Harry Gross’ G-Holdings is seeking to downsize an Aventura mixed-use project planned by another developer, alleging it would hurt his own condo-hotel development on an adjacent site.
An affiliate of New York-based G-Holdings is suing the city of Aventura and the developer of Cassa Residences to undo zoning changes approved last month for the project’s site at 2770 Northeast 187th Street and 2822-2850 Northeast 187th Street.
Miami Off Center Associates, a joint venture between Boca Raton-based The Lojeta Group and a Delaware entity, is planning a 17-story tower with 208 apartments and 12,000 square feet of ground-floor retail space, as well as a seven-story garage. The Cassa Residences site also includes an existing one-story commercial building, with most of it leased to Mo’s Bagels & Deli, that will remain, city records show.
“We have been engaged in discussions with our neighbor, and we are optimistic we will be able to resolve it,” said Neisen Kasdin, a Miami-based Akerman attorney for the G-Holdings affiliate. “The result will be good for their project, for our project and for the city.”
City officials and Michael Marrero, the land use lawyer for Cassa Residences, did not respond to requests for comment.
In its Aug. 8 lawsuit, as well as a separate appeals petition to overturn the rezoning, G-Holdings alleges the zoning changes to the Cassa Residences site do not adhere to the city’s comprehensive development plan, and negatively impact G-Holdings’ planned mixed-use project on an adjacent site on the northwest corner of Northeast 185th Street and Northeast 28th Court.
In 2018, G-Holdings secured zoning approvals for Port Aventura, a 17-story condo-hotel project with 121 condos and 167 hotel rooms in two separate towers. The project has obtained site plan and permit approvals, but has not begun construction, city records show. Kasdin said G-Holdings plans to break ground next year.
G-Holdings paid $21.6 million for the development site in 2015, records show.
Under the previous zoning, the Cassa Residences site would have been limited to a commercial building with a maximum height of 12 stories. At a July 1 meeting, the Aventura City Commission allegedly erroneously approved a variance and conditional uses that increased the maximum height by five stories, increased the maximum number of units per acre to 69 from 25 and reduced the minimum floor area for one-bedroom apartments to 800 square feet and 815 square feet from 900 square feet, according to the lawsuit.
G-Holdings “is aggrieved and adversely affected by the City’s approval,” and “has expended significant resources in developing Port Aventura,” the lawsuit states.
The Cassa Residences rezoning is “significantly more impactful, with the parking garage directly blocking light and air from Port Aventura’s lower residential floors and [Cassa Residences] blocking much of the light and air from the upper floors,” G-Holdings’ lawsuit alleges.
Furthermore, the city commission only agreed to the Cassa Residences rezoning in exchange for the developer setting aside 12 units for Aventura’s Hero Housing program, in which teachers and first responders working in the city can qualify for apartments at below-market rates, the lawsuit alleges.
A potential settlement would entail modifications to the zoning changes and the Cassa Residences project, Kasdin said.