InfluencersInterviews by

gabrIelle anwar, luther campbell, jamIe foxx, danny meyer, belkys nerey, sImon rex

and jason rubellphotographs by brIan smIth

Styled by rachael russell Grooming by june ellIs & julIe alley

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COLOMBOpIoneer who helped shape the brIckell skylIne wIns the real-estate game wIth

steady determInatIonBy jason rubell

Custom-made suit by CARACENI FERDINANDO. White shirt by CHARVET and tie by ZEGNA, available at NEIMAN MARCUS, BAL HARBOUR. Blue striped shirt by LORO PIANA, available at LORO PIANA, BAL HARBOUR SHOPS. Jeans by DIESEL, available at DIESEL, MIAMI BEACH. Watch by IWC, available at KING JEWELERS, AVENTURA.

“In one to two years, you’re going to see a

new demand in the market.”

JASON RUBELL: How have you been weathering the real-estate crash? UGO COLOMBO: The key to weathering the real-estate crash is low-leverage. I tend to be fairly conservative in my business. Even when banks were chasing you to give you money, I kept myself relatively small and avoided doing a bunch of projects. The advantage I have over many people in Miami is that I came here when I went to college, during a crisis. I lived through the S&L crisis and the real-estate crash that occurred in the ’80s. I’ve seen it happen before. I learned through those lessons even though it did not affect me. I’ve been conservative. What is your strategy for success in this new market?In one to two years, you’re going to see a new demand in the market. My strategy has always been the same: Deliver the best possible prod-uct, which means cutting-edge, high quality, highly designed, good finishes. And keep your customers happy.Will we ever see those crazy, inflated prices again?There were other sectors of the market where you saw a spike in prices, which then leveled back down. Eventually prices will start climbing again. Compared to the rest of the world, even during the spike, the pric-es in Miami were still within reason. The problem is not that the prices went up too much, it’s that too much was built. Which real-estate projects are you working on now? What types of projects do you like to be involved with?Right now, the market has more of a commercial demand. I’m looking at a couple of commercial projects. I still have tower two of Epic, which will eventu-ally happen. I’m not working on it because it’s premature, but that will happen eventually. Are you a tough negotiator?I don’t think so. Being too tough of a negotiator might pay off in the short run, but it bites you back in the long run. You don’t want to strangle people when you’re in a position of strength. You don’t want to take advantage. You try to come up with a deal where everybody walks out a little happy and a little un-happy, but you try to be fair. Greed bites you back. What is your business philosophy?Always deliver more than what you promise. Don’t try to take advantage or fool people, but always deliver. I like people to be pleasantly surprised and get more than what they expected rather than less. To exceed expectations. You also own The Collection, which sells some of the finest luxury cars in South Florida. How involved are you with that business?

I don’t get involved with the day-to-day operations. It’s a big com-pany. I’m involved with the big picture and the financial aspect. Plus, I own the building, and am involved with managing the office space. The building is fully leased. That’s more proof that even during the crisis that building remained 95-percent leased because it is a good product in a good location. The Collection is probably one of the nicest car dealerships in the country.It’s definitely unique to have all of those luxury brands under one roof in a central location. Car dealerships tend to be on the outskirts of the city. The Collection is in the heart of Coral Gables.You recently threw a Great Gatsby bash for your birthday. What attracted you to that theme? The main thinking was to have an elegant party. The house was built

in the ’20s, so it was a perfect backdrop for that type of environment. It turned out to be very nice to see all of these people dressed in 1920s attire with the

house. It was a flashback in time. Speaking of your house, it was Carl Fisher’s house. He was the first king of real estate in Mi-ami Beach. Were you attracted to the property or the historical significance?I was attracted to the property. I had a piece of land on which I was going to build a house. But why try to re-create something from the past when I had some-thing that was original? I knew it was Carl Fisher’s house, but that didn’t affect my decision to buy it. I liked the property, house and architecture. It’s great that it was Carl Fisher’s house, but if it were anybody

else’s home, I would have still gotten it. What type of artwork do you collect? Do you prefer emerging or estab-lished artists? I have a little bit of both. I have some established artists who, when I got them, were not as established as they are now. I have some Andy Warhols from 20 years ago. I have some art from some relatively unknown artists. I mainly have contemporary art. Lately, I got some Enrique Martínez Celayas, who is an emerging Cuban artist with a lot of potential. I love his artwork. What accomplishment in your career are you most proud of?I’m most proud of the Bristol Tower, which was my first building. I was young. I don’t even know how I pulled it off. When I look back, it was kind of a miracle. It was a new breed of building that set the footprint for what came later. It was the first building to convey the luxury of architecture and design. It looked dif-ferent from any other building built in Miami. Today, when you see the Miami skyline, especially the Brickell area, what do you think? I’m happy that I helped contribute to the growth of the skyline, which has es-tablished Miami as we see it today. It was a small contribution, but it helped.

Ugo

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