Walgreens breaks ground on store with funky new design in Miami Beach’s Art Deco district

MIAMI BEACH, FL (February 18, 2013) — Gadinsky Real Estate, LLC and Echion USA announced today the ground breaking of a new Walgreens store located on the NWC of 14th Street and Collins Avenue in the heart of Miami Beach’s historic Art Deco District. The new 10,000 square foot store, slated to open this summer, will compliment two other recently opened Miami Beach stores located at 2000 Normandy Drive and 1011 Alton Road. Gadinsky Real Estate and Echion USA are the developers for all three stores, totaling 33,000 square feet.

Like the other two recently opened Walgreens, the new store will reflect a modern twist on the historic architectural style of the neighborhood and the period in which it was developed. The architectural team for the projects,Frank Demandt of Demandt Architecture, P.A., and Robert Brown, found that the neighborhoods in which the stores were being planned were all developed in different decades, each with distinctive architectural traits. They developed a "Progressive Moderne" style to compliment and respond to the buildings of architectural note in the individual neighborhoods.

The new Collins Avenue Walgreens store will pay homage to the work of architects Murray Dixon and Henry Hohauser. Specifically their nearby landmark buildings including Dixon's Beach Plaza Hotel and Hohauser'sCommodore Hotel which were built in 1936, the hey day of Art Deco design. It will also incorporate popular Art Deco elements such as the porthole, which gives the effect of concealing while simultaneously inviting customers to come and take a look. Art Deco styled lettering is also being planned for the Walgreens store sign and logo.

“We are very happy to announce the groundbreaking of this new Walgreens store on 14th and Collins" says Seth Gadinsky, owner of Gadinsky Real Estate. "We believe that this Walgreens will bring something very special to the residents and visitors of this historic neighborhood and we are glad to be a part of this project."

Gadinsky Real Estate and Echion USA have developed numerous Walgreens stores over the past 18 years throughout South Florida and The Keys, including a recent project in Marathon.

For more information on these stores, including hours of operation and specific services, visit www.walgreens.com.

ABOUT GADINSKY REAL ESTATE, LLC

Gadinsky Real Estate, LLC, the first name in retail real estate, specializes in retail development, tenant representation, urban renewal, project leasing, and consulting. Founded in 1999, Gadinsky Real Estate has worked extensively with retail clients, lenders, investors, and property owners to create many high quality and innovative retail projects. Some of Gadinsky Real Estate’s current and recent projects include The Shoppes @ 420 Lincoln Road, Publix Supermarket at Market Square, and Lakepoint, a 1,200-acre amateur sporting and entertainment community. For more information about Gadinsky Real Estate, visit www.gadinskyrealestate.com.

ABOUT ECHION USA

Echion USA Inc., is a member of the Canadian-based Hotte family which has been actively involved in commercial real estate development for over 45 years in Canada and Florida. Founded in 1978, Echion is the family’s development arm in Florida. Since its inception, Echion USA, Inc. and Ettoh Ltd (as Limited Partner) have completed over 1 million sq. ft. of retail/office Florida projects. Some of the current and recent projects include the Cypress Courtyard Plaza in Poinciana, Florida; a 98,000 sq. ft. shadow Wal-Mart retail /medical project; and 1,200-acre amateur tournament sporting, entertainment and hospitality village in Atlanta Georgia (www.lakepointsports.com).

ABOUT WALGREENS

Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2011 sales of $72 billion. The company operates 7,840 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy service includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country.