Aventura began as a sketch on a napkin. Now it’s home to the biggest mall in Florida, one of the five biggest in the country. Aventura is also one of Miami-Dade’s poshest — and busiest — neighborhoods.
Real estate mogul Don Soffer, developer of Florida’s Aventura Mall and the city’s “godfather,” died Sunday morning at 92, his family said.
In a statement to CBS News Miami, the city of Aventura called Soffer a “visionary developer and philanthropist whose leadership and foresight transformed South Florida swampland into the thriving, vibrant community we proudly call home.”
“Mr. Soffer’s legacy is etched into the very foundation of Aventura,” the city said in a statement. “His development of what would become the city’s heart — from Aventura Mall to residential communities and the Turnberry golf course and brand — laid the groundwork for Aventura’s incorporation in 1995. Without his vision, the city of Aventura would not exist as we know it today.”
Go to Herald.com for the full report.
