7960699864?profile=originalLas Ventanas has been sold to Pollack Shores Real Estate Group

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By Christine Davis

    Las Ventanas, a mixed-use development on 15 acres in Boynton Beach, sold for $109.31 million in mid-December. Prudential Insurance Company of America, a New Jersey corporation, and Epoch Properties sold to Pollack Shores Real Estate Group of Atlanta. ARA, a Newmark Co., represented the seller.
    The development, which was built in 2009 at Woolbright Road and Federal Highway, includes 42,000 square feet of retail space, as well as 494 housing units, which were more than 90 percent occupied at the time of sale, according to ARA.
                                
    For sale: 7,892-square-foot, single-story building on North Federal in Boca Raton; built in 1981, renovated in 2009, barrel tile roof, lush landscaping, parking for 36 vehicles; asking $3 million.
    If and when someone pays the price, the American Red Cross will vacate its Boca Raton office and employees will work at home, at the West Palm Beach office, and, of course, at local swimming pools, condo clubhouses — any place where swimming lessons and CPR classes are needed.
    Real estate is far less important than work done in the community, says Robin Hicks Nunley, executive director of the local Red Cross chapter. The Red Cross doesn’t need its own building to carry out its work. And, as always, it can use more volunteers.
                                
    The Morton Group Inc. plans to commission two sculptures for the sculpture garden of its new condominium, Metropolitan. Michael and Brad Morton, a father-son team, have invited South Florida artists to present their portfolios for consideration.
    Artists should submit portfolios to info@MetropolitanDelray.com.
    “Our vision for the Metropolitan is to become the epicenter of the flourishing Delray Beach art scene,” said Michael Morton. “The Sculpture Garden and the Metropolitan reflect our founding principles of creating contemporary, art-inspired living with the highest level of design, architecture and quality finishes.”
    The Metropolitan, a luxury residential project to be completed in 2018, is at 33 SE Third Ave., Delray Beach. Designed by Delray Beach architect Richard Jones, the five-story building will include one- and two-bedroom units up to 1,600 square feet, and priced from the $600,000s. It will also have retail shops, office space, a rooftop deck and a public plaza.
                                
    Premier Listings, at Royal Palm Place, 310 S. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, recently launched its luxury division, Premier Listings Luxury, which focuses on properties of more than $1 million. Veteran agent Jennifer Govberg heads the new division. For information, call 844-521-SOLD.
                                
    Gar Finnvold has joined Douglas Elliman’s Delray Beach office, at 900 E. Atlantic Ave., in its Sports & Entertainment Division. Finnvold has more than 16 years of real estate experience and specializes in East Delray Beach, Boca Raton and south Palm Beach County properties.
    Finnvold was a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox in 1994, making eight starts.
                                
    Bowen Realty has opened a new office at 851 SE Sixth Ave., Delray Beach. Agents are Katy Moraskie, Robert Temelkoski and Kathy Hoynoski, and the broker owner is Darell Bowen. For information, visit www.DarellBowenRealty.com.
                                
    Hypoluxo Island resident/Realtor Patricia “Patti” Towle, who moved her license from Illustrated Properties, Manalapan, to Sotheby’s International, Palm Beach, in October, listed two non-waterfront properties on Hypoluxo Island in January. Neither property has been on the market for more than 20 years.
They are: 434 Beach Curve Road, a two-bedroom home priced at $639,999; and 205 SE Atlantic Drive, a two-bedroom home close to the beach, priced at $614,995.
                                
    At RE/MAX Complete Solutions, 17 of its 18 agents received company awards in 2016.
    Of that number, during 2016, eight achieved the Executive Club status for earning $50,000-$100,000 in commissions, eight achieved the 100 percent Club status for earning $100,000-$250,000 in commissions, and one achieved the Platinum Club status for earning $250,000-$500,000 in commissions.
    Also, one agent received Hall of Fame status, a RE/MAX career award for agents who have  earned at least $1 million in commissions during their careers with RE/MAX. The broker/owner of RE/MAX Complete Solutions is Jenniffer Lee. Its two locations are 199 SE 12th Ave., Deerfield Beach, and 21301 Powerline Road, Suite 106, Boca Raton.
                                
    Douglas Elliman released its fourth-quarter South Florida reports in mid-January. Overall, for Boca Raton, the report noted that the condo market outperformed the single-family market this quarter, and it noted a sharp decline in luxury condo inventory.
    Among luxury condos (starting at $610,000), compared to this time last year median sales price surged 69.2 percent to $1.1 million; days-on-market was 76 days, down from 121 days; and listing inventory fell 29.8 percent to 275.
    For luxury single-family homes (starting at $869,900), median sales price fell 23.5 percent to $1.31 million; days-on-market was 159 days, up from 117; and listing inventory jumped 36.5 percent to 565.
    For the Delray Beach market, the report noted that prices closer to the beach were soft, and in general, the luxury market price trends did not keep pace with overall market. Compared to last year, metrics for luxury single-family homes (starting at $1.2 million) showed that median sales price increased 2.4 percent to $1.7 million; and days-on-market was 143, up from 115.
    Trends for luxury condos (starting at $285,000) showed that median sales price fell 12.1 percent to $450,000; and days-on-market was 110, up from 84.
                                
    Club President David Dweck will speak on real estate trends at the 23rd anniversary meeting of the Boca Real Estate Investment Club at 7 p.m. Feb. 9. He will offer tips for investing in the real estate market. Registration begins at 6:30 p.m. The meeting, which costs $20, will be held at the Renaissance Boca Raton Hotel, 2000 NW 19 St., Boca Raton. For information, call 391-7325.
                                
    The Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches with the City of Boynton Beach will host their fifth Annual Barrier Free 5K Charity Run, Walk & Roll at Congress Avenue Barrier Free Park, 3111 S. Congress Ave., on Feb. 11. The 5K starts at 7:30 a.m. and the registration fee is $35. For information, contact Wally Majors at 742-6255 or majorsw@bbfl.us or visit www.boyntonfoundation.org.
                                
    Celebrating the completion of extensive renovations, the YMCA of South Palm Beach County will host a ribbon- cutting ceremony from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 14 at its DeVos-Blum Family YMCA branch, 9600 S. Military Trail, Boynton Beach. Renovations include a new performance training area, a wellness center with new cardio and free weight equipment, updated locker rooms, an outside patio area, and new tile and paint. The event is open to the public and there will be door prizes, refreshments, demos and tours.
                                
    In support of Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club, more than 200 guests attended the Holiday Trunk Show Preview Party in November and even more shoppers bought holiday gifts during the following two days. The trunk show raised more than $100,000 for the club.
    Sponsors included The Seagate Hotel & Spa; Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart and Shipley PA; Lang Realty; and the Mark Gerretson Memorial Fishing Tournament.
    Co-chairwomen of the Trunk Show were Susan Mullin, Kari Shipley and Lynn Wilkins.  
    The Naoma Donnelly Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach is located at 1451 SW Seventh St.
                                
    At their fifth annual Toy Giveaway in December, Abe Ovadia and his team at the Ovadia Law Group in Boca Raton gave a holiday toy to each of more than 300 members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County. The children were bused to the event, where they received toys from Santa Claus their parents had selected from a catalog.
    Ten Publix locations donated food, which was distributed to the participating families. Ovadia Law Group is at 4800 N. Federal Highway, Suite D204, Boca Raton.
                                
    The Boca Chamber’s Golden Bell Education Foundation’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy CEO Round Table and Elevator Pitch Contest is 5:30-8 p.m.  Feb. 8, in Parrish Hall at Saint Andrew’s School, 3900 Jog Road, Boca Raton, The event is free and open to the public.
    At this event, 17 students, who have been working for four months on their projects, will each do a 60-second pitch for his or her business. The top three performances will be awarded by judges Michelle Adams from CenterState Bank, Tara Auclair from Modernizing Medicine, Michael Orr from Minuteman Press, and Emily Santos from IBM.
    Also, a panel of Palm Beach County executives will answer questions from the audience and discuss their paths to professional success. Scheduled to participate are: Daniel Cane, CEO and co-founder of Modernizing Medicine; Andrew Duffel, president and CEO of the Research Park at FAU; John Duffy, founder and CEO of 3Cinteractive; Patricia Maczko, Florida market president at Comerica Bank; and Ira Bornstein, COO of TouchSuite.
                                
    In early January, the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County’s second conversation of this season’s Culture & Cocktails, “Heritage Values,” attracted more than 140 people. Two star appraisers from Antiques Roadshow on PBS, Kathleen Guzman, managing director of New York from Heritage Auctions, and Nicholas Dawes, Heritage’s vice president of special collections, were interviewed by Scott Simmons.
                                
    FloridaEscape.com has rated a food tour that stops at emerging art districts in Boynton Beach and Delray Beach as one of the “Best Food Tours” in town.
    “The best rating from FloridaEscape.com is humbling, which motivates us to keep on striving to make the Taste History Culinary Tour one of the best authentic experiences providing locals and visitors with a fun and insightful cultural food, art and history tour,” said Lori Durante, the nonprofit operation’s executive director.
    Each tour includes tastings at four family-owned eateries, juice bars, teahouses and pastry shops and showcases art galleries and historic buildings. For information, call 638-8277 or visit www.tastehistoryculinarytours.org.
                                
    Locals enjoying staycations at the Boca Raton Resort & Club can now try out a new attraction that pairs bocce with booze.
The resort’s new Mizner’s Monkey Bar & Bocce Garden offers complimentary play during the day and requires a $30 rental fee in the evening (or free with a $100 bar tab).
The  garden is just adjacent to the croquet lawn. Hotel guests can wander over to the new Har-Tru bocce court, and after 6 p.m. they can take a seat at the adjacent Mizner’s Monkey Bar to enjoy cocktails.
    For information or to make a reservation at the resort, visit www.bocaresort.com.

    Thom Smith and Amy Woods contributed to this report.


Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

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