Craig Robins
| Craig Robins | |
|---|---|
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| Born | 1963 (age 53–54) Miami Beach |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | B.A. University of Michigan (1984) J.D. University of Miami School of Law (1987) |
| Occupation | Founder and CEO of Dacra Development Co-founder and co-owner of Design Miami |
| Known for | Developer of South Beach in the '90s and '00s Developer of the Miami Design District Founder and Owner of Design Miami |
| Spouse(s) | Jackie Soffer |
Craig Robins (born 1963) is an American entrepreneur, real estate developer, art collector, and philanthropist. He is the founder and CEO of Dacra Development, the co-founder and co-owner of Design Miami and developer of the Miami Design District.
Robins was born to a Jewish family in Miami Beach, FL. His father, Gerald Robins was a successful Miami Beach real estate developer who moved to Florida from New York City in the 1950s. Robins was raised in Miami Beach with his brother Scott, and two sisters, Gina and Stacy.
Robins attended the University of Barcelona in 1982 and credits his time as a student in Spain for inspiring his passion for art, design and architecture. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Michigan in 1984 and graduated from the University of Miami School of Law in 1987.
In 1986, he was approached by New York real estate developers Tony Goldman and Mark Soyka who wanted to renovate the storied but run-down Park Central Hotel on Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. Robins represented his father at the meeting which devolved into a discussion about renovating South Beach. (Robins states that Goldman was "the second big influence on my career, after my father.") In 1987, Robins branching out on his own, formed Dacra Development, Inc. and started to purchase and develop South Beach real estate. In 1988, he formed Dacra Construction and his brother Scott also got into real estate forming a separate company, Scott Robins Companies, Inc. which partnered with Craig's company. Robins brokered a compromise between developers and preservationists over expanding Miami Beach's Art Deco Historic District which helped establish his reputation as a preservationist. In 1991, the Robins partnered with Island Records founder Chris Blackwell and renovated the Netherland Hotel and the Tides Hotel; they also co-founded a hotel management company called the Island Outpost. In 1991, he helped to elect Miami Beach Mayor Neisen Kasdin. In 1992, they purchased with their father for $8.5 million the Cavalier, the Cardozo, the Carlyle, the Leslie, and the Victor hotels from the creditors of developer Leonard Pelullo. In 1995, Robins and Blackwell had a falling out over the Governor Hotel, a hotel they jointly owned and which Blackwell wanted to purchase Robins interest; they disagreed over price and a lawsuit ensued, which was later dismissed. In 1997, Robins bought Chalk's Airlines and renamed it Pan Am Air Bridge; he sold it in 1998.In 1999, Dacra acquired 8.5 acres on the southern tip of Allison Island and created AQUA, a New Urbanist community featuring modern architecture, design and site-specific public art. The private residential community of 46 homes on Allison Island designed by ten different architecture firms with a master plan by Duany Plater-Zyberk and public art projects including a 100-foot mural by Richard Tuttle. It is now an international model for development.
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