Kushner Secures Green Light for High-End Apartment Project in Surfside
January 12, 2024
The Surfside Commission has approved Kushner Companies for a planned luxury apartment development, set to include a synagogue. New York-based Kushner envisions an approximately 90-unit residential project with a 1,200-square-foot community or religious center on the 2.9-acre site at 9300 Collins Avenue.
In a 3 to 2 vote, the commission passed resolutions endorsing Kushner’s site plan and providing religious land use relief. The latter resolution enables the construction of underground parking to comply with the National Flood Insurance Program requirements. This strategic use of additional purposes within residential projects helps bypass the necessity for a parking pedestal, allowing for basement parking.
Mayor Shlomo Danzinger, Vice Mayor Jeffrey Rose, and Commissioner Fred Landsman voted favorably, while Commissioners Nelly Velasquez and Marianne Meischeid opposed the resolutions. Velasquez, Meischeid, and some Surfside residents raised concerns about the developer using the religious designation as a workaround to flood regulations.
Kushner, led by Charles Kushner, Nicole Kushner Meyer, and Laurent Morali, acquired the property for $40 million in September. The site, previously zoned for 100 units, will feature a three-story building designed by Palma and Partners.
The property will be situated non-waterfront; the property faces the Fendi Château Residences condominium, north of the Four Seasons Hotel and Residences at the Surf Club. It is located about two blocks south of the Shul of Bal Harbour, an orthodox synagogue, with two other synagogues nearby.
This project marks Kushner’s debut in Surfside, following the commission’s approval of plans for Dubai developer Damac Properties’ luxury condo tower last year on the Champlain Towers South collapse site. During the commission meeting, Kushner’s attorney, Graham Penn, clarified that the developer does not intend to build under the Live Local Act, which offers incentives for incorporating workforce housing into projects.
Kushner has expanded its presence across South Florida over the past five years. In partnership with Aimco, the company plans to develop a Fort Lauderdale site into nearly 1,000 units, with construction set to commence this year. Additionally, Kushner has ongoing projects in Miami Gardens, Wynwood, and Edgewater neighborhoods.
The firm has been strategically shifting its focus to South Florida, which is evident in recent property sales in New York. Despite once being a significant owner of apartment buildings in Manhattan’s Lower East Side, Kushner has redirected its investments towards the flourishing real estate landscape of South Florida.
