beach. The City Commission will consider the rezoning application for 11.95 acres at 3851 N. Dixie Highway, 500-730 N.E. 38th Court, 501-731 N.E. 38th Court and 500-750 N.E. 39th St. on Aug. 17. The vacant property is owned […]

CDC’s New Eviction Freeze Poised For Major Legal Hurdles

Law360  — The latest Centers for Disease Control and Prevention moratorium on residential evictions is likely to face swift legal challenges, and the U.S. Supreme Court, with one justice having recently said legislation was required for the ban to continue into August, could soon weigh in on the matter. The CDC’s prior ban on residential evictions, a cornerstone […]

In CDC we trust: Mask guidance prompts changes

Property owners, brokers and businesses react to new guidelines Aliza Bixon had insisted clients wear masks while exercising at her Miami Beach Pilates studio. Before vaccination, they had preferred to stay masked but it became a bit of an annoyance during strenuous workouts. So within hours of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention saying […]