
Gus has over 30 years in real
estate development, marketing and the financial
restructuring of real estate operating companies and
multiple property portfolios. A third generation member
of a family whose roots in the real estate industry go
back to Miami, Florida at the turn of the 20th century,
when Gus’ grandfather became one of the first licensed
real estate brokers in the State of Florida. A partial
list of accomplishments follows:
FINANCIAL RESTRUCTURING:
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Supervised
the implementation of a $350 million debt reduction
program through asset/note swaps and an accelerated
plan of asset workouts and sales for Guardian
Mortgage Investors (GMI), a REIT with an asset base
of nearly $500 million. At its peak GMI was the
fifth largest REIT in the U.S.
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Primary
responsibility for the re-capitalization of The
Florida Companies (TFC), the successor company to
GMI. $93 million of debt (37 bank creditors) was
retired for $49 million in cash and the assignment
of an $8.8 million first leasehold mortgage on the
Spokane Sheraton Hotel. In addition, TFC reacquired
6 million of its common shares from its creditors.
TFC increased its shareholders equity from $10
million to over $50 million and had total assets of
$83 million.
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Merged
TFC into Fairfield Communities (a NYSE company).
Responsible for corporate operations (3500
employees) consisting of corporate development,
purchasing and design, management information
systems and the administration of a $220 million
contract receivable portfolio.
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Retained
by the Chief Financial Restructuring Officer of
Olympia & York Companies (USA) to price its
assets. Played a key role for over four years in the
$5.6 billion financial restructuring of the company
as it sought to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
This was one of the, if not the, largest debt
restructurings in the history of commercial real
estate. 128 corporate entities, with a combined
negative net worth of $1.5 billion, were reorganized
to create approximately $600 million in positive
equity.
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Played
a key role in restructuring the $232 million first
mortgage loan on the Chicago Merchandise Mart for a
prominent American family.
DEVELOPMENT:
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Developed
Suntree, a 2800 acre master planned community
featuring two 18-hole championship golf courses
located in Melbourne, Florida. The property, which
currently has over 5,000 dwelling units, was for a
number of years the longest continuing venue on the
PGA Senior Tour.
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Responsible
for pre-development activities (land planning, DRIs,
permitting and zoning) on four major Florida
developments containing over 4,500 lots.
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Built
1495 town homes and single-family dwellings in four
Florida projects.
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Completed
construction of the 297 room Sarasota Hyatt House in
Sarasota, Florida.
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Completed
construction of 2000 condominium units in south
Florida.
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Developed
an 80,000 sq. ft. Publix anchored shopping center
and 561 garden apartment units in Jacksonville,
Florida.
MARKETING:
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Sold
1,000 condominium units and underwrote over $22
million in permanent financing to facilitate the
sales effort.
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Marketed
Suntree for over $20 million in cash.
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Supervised
the orderly disposition of seven hotel properties
having an aggregate purchase price of $73 million.
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Exclusive
marketing advisor to USX Realty Development in the
$7 million sale of the Pasadena Yacht & Country
Club in Gulfport, Florida.
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Exclusive
marketing advisor to a Canadian investor on the $11
million sale of Alaqua Lakes, a fully entitled 796
acre master planned community located in Lake Mary
north of Orlando, Florida.
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