Movers & Shakers: Canvas taps sales director Ruben Alvarez…and more

Fortune International Realty appointed Ruben Alvarez as the sales director of Canvas, a planned condominium tower in Miami’s Arts & Entertainment District. 

The 513-unit tower was more than 50 percent sold with $120 million in sales as of mid-January when the developers announced it had received conditional approval from Fannie Mae. Canvas is aimed at the “affordable luxury,” segment of the market, with prices ranging from mid-$300,000s to $600,000s, averaging $475 per square foot. Units will range from 610 square feet to 1,110 square feet, and average 850 square feet.

Canvas’ amenities will include sunrise and sunset pools, a fitness center, glass-enclosed racquetball court, spa and sauna treatment rooms, business center, and children’s playroom and lab.

Gregory J. Lozinak, Alina Plasencia, Chris Apone, John Jaspert, Jeff Holding, Dawn Sells

Monument Real Estate Services tapped Gregory J. Lozinak as chief operating officer. Lozinak will oversee the company’s portfolio of more than 12,000 units in the United States. He was previously division president of Invitation Homes, where he oversaw the operation and finances of an 8,000-home rental portfolio. Before that, he worked with Waterton Residential.

Alina Plasencia joined CBRE Florida as business development and marketing strategy manager. She was previously director of development and marketing at the Institute for Child and Family Health in Miami. Plasencia will develop customizable business development marketing presentations and collateral, as well as coordinate activities of marketing professionals.

At CBRE’s Miami office, Chris Apone was named a senior vice president. Apone works in the debt and structured finance division, specializing in multifamily, office, retail and industrial. While at CBRE, he has handled more than $5 billion of capital market transactions.

The brokerage also named John Jaspert a vice president in CBRE’s Boca Raton office. Jaspert, who is part of the occupier advisory and transaction services group, focuses on office occupiers.

Meanwhile, Jeff Holding, A.J. Belt and Dawn Sells left CBRE and joined Cushman & Wakefield. Holding, who has more than 30 years of experience in Broward County, is now an executive director. Belt, who has focused on the downtown and east Fort Lauderdale markets, was hired as a director. He specializes in lease negotiations, strategic planning and market analysis. Dawn Sells was also brought on as a brokerage coordinator. Sells was previously a client services coordinator at CBRE for nearly 10 years. – Katherine Kallergis