The Urban Land Institute’s Southeast Florida/Caribbean District held its Vision Awards dinner last Wednesday evening at the JW Marriott Marquis Miami. More than 650 people were in attendance.
During the event, MDM Group principals Luis Pulenta and Ricardo Glas were awarded the 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Founded in 1990, MDM Group first acquired the Miami Marriott Dadeland and Datran I and II office complexes. The firm has developed the Courtyard by Marriott Dadeland, the JW Marriott Hotel Miami and Barclay’s Financial Center and the $1 billion Metropolitan Miami project — including Met 1, Met 2 with the JW Marriott Marquis Miami and Hotel Beaux Arts and Wells Fargo Center; Met 3 and the Whole Foods Market and ultimately, Met Square, which will feature a movie theatre, restaurants, retail outlets and residences.
MDM also plans to develop the Marriott Marquis World Convention Center, an 1,800-room hotel and 600,000-square-foot convention facility on the site of the old Miami Arena, and adjacent to the Miami Worldcenter and All Aboard Florida projects.
Other award recipients include Veronica Escobedo, chief marketing officer of International Sales Group, who was named 2015 Young Leader of the Year; and project finalists Frost Music Studio at the University of Miami; Harbourside Place in Jupiter; New River Yacht Club in Fort Lauderdale; Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines’ Production Studio at Florida International University in North Miami; and Vagabond Hotel in Miami. — Ina Cordle and Sean Stewart-Muniz