Craig Robins

Craig Robins
Born 1963 (age 51–52)
Miami Beach
Nationality American
Ethnicity Jewish
Alma mater B.A. University of Michigan (1984)
J.D. University of Miami School of Law (1987)
Occupation Founder and CEO of Dacra Development
Co-founder and co-owner of Design Miami
Known for Developer of South Beach in the '90s and '00s
Developer of the Miami Design District
Founder and Owner of Design Miami
Parent(s) Gerald Robins

Craig Robins (born 1963) is an American real estate developer, art collector, and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of Dacra Development, and the co-founder and co-owner of Design Miami.[1]

Background

Robins was born to a Jewish family[2] in Miami Beach. His father, Gerald Robins was a successful Miami Beach real estate developer originally from New York City in the 1950s.[2] He has one sister, Gina. In 1972, his parents divorced and his father remarried to Joan Benjamin who had two children from a previous marriage: Scott (born 1963) and Stacy (born 1965). The family was raised in Miami Beach.[2] Robins attended the University of Barcelona in 1982,[3] received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1984, and graduated from the University of Miami School of Law in 1987.[4]

Career

In 1986, he was approached by New York real estate developers Tony Goldman and Mark Soyka who wanted to renovate the storied but run-down Park Central Hotel on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach.[2] Robins represented his father at the meeting which devolved into a discussion about renovating South beach. (Robins states that Goldman was "the second big influence on my career, after my father.") In 1987, Robins branching out on his own, formed Dacra Development, Inc. and started to purchase and develop South Beach real estate.[2] In 1988, he formed Dacra Construction and his brother Scott also got into real estate forming a separate company, Scott Robins Companies, Inc. which partnered with Craig's company.[2] Robins brokered a compromise between developers and preservationists over expanding Miami Beach's Art Deco Historic District which helped establish his reputation as a preservationist.[2] In 1991, the Robins partnered with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell and renovated the Netherland Hotel and the Tides Hotel; they also co-founded a hotel management company called the Island Outpost.[2] In 1991, he helped to elect Miami Beach Mayor Neisen Kasdin. In 1992, they purchased with their father for $8.5 million the Cavalier, the Cardozo, the Carlyle, the Leslie, and the Victor hotels from the creditors of developer Leonard Pelullo.[2] In 1995, Robins and Blackwell had a falling out over the Governor Hotel, a hotel they jointly owned and which Blackwell wanted to purchase Robins interest; they disagreed over price and a lawsuit ensued, which was later dismissed.[2] In 1997, Robins bought Chalk's Airlines and renamed it Pan Am Air Bridge; he sold it in 1998.[2] In 1999, Dacra acquired 8.5 acres on the southern tip of Allison Island and created AQUA, a New Urbanist community featuring modern architecture, design and site-specific public art. The private residential community of 46 homes on Allison Island designed by ten different architecture firms with a master plan by Duany Plater-Zyberk and public art projects including a 100-foot mural by Richard Tuttle.[4][5][6] It is now an international model for development.[7]

Thereafter, Robins focused on reviving Miami’s Design District.[2][8] In 2005, Robins launched the first Design Miami collectible design fair in the Design District alongside Art Basel.[9] A global forum for design, each fair brings together influential collectors, gallerists, designers, curators and critics to celebrate design culture and commerce.[10] Occurring alongside the Art Basel fairs in Miami, USA each December and Basel, Switzerland each June, Design Miami/ has become the premier venue for collecting, exhibiting, discussing and creating collectible design.[11] The Miami Design District is now evolving into a luxury shopping center with offerings including Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Cartier.[12] In 2012, the District became the only project in Miami Dade county to receive LEED Gold Neighborhood Development certification.[13]

Philanthropy, awards, and the arts

Robins is the Founder and Chairman of the Anaphiel Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting arts education, exploration and expression. Robins is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the Miami Art Museum. He is a recipient of the 2006 Design Patron Award from the Smithsonian Institution’s Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. The award recognizes an individual’s patronage of design within the business and civic sectors.[4] Robins is also an art afficiando and promotes local and international artists and has a personal collection which includes works by Antoni Miralda, Carlos Alfonso, Roberto Behar, Rosario Marquardt, and Jose Bedia.[2]

Personal life

Robins is married to Jackie Soffer, daughter of real estate developer Donald Soffer and Turnberry Associates co-owner who oversees Aventura Mall.[14]

External links

References

  1. ↑ Ocean Drive "Craig Robins Jump-Starts the Design District", retrieved 4/8/13
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Miami New Times: "Designing Craig - Craig Robins has built a reputation as the good developer. Just ask him." By Ted B. Kissell July 15, 1999
  3. ↑ http://www.departures.com/fashion/shopping/bal-harbour-shops-vs-design-district
  4. 1 2 3 CNN CNN, retrieved 4/8/13
  5. ↑ Sun Sentinel "Echoes of Deco Renovation...", 1/3/93
  6. ↑ Guardian "Robins' nest", 11/8/08
  7. ↑ Boom or Bust: Miami "Craig Robins: Revolutionary Development", 6/15/07
  8. ↑ NY Times "Miami's Design District Looks For An Upgrade", 1/25/13
  9. ↑ "Dezeen Magazine". November 28, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Arch Daily". September 19, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Design Miami/".
  12. ↑ NY Times "Upstart in Miami Lures Luxury Stores From a Chic Citadel", 10/24/2013
  13. ↑ NY Mag "Miami Art Machine", 4/27/08
  14. ↑ Curbed "Craig Robins and Jackie Soffer, Two Very Different Miami Real Estate Giants, Just Got Married" September 4, 2015


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