Jim Moran Foundation revs up HQ plan with $10M site acquisition

Automotive dealer’s philanthropic organization plans to develop a 50K sf building

Jim Moran with the site (Google Maps, Jim Moran Foundation)
Jim Moran with the site (Google Maps, Jim Moran Foundation)

A philanthropic organization founded by a late, prominent South Florida car dealer picked up an office development site for $9.8 million.

The Jim Moran Foundation bought a 2.43-acre lot at 4545 North Federal Highway in Fort Lauderdale, according to records. The foundation plans to start construction next year on a new 50,000-square headquarters with class-A office space, event space and an archives gallery, according to a press release.

The seller is Cargroup LP, a Concord, Ontario-based company that sells used cars online and at auctions. The company is a subsidiary of developer Greenpark Group, which is also based in Canada. The seller paid $8.6 million for the property in 2018, records show.

Law firm Greenberg Traurig represented the foundation and is handling ongoing zoning and permitting matters for the project.

Last year, Cargroup submitted a site plan to the city of Fort Lauderdale for a building with 22,063 square feet of medical offices, 11,865 square feet of general offices, 10,261 square feet of retail and a 171-space parking garage.

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Established in 2000 by the late Jim Moran and his family, the foundation funds a variety of social services, including youth education, elder care, family strengthening programs and transitional living initiatives in Broward, Palm Beach and Duval counties, according to the organization’s website.

The foundation currently operates from the Deerfield headquarters of JM Family Enterprises, one of the tri-county region’s biggest automotive dealership firms. It’s subsidiary, Southeast Toyota, is the largest independent Toyota distributor in the U.S., according to JM Family Enterprises’ website.

The vacant site is located about a mile north of a parking lot site where Newrock Partners and Brickbox Development are planning Project O, a 274-unit multifamily project. The property is immediately west of the Kennan Building at 3101 North Federal Highway, which is also owned by the joint venture.

Nearby, Fort Lauderdale investor Michael Daniel bought a vacant, 105-room former Ramada Inn two years ago. Daniel planned to renovate and continue using the property at 3001 North Federal Highway as a hotel.