Donald Soffer (born September 20, 1932) is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is a real estate developer who developed Florida swampland into what was to become the city of
Aventura, Florida
Aventura is a planned, suburban city in northeastern Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States, 17 miles north of the city of Miami and part of the Miami metropolitan area. The city is especially well-known for Aventura Mall, the 5th largest ...
.
Early life and education
Soffer was born to a
Jewish
Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
family in
Duquesne, Pennsylvania
Duquesne ( ) is a city along the Monongahela River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States, within the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 5,254 at the 2020 census.
History
The city of Duquesne was settled in 1789 and incorp ...
near Pittsburgh,
the son of Ida (née Kessler)
[Miami Herald Obituary" Ida Kessler Soffer Obituary"](_blank)
August 15, 2006 and Harold “Harry” Soffer who sold appliances and owned a
Studebaker car dealership.
Harold's brother was
Joseph Soffer (who would found the Pittsburgh-based real estate development firm, the Soffer Organization). In 1955, he graduated from
Brandeis University
, mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = NECHE
, president = Ronald D. Liebowitz
, ...
on a football scholarship with a B.A. in economics.
After school, he returned to Pittsburgh and built shopping malls
for Don Mark Realty, a partnership founded by his father,
Edward J. Lewis, Lewis' father, Eugene Lebowitz, and Lewis' brother-in-law, Mark Mason (Don Mark Realty would be renamed the
Oxford Development Company
Oxford Development Company is a real estate firm based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, providing real estate development, property management, brokerage services, investment advisory services, and business operations. In 2021, it was listed as the l ...
). In 1965, Don Mark built
South Hills Village, Pittsburgh's first indoor mall.
In 1967, with funding from the
John Hancock Life Insurance Company, Oxford Development partnered with
Arthur G. Cohen
Arthur George Cohen (April 23, 1930 – August 9, 2014) was an American businessman and real estate developer in New York City.
Early life and education
Cohen was born to a Jewish family in Brooklyn, New York, the son of Frances (née Kostic ...
and his
Arlen Realty and Development Corporation
Arlen Realty & Development Corporation, also known as Arlen, was a real estate investment trust founded in 1959 by Arthur G. Cohen and Arthur N. Levien. In the early 1970s, it was one of the largest publicly traded real estate investment trusts. ...
to form the DonArl Partnership and bought 785 acres of mostly swampland in South Florida for $6 million.
[Aventura Marketing Council: "UBS hosts Business Development Committee meeting featuring 'History of Aventura' presentation" by Comm. Bob Diamond" by Bari Auerbach]
February 17, 2010
Career
Donald Soffer was given the primary responsibility develop the project.
Originally named Turnberry, Soffer renamed the site Aventura (Spanish for adventure) and set about to build an upper-class development centered around the Turnberry Country Club with a golf course designed by architect
Robert Trent Jones
Robert Trent Jones Sr. (June 20, 1906 – June 14, 2000) was a British–American golf course architect who designed or re-designed more than 500 golf courses in 45 U.S. states and 35 countries. In reference to this, Jones took pride in sayi ...
.
The project required that he drain the swamps and re-zone the property from residential single family to high-rise development. With the support of then governor,
Claude Kirk
Claude Roy Kirk Jr. (January 7, 1926 – September 28, 2011) was the 36th governor of the U.S. state of Florida (1967–1971). He was the first Republican governor of Florida since Reconstruction.
Early life
Kirk was born in San Bernardino, C ...
, the development went ahead. In 1969, Metro-Dade County approved the 23,900 condo unit master plan which included the construction of a fire station, a library, and a causeway to Sunny Isles Beach.
They completed the first stage in 1970 and by 1977 had completed the golf course and added another 4,000 units.
The venture was very profitable as they purchased land at $5,000 an acre and sold plots for as high as $2 million an acre in 1981.
Soffer's father died in 1972 at the age of 63 and Soffer took control of the family interest in DonArl.
In 1977, the partnership with Arlen Realty was dissolved over disputes about the quality of construction with Soffer believing Arlen wanted to build too quick and cheap which would harm the brand.
They divided the properties and Soffer formed Turnberry Associates out of his share. In 1983, Arlen Realty defaulted on a $39 million mortgage and went into
Chapter 11 bankruptcy and Soffer and his partners purchased the remaining 68 acres of undeveloped land and built the
Aventura Mall.
Soon after, the remaining three partners sold their interest to the Soffers. ''
Turnberry Isle Resort'' quickly earned a reputation for the playground for the rich and famous; Soffer even chartered a fleet of yachts to dock at the Turnberry Isle marina to attract the requisite clientele (including a yacht named ''
Monkey Business'', which Colorado Democratic Senator and presidential candidate
Gary Hart would charter in 1987 and be photographed with
Donna Rice sitting on his lap).
In 1987, his son Jeffrey joined the firm and in 1989 Jackie, his daughter joined the firm. In 1988, Soffer sold half his interest in Turnberry Isle Resort to Rafael Hotels for $20 million; in the early 1990s, he sold the remainder to Rafael.
In the 90s the siblings took on greater leadership roles in the company.
Jeffrey Soffer was put in charge of new condo developments and Jackie Soffer, led leasing operations at the Aventura Mall and other assets.
In 2005,
Turnberry Associates
Turnberry Associates is a real estate development and management company in the United States. The company has developed over $10 billion worth of properties during the course of its history. Current holdings in its portfolio include the Aventura ...
purchased the
Fontainebleau Hotel
The Fontainebleau Miami Beach (also known as Fontainebleau Hotel) is a hotel in Miami Beach, Florida. Designed by Morris Lapidus, the luxury hotel opened in 1954. In 2007, the Fontainebleau Hotel was ranked ninety-third in the American Institute ...
(founded by
Ben Novack) from
Stephen Muss for $165 million.
[''Fool's Paradise: Players, Poseurs, and the Culture of Excess in South Beach'' By Steven Gaines]
pages 100 -110
After 25 years as partners in 2019 the Soffer siblings divided the company assets into two separate companies. Jackie Soffer is the current chairman and CEO of
Turnberry Associates
Turnberry Associates is a real estate development and management company in the United States. The company has developed over $10 billion worth of properties during the course of its history. Current holdings in its portfolio include the Aventura ...
, the development firm launched 50 years ago by Donald Soffer. Turnberry is the principal owner of
Aventura Mall, the Town Center Aventura, and three hotels in Aventura — Residence Inn by Marriott, Courtyard by Marriott and Hampton Inn — as well as another hotel in Orlando. Jackie Soffer and Turnberry are also developing an 800-key Miami Beach Convention Center hotel in partnership with Terra Group and David Martin.
As of July 2015, he and his family were worth $4.2 billion.
[Forbes: The World's Billionaires - Soffer Family]
July 2015
Philanthropy
In 2008, he donated $15 million to
Brandeis University
, mottoeng = "Truth even unto its innermost parts"
, established =
, type = Private research university
, accreditation = NECHE
, president = Ronald D. Liebowitz
, ...
, the largest gift in the college's history.
Personal life
Soffer has been married five times and has seven children:
[Miami Herald: "Soffer siblings expand reach of Turnberry Associates" By Ina Paiva Cordle]
April 13, 2014 Marsha Fine Soffer Rappaport (born 1957), Jill Fine Soffer (born 1959), Jacqueline Soffer (born 1966), Jeffrey Miller Soffer (born 1968), Brooke Soffer Perez (born 1971), Abigail Soffer, and Rock Soffer (born 1982).
[ He is divorced from Carol Miller Soffer, Patricia Jo Hogue Soffer, and Marjorie Wallace Soffer. In 2013, he married his fifth wife, Michele King Soffer. His son, Jeffrey Soffer, was married to supermodel ]Elle Macpherson
Eleanor Nancy Macpherson (; née Gow; born ) is an Australian model, businesswoman, television host, and actress.
She is known for her record five cover appearances for the ''Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue'' beginning in the 1980s, leading ...
. His daughter, Jackie Soffer, is the CEO of Turnberry today and is married to Miami Beach real estate developer Craig Robins
Craig Lewis Robins (born February 15, 1963) is an American businessman, investor, and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of Dacra Development, the co-founder and co-owner of Design Miami and developer of the Miami Design District.
Early ...
.Wall Street Journal: "A Day in the Life of Craig Robins - The real estate developer who helped turn Miami into a global destination for design is bringing scores of luxury fashion brands to the revived Design District" By CHRISTOPHER ROSS
December 1, 2014 His daughter, Brooke Soffer, operates various stores in the Aventura Mall and his son, Rock, also works in the family business.
Legacy
Don Soffer Aventura Charter High School is named after him.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Soffer, Donald
1932 births
American real estate businesspeople
American billionaires
Brandeis University alumni
Businesspeople from Pennsylvania
Jewish American philanthropists
Living people
People from Duquesne, Pennsylvania
People from Aventura, Florida
Soffer family