He helped shape modern Miami, and that makes developer Tibor Hollo a world figure of sorts. Last week, that was confirmed when Hollo, the president of Florida East Coast Realty, was named “Global Citizen of the Year” for 2009 by the City of Miami and the Greater Miami Host Committee.

Eighty-two-year-old Hungarian-born Hollo, who has spent 55 years in the development game, was chosen for his ability to bring Miami to the world and the world to his adopted city ……

……Ignacio Permuy, president of Terra Architecture in Coral Gables, said Hollo has continued developing through nine recessions.

“One Bayfront Plaza is an incredible undertaking, especially so late in his career,” Permuy said. One Bayfront Plaza will yield two million square feet of premier Class A office space for lease and 112,000 square feet of retail space. The four-star convention hotel will house 850 rooms and 120,000 square feet of exhibition space and banquet facilities. A 2,500-car parking garage is also planned. The property is set to break ground in 2011 and should take about four years to build.

“One Bayfront Plaza is another example of Mr. Hollo as a visionary,” Permuy said. “He’s looking five years into the future, understanding the recession, getting involved in the design, and not slowing down.”
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