"Here in Miami, patriotism has never been inherited. It's chosen. It's lived. We're a community of builders and dreamers and immigrants who believe in the American promise."
— Natalia Crujeiras, CEO and executive director of Museum of Miami, which is hosting a National Archives documents exhibition June 20 to July 5. It includes one of 50 known engraved copies of the Declaration of Independence, a draft print of the U.S. Constitution and oaths of office signed by George Washington, Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr.
TRANSPORTATION
- Miami and San Francisco are the first of 25 markets nationally receiving some of the 10,000 fully electric Rivian R2 SUV automated robotaxis in a partnership with ride-share giant Uber. The first cars should roll out in 2028. The R2s will be loaded with 11 cameras, five radars and a LiDAR laser sensor.
AFFORDABLE HOUSING
- An innovative affordable housing community for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities has opened in Kendall. The Village of Casa Familia has 50 one- and two-bedroom units that have automatic water and stove shut-offs and rents capped at 30% of a resident's income. Fundraising is underway for two additional phases, adding 50 more apartments and four assisted living homes.
CRIME
- Tomás Niembro Concha, a Miami resident and former CEO of Puerto Rico-based Nodus International Bank, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act by taking nearly $25 million from the bank and using some of the money to concoct a deal with a Venezuelan national sanctioned by the United States. The fraud contributed to the bank's 2023 collapse, prosecutors say.
NONPROFITS
- Achieve, the teacher accelerator program formerly known as Achieve Miami, hired Melissa Sawyer as its new executive director. Sawyer co-founded the Youth Empowerment Project in New Orleans. In its 10 years, Achieve has set up mentorship and career readiness programs in 260 schools and served more than 15,000 students and trained more than 500 educators.
TECH
- South Florida startups garnered $4.1 billion in venture capital last year, eMerge Americas reports, with nearly a quarter of that going to Miami-area fintech companies. Another quarter went to Miami-area AI-related startups. VC for the entire state totaled $5.83 billion.
SPORTS
- One of the world's best-known sports franchises, FC Barcelona, is moving its North American headquarters from New York to Miami, signing a lease with CP Group for nearly 50,000 square feet inside One Biscayne Tower, a 53-year-old building renovated in 2023. FC Barcelona is estimated to be the world's third most valuable soccer team.
RESTAURANTS
- PopUp Bagels has opened its first Miami-Dade County store in Aventura. The Connecticut-based business says more Miami locations are planned.
VENUES
- A historic Collins Avenue theater on Miami Beach is up for sale. Commercial real estate broker Fausto Commercial listed the 26,000-sq.-ft., 56-year-old Playboy Theater for $6.5 million. The sale comes as the city tries to free up regulations for restaurants and live entertainment venues. The theater seats 800 to 1,200 people.
CAPITAL
- Miami has a new private equity firm. The Mako Capital Group, founded by Angel Morales, Pete Amaro and Oscar Munoz, plans to invest $25 million to $50 million in founder-owned companies in finance and health care that have $5 million to $15 million of EBITDA.
GOVERNMENT
- Miami City Hall is moving from its longtime Coral Gables home in the old Pan American Airways building to the new Miami Freedom Park, the Miami Herald reports. The building should be ready in early 2028 and will include city commission offices, meeting space and the city clerk's office.
DEVELOPMENT
- Domus Brickell Park, a 12-story, 171-unit condominium from North Development that promises hotel-quality service, has opened in Miami's financial district. Furnished studio, one- and two-bedroom units start at $600,000.
- META Development has started construction on OPUS Coconut Grove, a boutique-style condominium with just 14 units of at least 1,900 square feet starting at $2.9 million. Set to open in 2027, the project is being marketed as a low-density alternative to branded towers.
COMMERCIAL REAL ESTATE
- Sugarloaf Lodge & Marina, a 10-acre property about 15 miles north of Key West, went on the market earlier this year with a $45-million asking price. The listing touts "significant resort redevelopment and expansion potential."
- Miami-based Fortec has nearly doubled its footprint inside the Brickell Arch building in a 66-month lease extension. Fortec specializes in real estate development for early childhood education facilities. The expanded space is a sign of the company's rapid growth, says CEO Martin Saidon.
- Miami Worldcenter's two-year-old retail section sold for $210 million to a joint venture involving the Falcone Group, Davis Companies and Jamestown. Newmark Group's Retail Capital Markets branch handled the transaction, which covers 300,000 square feet of retail and dining space within the broader Worldcenter mixed-use development next to the Kaseya Center.
In the Grove
A City Treasure
Miami chef Michael Beltran bought Calle Ocho music hub Hoy Como Ayer for his Ariete Hospitality Group portfolio. The club reopened in 2024 after a five-year absence. Beltran grew up nearby and says he is excited to preserve a city treasure.