Harry Gross’ G-Holdings has filed a lawsuit against the city of Aventura and the developers behind Cassa Residences, aiming to reverse recent zoning changes that would allow for a larger mixed-use project near its own planned development.
The dispute centers on two adjacent sites in Aventura. G-Holdings, based in New York, claims that changes approved last month for 2770 Northeast 187th Street and 2822-2850 Northeast 187th Street would harm its proposed Port Aventura condo-hotel by enabling a rival project to build higher and denser than previously allowed.
Miami Off Center Associates, which includes The Lojeta Group from Boca Raton and a Delaware entity, plans to build a 17-story tower with 208 apartments, ground-floor retail space totaling 12,000 square feet, and a seven-story parking garage. The site also features an existing commercial building mostly leased to Mo’s Bagels & Deli.
Neisen Kasdin, an attorney at Akerman representing G-Holdings’ affiliate, stated: “We have been engaged in discussions with our neighbor, and we are optimistic we will be able to resolve it. The result will be good for their project, for our project and for the city.”
Neither city officials nor Michael Marrero, land use lawyer for Cassa Residences, responded to requests for comment.
G-Holdings argues in its Aug. 8 lawsuit and related appeals petition that the new zoning does not align with Aventura’s comprehensive development plan. It alleges that these changes will negatively affect Port Aventura—a planned mixed-use project set for the northwest corner of Northeast 185th Street and Northeast 28th Court—by blocking light and air due to the neighboring project’s height and parking structure.
Port Aventura received zoning approvals in 2018 for two towers: one with condos (121 units) and another as a hotel (167 rooms). Although it has site plan and permit approvals, construction has not started yet. According to Kasdin, G-Holdings expects to begin work next year. Records show G-Holdings purchased its development site in 2015 for $21.6 million.
Previously, zoning rules limited the Cassa Residences site to a commercial building up to 12 stories tall. At a July commission meeting, however, officials approved variances allowing five extra stories—raising the cap to 17—as well as increasing permitted residential density from 25 units per acre up to 69 units per acre. Minimum floor area requirements were also reduced from 900 square feet down to either 800 or 815 square feet per one-bedroom unit.
According to court filings: G-Holdings “is aggrieved and adversely affected by the City’s approval,” adding that it “has expended significant resources in developing Port Aventura.”
The suit further claims that the Cassa Residences rezoning is “significantly more impactful,” alleging its garage would block light and air from lower floors of Port Aventura while upper floors would lose additional sunlight due to the new construction next door.
G-Holdings also alleges that approval of Cassa Residences’ rezoning was conditional on setting aside twelve apartments under Aventura’s Hero Housing program—reserved at below-market rates for teachers or first responders working locally.
Kasdin indicated that any settlement might require modifying both zoning terms and aspects of Cassa Residences’ design.
