Univista insurance CEO plans apartments in Hialeah

By Brian Bandell for South Florida Business Journal

A firm led by Univista Insurance and Univista Medical Centers CEO Ivan Herrera and his family have proposed an apartment building in Hialeah.

The City Council will consider the application for the 32,400-square-foot site at 1116 Palm Ave. on Nov. 14. The property, which currently has four apartments and a used car lot, is owned by 1116 Property Holding OZ LLC, led by Herrera and his family members.

The developer requested a special use permit to allow expansion of Neighborhood Business District overlay onto this property, and to allow a minimum unit size of 692 square feet, instead of the usual 850 square feet.

Under the proposal, the eighty-story building would feature 48 apartments and 9,700 square feet of commercial space. It would have eight one-bedroom units and 40 two-bedroom units. The commercial space would be for a Univida Medical Center clinic. The building would total about 155,000 square feet.

Local attorney Ceasar Mestre represents the developer in the application. Modis Architects designed the project.

It’s located in a federal Opportunity Zone, so the developer could enjoy significant tax benefits for investing there.

Univista Medical Centers Chief Administrative Officer John Herrera said this is one of five developments the family is working on in Miami-Dade County. That includes 75 apartments and a medical/senior activity center in eight stories at 1420 W. 68th St. in Hialeah, 240 apartments and a medical/senior center in 13 stories at 16051 W. Dixie Highway in North Miami Beach, 98 apartments and a medical/senior center in eight stories at 1700 N.E. 33rd St. in Allapattah and a new headquarters for Univista plus a medical center totaling 60,376 square feet at 4343 N.W. 77th Ave.

“Due to my dad’s real estate and construction background, development of commercial/ mix-use projects have always been an integral part of our businesses,” he said. “We find opportunity in under-served areas to locate our medical centers, and when the land use allows for vertical growth, we integrate the residences along with the medical center or retail space.”

External Source: Firm of Univida Insurance CEO Ivan Herrera plans apartments in HIaleah – South Florida Business Journal (bizjournals.com)