On the scene at Boulevard 57’s private broker party: PHOTOS

On a warm summer night late in June, a mob of Miami real estate brokers and their well-heeled clientele gathered in the Miami Modern district for small bites, small talk and the chance to close a deal.

Such was the scene at Boulevard 57’s recent “Summer Night on the Boulevard” party at the project’s sales center, where about 200 agents and clients showed up to view newly released floor plans for the mixed-use development.

Sign Up for the undefined Newsletter

The soiree was catered by Andiamo, Soyka and Sushi Siam, all restaurants that neighbor the development in Miami’s rapidly changing MiMo District.

Developed by the Unitas Development Group, Boulevard 57 is a planned eight-story project with 105 condominiums being marketed for end-users. Asking prices are between $600,000 to $2.65 million, with sizes starting at 1,100 square feet and ranging up to 4,800 square feet. The project also has 40,000 square feet of planned retail space on the ground-floor.

As revealed from a lawsuit filed by his former partner, the true developer behind Boulevard 57 is Venezuelan oil magnate Gerardo Pantin Shortt, who allegedly hid his involvement out of fear that the country’s government would try and seize his assets. The suit, filed by Carlos Cuevas, sought to recoup at least $10 million that he was allegedly owed from Shortt related to their Miami development. — Sean Stewart-Muniz and Katherine Kallergis