Developer Alan Ojeda chooses substance over style

At a time when South Florida developers are flipping properties at a rapid clip, Alan Ojeda plays by his own rules.

The 60-year-old founder and president of Miami-based Rilea Group builds for a more visual kind of legacy. He aims to enhance his buildings with an attention to logistical details rather than flashy amenities. At the 328-unit condo tower the Bond, he used low-e glass that reflects heat and is more energy efficient. For 1450 Brickell, he went with very strong glass cladding to help protect the structure against a storm. He developed that project in the middle of the downturn.

“I did exactly contrary to what anybody would have done. Instead of cutting corners, I said ‘Let’s make the best building.’ The way to bring people in is to give them the best.’’

Ojeda founded the 80-person Rilea Group office in 1981. He was born in Barcelona and is the patriarch in a family of creative professionals. His son, a vice president with Rilea Group, has produced films, his wife is a painter (as was his mother) and his grandfather was a writer. [Miami Herald] — Mark Maurer