Miami’s trendy Edgewater neighborhood draws third car dealer, with room to build sky high
Miami’s booming high-rise utopia Edgewater has attracted something beyond a residential developer — its third car dealership on a key site.
The Raleigh-based Johnson Automotive Dealership Group acquired the Staples office supply store on the corner lot at 2121 Biscayne Blvd., according to C. David Johnson Jr., founder, CEO and chairman of the family-owned dealership.
The $25 million transaction closed in early March for the single-story building. Besides a new Kia dealership, Johnson Jr. said a taller and bigger building will surely rise on the one-acre site.
Johnson Automotive can build up to a 36-story tower, and Johnson Jr. said he’s weighing options of possibly adding residential or workspace above his new sales center. Although the sale just occurred this month and project details are being ironed out, Johnson Jr. said he wants to open his new Kia sales center in the next two years.
Why Kia is opening in Edgewater
The new dealership will open across the street from Braman Miami, owned by automotive tycoon, art collector and philanthropist Norman Braman. Another dealership is four blocks away — Ferrari of Miami, a flagship of The Collection based in Coral Gables.
Johnson Jr. said one key aspect drove him to expand into South Florida — “Population,” he said. “The whole area is growing in population. People deserve to be served.”
Florida’s population growth boomed during and after the pandemic, making it the third-largest state.
Car magnate Braman is excited about the new neighbor, saying in a statement, “We welcome competition, which is healthy for the consumer and the dealer. Competition always brings improvement.”
Ferrari of Miami did not respond to a request for comment.
The new project will replace the existing Staples store that has been at the same location since 2008. Although it has an ongoing lease for the site, Johnson Jr. declined to comment on any terms or agreements moving forward.
Johnson Automotive has 16 dealerships spread across North Carolina, Maryland, and one location in Stuart, Florida. South Florida felt like the natural next choice given corporate inquiries from Kia manufacturers.
An ongoing transformation in Edgewater
Edgewater continues to boom with new projects, developers transforming empty property or sparsely used lots into massive towers. A new dealership fits right in, said Rani Hussami, executive director at the commercial real estate brokerage firm Apex Capital Realty. Hussami represented Johnson Automotive in the deal.
The area, Hussami said, “is very high traffic. Edgewater has been booming for several years. It is close to Wynwood, close to the Design District, and close to downtown.”
So far, the neighborhood has about 5,000 news apartments or condos packed within several new rising towers, according to the Biscayne Neighborhood Association. New high-rises include a 462-unit apartment building by Key International, close to 800 condos split between twin residential towers by Melo Group, and an exclusive condominium with 60 residences by Major Food Group, One Thousand Group, and Terra.
The association’s president, Rick Madan, said he welcomes new dealership but hopes that the plans fit the neighborhood.
“We want to see development, but we want to see responsible development,” he said. “Auto centers are opening at residential buildings. They tend to be more muted. We don’t want to see what you see in Doral or West Palm Beach these giant sales centers ... over there you see these big flags, people dressed up spinning signs — we don’t want to see that in Edgewater, because it doesn’t fit the developments going on.”
