Alleged Russian fraudster is co-owner of condo project in Chapter 11, Miami Design District property under contract: Daily digest

Every day, The Real Deal rounds up South Florida’s biggest real estate news, from breaking news and scoops to announcements and deals. We update this page at 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. ET. Please send any tips or deals to tips@therealdeal.com

This page was last updated at 4 p.m.

Sergey Danilochkin, who was seeking political asylum in the U.S., was listed as a co-owner of a Bay Harbor Islands condo project that filed for bankruptcy. Danilochkin, who was allegedly convicted of fraud in Russia, was revealed as a co-owner of Le Jardin House LLC in a response to the Chapter 11 filing. [SFBJ]

Developer Alex Karakhanian is under contract to sell a Miami Design District property in an Opportunity Zone to Forte Capital Management and New York-based GSI Equities. The property, at 45 Northeast 41st Street, is expected to close in September for nearly $10 million, prior to completion of a building that is under construction. That benefits the buyers since it is in an Opportunity Zone. [TRD]

There isn’t an industry-wide standard to prevent wire fraud, but these startups are trying. Wire fraud schemes cost the real estate industry $150 million last year, according to an FBI report. Companies like CertifID use various forms of encryption, identity verification and portals to avoid methods of communication that are vulnerable to fraud. [WSJ]

Developer Lissette Calderon closed on land for a second mixed-use project in Allapattah. Calderon’s TCG Allapattah 16 LLC paid $6.4 million for the land, where she’s planning to build 16 Allapattah, with 323 apartments, a 336-space parking garage, about 13,000 square feet of retail space and nearly 7,000 square feet of office space. [TRD]

Keller Williams is being accused of stealing tech. TPI Cloud Hosting alleged in a lawsuit that the brokerage skipped paying the bill for its services, and made off with their company prototype. In addition to $1.8 million in payment, the lawsuit seeks damages and describes Keller Williams’ strategy as “steal or copy what you have.” [Inman]

President Trump is interested in buying Greenland. The permafrost-covered 836,000-square-mile autonomous Danish island is not currently listed. He’s not the first president to try to buy Greenland: Harry Truman tried to buy the territory for $100 million in 1946, but the Danes said no. [TRD]

Two controversial projects to develop wetland areas in Wellington are moving ahead. That comes after a contentious planning and zoning meeting. The town board voted to recommend approval on two proposals near the Mall at Wellington Green. One of those would eliminate a wetland, and instead build a marshy lake and 10,000-square-foot restaurant. The other involves developing a 185-unit extension of an existing apartment complex on 9 acres of wetland. [Palm Beach Post]

A rendering of the BLVD at Lenox retail project at 1045 Fifth Street

Target opened its first small-format store in South Florida. Developer Michael Comras is behind the BLVD at Lenox retail project at 1045 Fifth Street in Miami Beach. Target is taking nearly 33,000 square feet, much smaller than a typical store. [Miami.com]

An heir to the Annenberg family bought a unit in The Bristol in West Palm Beach. John Noffo-Kahn paid $7.5 million for unit 701 at the luxury condo development at 1100 South Flagler Drive. His uncle was the late Walter H. Annenberg, creator of “TV Guide” and other publications. [TRD]

Rendering of Brickell 12 and Santiago Vanegas

Habitat Group closed on the site of a hotel project in west Brickell. The firm, led by Santiago Vanegas, paid $6.1 million for the 10,500-square-foot lot at 1200 Southwest Second Avenue. A spokesperson for the developer said Habitat is planning to build Brickell 12, a 96-key hotel project, on the corner lot. [TRD]

It’s bad news for Macy’s as the retailer’s earnings guidance was cut. As malls struggled across the country, Macy’s management insisted it was above the fray. But after the company’s earnings guidance was lowered Wednesday, following poor quarterly earnings, it appears the retailer is yet another victim to changing consumer behavior. [Yahoo]

Compiled by Katherine Kallergis