The Rise of the Fort Lauderdale Neighborhoods

In 2016, Jenni Morejon was named President & CEO of the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Development Authority (DDA), the first woman to lead the agency in its 54-year history. The DDA was created in 1965 by the Florida State Legislature to promote and sustain investment in Downtown Fort Lauderdale, now a growing urban center in the Southeast Florida metropolis of 6 million people. Jenni oversees the implementation of projects and programs that require close collaboration with federal, state and local governments and a diverse group of Downtown stakeholders. The agency’s broad scope of work spans from major capital projects to community enhancement programs. She is currently facilitating the development of a new federal courthouse and a new joint city/county government campus, while implementing streetscape beautification projects and public art installations that enhance mobility and improve the urban public realm. Prior to joining the DDA, Jenni served as director of the department of sustainable development for the City of Fort Lauderdale from 2014 to 2016. She led a 185-person team with a total budget of $30 million and was responsible for city planning, economic development, housing programs, code compliance and building permits. At the start of her tenure as Deputy Director in 2012 and then Director in 2014, Jenni managed the consolidation of five separate operating departments into one as part of a citywide reorganization. During this time, her Department processed a record number of site plan applications and building permits (26,000 permits in 2015 with a total job value of $1.7 Billion) while adopting major updates to the Florida Building Code and City Zoning Code. Jenni serves on the National Public-Private Partnerships Product Council for the Urban Land Institute (ULI), was chair of the Women’s Leadership Initiative committee for the ULI’s Southeast Florida/Caribbean District Council from 2017-2019 and sits on the ULI’s Management Committee. She’s served a member of the Board of Directors of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce since 2015 and is currently the Chair of the Chamber’s Downtown Council. Jenni is a proud graduate of the Chamber’s Leadership Fort Lauderdale program in 2014 and Leadership Broward’s Women Leading Broward class three in 2016. Jenni grew up in South Florida before moving with her family to western Colorado as a teenager. She graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in Environmental Design and moved back to South Florida in 1999, starting her professional career with the City of Fort Lauderdale as an entry-level urban planner. She and her husband, Jose, live in Pompano Beach with their two sons, and spend most weekends on the ball fields, in their backyard with friends and neighbors, or cheering on their beloved and beleaguered local sports teams.

Mr. MacLaren was promoted to President of Stiles in 2016 as part of the company’s long-term succession plan. As a member of the company’s executive leadership team, he is focused on day-to-day operations and overall strategy. He plays an integral role in driving Stiles’ future pipeline of activity, including development, acquisitions and third-party services. Since joining Stiles in 1999, Mr. MacLaren has held roles of increasing responsibility in all aspects of sales, financing, acquisitions and asset management, and has directed numerous ground-up development projects. He is highly experienced in the development and redevelopment of neighborhood shopping centers and mixed-use projects as well as the acquisition of value-add commercial properties and new land inventory. Most recently, Mr. Mac Laren served as President of Stiles North Carolina Operations, in which he developed and executed the company’s growth strategy in North Carolina as well as select Southeastern US markets. His team is credited with successfully establishing the Stiles brand and reputation throughout that region while building a pipeline of development projects. He also previously served as Senior Vice President of Stiles Real Estate Investments, in which he focused his efforts on the pursuit of new retail and multi-family development opportunities throughout Florida. Prior to joining Stiles, Mr. Mac Laren worked in the finance division of Sony Corporation. He is a licensed Florida real estate salesperson and graduate from the University of Florida with both an undergraduate degree in Finance and an MBA. Mr. MacLaren has been actively involved in numerous professional and community organizations, including ICSC, Urban Land Institute, Boca Raton Planning and Zoning Board, University of Florida Real Estate Advisory Board, the Soccer Association of Boca Raton, and St. Joan of Arc Church.

Dev Motwani serves as President of Merrimac Ventures, a Fort Lauderdale based real estate firm that focuses on value-add investment and development opportunities. Property types owned and operated include hotels, condos, retail, office and rental apartments primarily in South Florida but also throughout the United States. Dev is also Founder and Managing Partner of Ramesh Properties, a distressed real estate investment fund focused on opportunistic investments in residential and commercial development sites throughout South Florida. He currently oversees nearly $750 million in development projects. Current projects include the Four Seasons Hotel and Private Residences, The Gale Boutique Hotel and Residences, as well as Las Olas Riverfront, all in the Fort Lauderdale area. Dev is Founder and Managing Partner of Chieftain Residential, a yield-oriented distressed residential fund purchasing single-family homes and residential land, primarily in the Southeast US and Texas. The fund aims to balance current income opportunities through the rental markets for its single family home inventory, while also targeting capital appreciation in single family homes and land as the US Residential Market continues to rebound. Prior to his current role Dev worked at Credit Suisse in New York City, where he first structured OTC Equity Derivative trades for the firm's largest corporate clients and then for the firm's largest hedge fund clients. Before that he worked in the White House and on the 2000 Gore/Lieberman Presidential Campaign. Dev plays an active role in the South Florida Community, through his involvement with numerous charities and business organizations, currently serving on the board of the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Foundation, Fort Lauderdale's Economic Development Advisory Board, and the Downtown Council. He was recently appointed to the Orange Bowl Host Committee. He previously served on the boards of the Riverwalk Trust, Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, and Broward County's Small Business Advisory Board. Dev has served as Co-Chair for the Bonnet House's Annual Impressions Fundraiser, the Ghost Light Society's Annual Soiree, and the Jeb Bush Classic Beach Bash benefitting the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. This year the Motwani family co-founded the Laughing Out Loud fundraiser benefitting the Scleroderma Foundation, which raised over $170,000 for the charity. Dev graduated from Duke University with a Bachelors of Science degree in Economics and Public Policy and from Columbia University's Masters of Science in Real Estate Development Program. He has also studied at the London School of Economics.

Peggy Olin, Chief Executive Officer of OneWorld Properties, is a renowned strategist and broker regarded for her expertise in the luxury real estate industry. She has been responsible for over $5 billion in luxury property sales since founding the company in 2008, as well as investor relations, human resources, and public relations for top United States real estate companies and developers throughout her career. Her reputation as a knowledgeable strategist has led her to partner with some of the most prestigious developers nationwide. OneWorld Properties has collaborated with leading U.S. real estate companies and notable developers such as Aria Development Group, BH Group, Encore, FVP Partners, Hazelton Capital, Kolter Group, Largo and Place Projects, Merrimac Ventures, Naftali Group, Related Group, RPC Holdings, SB Development, The John Buck Company and more. The firm has maintained an active inventory throughout Florida with current projects including Palma Miami Beach Residences, Sixth & Rio, JEM Miami Worldcenter, 2200 Brickell, HUB Miami, 600 Miami Worldcenter, 501 First Residences, PARAMOUNT Miami Worldcenter, The Crosby and Legacy Miami. Notably, OneWorld Properties has offices in Miami and Fort Lauderdale, and is one of the only U.S. firms to have a permanent presence in China with offices in Shanghai and Beijing. Over the last decade, with savvy cross-marketing strategies, she has effortlessly connected with buyers from major cities across the United States and over 60 countries internationally. Peggy’s track record with property sales has forged trusted relations with developers and brokerage firms regionally, nationally, and globally. She has served as the preferred consultant for leading banks and financial institutions such as Starwood Capital, SunTrust, Chase Bank, TotalBank, BankUnited, and Green River Capital; and has worked on behalf of leading institutions AECOM, CIM, TPG, Perry Capital, WLR LeFrak, Encore, and WCI Communities. Peggy’s is a respected source to national and international media for real estate trends with numerous accolades including recognition as one of South Florida Business Journal’s Power Leaders, among others. She is actively involved in her community as a board member of the Broward Performing Arts Foundation, Miami Bridge, Birch State Park, Broward Workshop, Trustee for the Greater Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, and an active member of the Young Presidents Organization (YPO).

Robert L. Shapiro is the founder and President of Master Development, Inc. Organized in 2001, Master Development focuses on the acquisition, design, development and redevelopment of retail and mixed-use projects throughout South Florida. Since 1986, Bob, both individually and with joint venture partners, has been involved in the acquisition and development of over 7 million square feet of retail space in more than 30 separate properties. Each of these properties were successfully developed, completed and sold primarily to institutional investors. In 2021, Bob partnered with Stuart Meyers, the principal of The Meyers Group. Mr. Meyers has more than 40 years of experience as a residential development specialist in both Florida and Texas. Bob was named Vice Chairman of The Meyers Group and President of the newly formed Master Meyers Development, a joint venture between Master Development and The Meyers Group. That company is designed to be a diversified real estate development company which will acquire land and create and develop mixed-use projects throughout Florida. Bob was one of the original partners in the entity that developed Dania Pointe beginning in 2014. Dania Pointe is a 102-acre mixed use development in Dania Beach, Florida, just south of the Fort Lauderdale Airport. The property was developed in partnership with Kimco Realty, Inc., a NYSE-listed REIT. Comprising 2.5 million square feet of retail, residential, office, hotel, restaurant and entertainment components, Dania Pointe is one of the largest mixed-use destinations in South Florida. Kimco acquired Bob’s interest in the property in 2020. Bob has been a panelist regarding commercial and mixed-use developments at seminars of the International Council of Shopping Centers, the Florida Redevelopment Association, and the Florida Board of Realtors. He has also been a guest lecturer at Nova Southeastern University Graduate Real Estate program. In both 2015 and 2016, the South Florida Business Journal recognized Bob as one of the "Top 100 Power Leaders in Real Estate" in South Florida. Bob is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, a JD law degree from the University of Connecticut Law School, and a Master of Laws in Taxation from Georgetown University. A resident of Miami since 1971, he practiced law at large Miami law firms. He is married to Janet Shapiro and has three children and five grandchildren.

Jonathan S. Gelman is a Shareholder in the Fort Lauderdale office of Greenberg Traurig and a member of the firm’s Global Real Estate Practice. Jon focuses his practice on the sophisticated structuring, financing, acquisition and disposition of all asset classes of real estate. With nearly 25 years of experience, Jon counsels leading owners, investors, developers, lenders and operators in major transactions throughout Florida and nationally.

Jeff Burns is the Co-Founder and CEO of Affiliated. Mr. Burns has more than 13 years of experience in the acquisition, development, and finance of all property types in markets across the United States. With an extensive background and longstanding relationships, Mr. Burns has a proven track record to see real estate opportunities from conception through reality. Mr. Burns has been involved in the development of over 2 million square feet of real estate with a combined cost of roughly $500 million. Included in that is approximately 1,200 residential apartment units that will serve a wide variation of tenants from luxury market-rate occupants to low-income housing residents. Of these projects, nearly all incorporate public-private partnerships and various public financing resources such as Tax Increment Financing (TIF), Low Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), Tax Exempt Bonds, Special Assessment Financing, HUD Financing and local government housing grants. Mr. Burns got his start in the real estate industry as a commercial lender with the role of project origination for BB Syndication Services, Inc., a national syndicate lender out of Wisconsin. Mr. Burns originated and funded construction loans for developments across the country ranging in size from $11 million to $200 million in total cost. In 2006, Mr. Burns shifted his primary focus to development. Mr. Burns partnered with Rick Barrett and Tan Lo of Milwaukee, WI to develop The Moderne; a 30-story high-rise residential tower in Milwaukee’s downtown. The project is comprised of 203 market rate apartments, 14 condominiums and a 7,500-square foot restaurant. Mr. Burns and his partners managed to close on the financing of the $65 million project during the height of the US financial crisis and the project was completed in 2012 on time and on budget, is fully leased and won the Business Journal’s 2012 “Project of the Year” Award. Mr. Burns is a resident of the City of Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Burns is a member of the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Fort Lauderdale Downtown Council board of Governors, and is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale. Mr. Burns is a graduate of the University of Missouri Business School.

Barron Real Estate, Inc., is a commercial real estate development and leasing company located in Coral Springs, Florida. Charlie Ladd, founder and president of Barron Real Estate, has extensive experience providing full service project management to outside investors in addition to developing a portfolio of owned real estate properties via joint venture partnerships. Mr. Ladd has worked, as a development partner, with George Rahael and the Amera companies since the late 1980's. Starting in 2012, Mr. Ladd began working with Jesse Gaddis in developing 500 Federal and with Steve Hudson in acquiring a substantial parcel on E. Las Olas for a new development that will be built over the next two years. Among Mr. Ladd’s development projects and professional endeavors include the following notable Fort Lauderdale properties developed and currently owned: Starbucks/Scotty’s (Broward/Federal) Palm Court (Broward/Federal) Kinko’s (300 N. Federal) Paradise Bank (SEC Federal and 6th) Victoria Park Shoppes (Federal/NE6th St.) Park Plaza on the Curve (Federal/NE9th St.) Las Olas Blvd. property (Tommy Bahama to Louie Bossi) Fresh Market – 400 N Federal The Walk redevelopment, Coral Springs Charter Place, Coral Springs

Jaime Sturgis is the Founder and CEO of Native Realty Co., a Fort Lauderdale-based team of talented and aggressive real estate professionals who are disrupting the industry. A pioneering broker with nearly a decade of leasing and investment sales experience, Sturgis has become a household name in the real estate industry through his role curating emerging urban neighborhoods. His place making efforts began in Miami’s Wynwood and continued in Fort Lauderdale’s Flagler Village, where he has completed more than 1 million square feet in transactions over the last few years and set property sale pricing records. Sturgis is now expanding into new cutting-edge neighborhoods throughout South Florida. Sturgis has authored published pieces for National Real Estate Investor and the Daily Business Review and has been featured in The Real Deal, Sun Sentinel, GlobeSt and many other publications. A Florida State University alumnus, Sturgis graduated cum laude with a triple major in Real Estate, Professional Sales and Entrepreneurship.

David has 13 years of parking planning and transportation engineering experience. He has been a passionate advocate for reform in parking planning practices, spearheading efforts to include Transportation Demand Management (TDM) and Mobility Best Practices for a variety of projects. He was among the first in the parking industry to attain certification as a Parksmart Advisor and has led trainings for certifying others. He has published articles on parking issues, TDM, and privatization in several industry magazines, including Parking Today, Parking, and Government Finance Review. David has also spoken at events hosted by the International Parking Institute (IPI), the National Parking Association (NPA), the Big Ten Parking Conference, the Parking Association of Virginia, and the Urban Land Institute (ULI). He was recently included in NPA’s list of 40 under 40 in the parking industry and is a member of IPI and the Florida Transportation and Parking Association (FTPA). David’s expertise in parking planning includes supply and demand studies, operations and management, financial feasibility studies, parking policy, technology review and specifications, shared parking studies, parking privatization, and the functional design of parking facilities. He has led parking studies for municipalities, universities, hospitals, private development, and other institutions. His practice includes parking consulting across the nation and internationally. David earned his Master of Arts in Real Estate from the University of Illinois, and his Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Wisconsin. He is a licensed professional engineer in Florida, Illinois, Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.

Alan Hooper founded and operates Hooper Construction, Hooper Realty, and Hooper Management. He also co- founded Urban Street Development, and is a co-founder in The Restaurant People, Inc. Over 25 years his companies have designed, developed, constructed, managed, leased and sold over 1,500,000 square feet of neighborhood revitalization projects. Working with his partners and team, at a time when urban areas nationwide have seen incredible change, a niche “re-development” business has taken shape that focuses on areas within a downtown market that possess a high potential for growth and renewed lifestyle. Alan and his partners continue to be a driving force in the redevelopment of Downtown Fort Lauderdale neighborhoods developing boutique housing, office retail and trend- setting food and beverage businesses. Most recently, the College Town project in Tallahassee has been the catalyst for a complete makeover of the area along Gaines Street just east of Doak Campbell Stadium. Working with the Seminole Boosters, he and his partners have forever changed the FSU game day experience for students, alumni, faculty and visitors alike by inserting 645 beds of student housing, and over 50,000 sq ft of retail, restaurants & bars facing at the foot of the stadium. A boutique hotel and loft project are next on the books in College Town. Wife: Kristen Children: Brooke, Colton Education: BS – Florida State University Community Involvement:  Downtown Development Authority  Downtown Transportation Management Association – Chairman  Broward Center for the Performing Arts – Board of Directors  Jack & Jill Board of Directors  Broward Workshop  Broward Urban Core Committee  Flagler Village Improvement Association – Founding Member  Himmarshee Village Merchants Association- Founding Member  Seminole Booster Golden Chief  Florida State University Real Estate Foundation  Florida State University Alumni Assoc.  Florida State University Real Estate Society  St John the Baptist Catholic Church, Fort Lauderdale Community Awards  2014 Excalibur Award for Small Business Leader of the Year – Broward County  Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce “Downtowner of the Year 2008”  City of Fort Lauderdale “Citizen of the Year” 2006  Florida Redevelopment Association; Roy Kenzie Award for Outstanding New CRA Project 2004

Philip Rosen is Chair of the firm’s Real Estate practice group. His practice is focused on commercial and residential real estate matters and business transactions. With more than 16 years’ experience, he has counseled countless clients through the life cycle of their transactions. His clients include investors, developers, REIT’s, commercial landlords and tenants, private and institutional lenders, franchisees and business owners across Florida and the U.S. He routinely collaborates with brokers, lenders, and investors to help push his clients’ deals across the finish line. Philip also assists clients with all aspects of probate and trust administration, including marshaling assets, communicating and negotiating with beneficiaries and creditors, and the distribution of assets. EXPERIENCE Counsel to large Wendy’s franchisee in their acquisition of various portfolios totaling over 100 stores Counsel to Florida-based business in purchase and sale of dozens of real estate parcels throughout the U.S. Counsel to franchisee in leasing matters for a 180+ unit nationwide restaurant business Counsel to NJ-based REIT in their Florida real estate matters Counsel to South Florida investor in acquisition of $100,000,000 nationwide multifamily portfolio Counsel to South-Florida investor in acquisition and disposition of real estate throughout the Florida totaling over $85,000,000 Counsel to local real estate developer in acquisition, development and disposition of real estate throughout Florida totaling over $45,000,000 Counsel to local developer/investor in their Florida real estate and corporate matters Counsel to developer in financing, development and sale of luxury townhouse project in Key West Preparation of Operating Agreements and Shareholder agreements for countless real estate investors and developers Counsel to hundreds of Personal Representatives and Trustees in connection with the administration of estates and trusts and disposition of their real estate holdings RECOGNITION Recognized by the Miami Herald as a Top Rated Lawyer in 2015 Recognized by Florida Super Lawyers – South Florida Edition as one of South Florida’s Rising Stars for 2009 AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated PROFESSIONAL / COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES Florida Bar – Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section New York Bar – Real Property, Probate and Trust Law Section Jewish Federation of Broward County – Real Estate Committee Broward County Bar Association- Young Lawyers Division