Russell Galbut and his partners have appointed Jim Heilmann as the new senior general manager of Galleria Fort Lauderdale, as they plan a significant redevelopment of the property. The ownership group, which includes GFO Investments, InSite Group, Atlas Hill Real Estate, and Prime Finance, acquired the 800,000-square-foot indoor mall for $73 million last month. According to recent reports, the redevelopment plans may involve constructing nine 30-story towers, a 170-key hotel, and several residential units under Florida’s Live Local Act.
Heilmann comes to Galleria Fort Lauderdale from Area15 in Las Vegas, where he served as vice president of operations for three years. Centennial, the firm managing Galleria, will now rely on Heilmann to oversee mall operations, marketing initiatives, and tenant relations.
In another move within the real estate sector, Douglas Elliman has brought Venezuelan actress and TV personality Chiqui Delgado onto Edgar Marquez’s Casa Team. This marks Delgado’s first role in brokerage and signals the Casa Team’s expansion into Miami. Marquez previously lived in Miami before relocating to New York City in 2005 and has worked with Elliman in New York for two years.
Additionally, Terra led by David Martin has appointed Elliman’s Chestler Jacobs Team as national brand ambassadors for its South Florida projects. The team, headed by Jessica Chestler and Ben Jacobs, will organize private events and broker tours to support Terra’s local sales teams. The projects include Mr. C Residences in West Palm Beach, the Well Bay Harbor Islands, the Well Coconut Grove, and Villa Miami.
Shawmut Design and Construction has also made a key hire by bringing on Scott Remer as a project executive. Remer joins Shawmut from Current Builders where he was chief operating officer. Shawmut reports that it has expanded its South Florida team by 20 percent and increased its office space by 50 percent in recent months.
