Affiliated Development co-founder and President Nick Rojo, who developed more than 2,000 apartments across South Florida, died this week at the age of 44.
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Affiliated co-founder and CEO Jeff Burns announced Rojo's passing on Tuesday in a LinkedIn post on the company's account.
“Nick was an exceptional business leader, loyal partner, dedicated friend and brilliant mind whose vision, integrity and commitment helped shape Affiliated Development into the company it is today,” Burns said in a statement. “His impact on the company and the communities we serve will endure.
"More importantly, Nick was a devoted husband, a proud father and loving son. The Affiliated team will support Nick’s family during this unimaginable time and stay committed to carrying on his legacy.”
A cause of death has not been confirmed.
Company operations are expected to continue, and the "team remains focused on honoring our commitments and advancing our development projects," Burns said.
Rojo, a native of Palm Beach County, spent more than 15 years in commercial real estate acquisition, financing and development. Outside of his work, he was a member of the Broward County Sheriff's Advisory Council and on the board of the West Palm Beach Police Athletic League.
His career kicked off in 2006 after he graduated cum laude from Georgetown University, where he also played football for four years, with a bachelor's degree in finance and new and small business management.
Rojo started as an analyst at Wachovia Securities and worked there for three years before he launched his own company, Mako Capital LLC, which specialized in buying and renovating single-family and multifamily properties in South Florida.
In 2015, Rojo formed Affiliated alongside Burns with a goal to build mixed-use multifamily projects targeted at underserved areas. It has since become one of the most active multifamily and mixed-use developers in South Florida.
"I thank my lucky stars everyday that I had him in my life, both professionally and personally," Burns told Bisnow in an email.
Affiliated has participated in 13 public-private collaborations and invested roughly $1.5B into its projects, which span Fort Lauderdale, Hollywood, Lake Worth Beach, West Palm Beach and Sunrise, according to its website.
The developers broke ground at the end of July on The Cove, a Live Local Act project in Fort Lauderdale, after landing a $74M construction loan from Pacific Life Insurance Co. The 376-unit building is expected to keep 55% of its units income-restricted.
"Nick was one of one, true salt of the earth kind of guy," Native Realty founder Jaime Sturgis told Bisnow in a text message.
Sturgis worked with Affiliated to lease the ground floor of a 400-unit mixed-use project in Fort Lauderdale to Spot Market.
"I'm grateful for the time I got to know him, and my heart goes out to his family," Sturgis said. "He left a mark on everyone who knew him, and that doesn't fade."
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