ABOUT LAURA

Laura Garcia is a New York based real estate development professional with experience in all aspects of the development process. Laura graduated Summa Cum Laude from Vanderbilt University and earned her master’s degree in real estate development from New York University. Having grown up visiting construction sites with her parents, both real estate developers, Laura has a unique instinct for the business. Her development experience ranges from 300+ unit multifamily developments to the meticulous renovation of single-family apartments. She brings tremendous enthusiasm to every project and enjoys creating successful and enduring properties.

For eleven years Laura served as Executive Vice President of JMH Development, a boutique real estate development firm, where she oversaw all projects through every part of the real estate lifecycle including acquisition, planning, entitlements, construction, marketing, operations and disposition.

Laura prides herself in her ability to execute the key elements of a successful real estate development, including site selection, target demographic analysis, consultant selection, the design process and ultimately the sales and marketing campaign. Laura believes that exhaustive market research and thoughtful design are paramount to maximizing a project’s potential.

Select Experience

184 Kent Avenue - Brooklyn, NY

JMH Development — Laura oversaw the development of 184 Kent Avenue from a 1913 grocery warehouse into 338 luxury rental units on the Williamsburg waterfront. The development was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a Federal Landmark and was the winner of the 2011 Building Brooklyn Award in the adaptive reuse category. Laura was instrumental in managing the consultants from pre-development through construction. Laura implemented the marketing campaign, oversaw the building’s successful 10 month lease up, and later directed all maintenance leasing and property management until the building was sold.

The Townhouses of Cobble Hill - Brooklyn, NY

JMH Development — Laura led the development of the Townhouses of Cobble Hill, a collection of nine townhouses in the landmark district of Cobble Hill. The project consisted of renovating four existing townhomes and constructing five new townhomes. Laura led the design process, creating layouts and selecting finishes to appeal to young families. Laura designed a complementary marketing campaign and personally sold the homes directly, allowing the project to save considerably on brokerage expenses.

Miami Starwood Hotel - Miami Beach, FL

JMH Development — The Aloft South Beach is a 235-key select service hotel located in the heart of South Beach. The development required the renovation of an existing historic motel and construction of a new seven story tower. Laura managed the entitlements process including obtaining approval from the Historic Preservation Board and oversaw the project through construction and opening.

Three Hundred Collins - Miami Beach, FL

JMH Development — Three Hundred Collins is a 19-unit boutique condominium located in the South of Fifth area of Miami Beach. Laura assembled the consultant team, including implementing design by world renowned designer Thomas Juul-Hansen to bring a new level of luxury and quality to Miami Beach. This approach resulted in a successful sales process including a penthouse sale that set the record for the highest price per square foot for a non-waterfront unit in Miami.

70 Henry Street - Brooklyn, NY

JMH Development — 70 Henry Street is located in Brooklyn Heights, the country’s first and most stringent historic district. The former Brooklyn Heights Cinema, the project was a very controversial candidate for redevelopment. By assembling a strategic team of consultants and designers, Laura oversaw the entitlements process which resulted in unanimous approval by the Landmarks Preservation Committee.

110 President Street - Brooklyn, NY

Laura Garcia Design Development — Laura successfully developed 110 President Street, the renovation of a 25’ wide 4-unit property in the Columbia Heights Waterfront District. Laura selected all fixtures and finishes for the project herself along with handling the sales directly.

105 West 13th Street - New York, NY

Laura Garcia Design Development —Using her in-depth market knowledge, Laura identified an undervalued two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in the heart of Greenwich Village. After undertaking an extensive gut renovation where she hand-selected every finish, she was able to sell the property for twice its original value in just over two years.

184 Kent Avenue, Unit B515 - Brooklyn NY

Laura Garcia Design Development —Having overseen the original development of 184 Kent Avenue as a rental, Laura was quick to identify an opportunity to combine two units when the building was converted to a condominium. Utilizing her knowledge of the building and layouts, Laura purchased, combined and reconfigured the apartments to create a floorplan and offering completely unique to the building. Laura was able to combine her market knowledge of the most desirable and scarce unit type in Williamsburg with her intimate knowledge of the building to unlock value. Laura’s striking renovation was recently featured in Interior Design magazine: "Adam Meshberg and Laura Garcia Collaborate on Her Light-Filled Brooklyn Home.”

63 Lafayette Avenue - Brooklyn, NY

Laura Garcia Design Development – In December 2020 Laura purchased 63 Lafayette Avenue in Fort Greene Brooklyn in partnership with ZG Property Group. Located in one of Brooklyn’s most desirable retail corridors, the 4400 SF property consists of ground floor retail space, a second floor office space and two residential apartments above. The development team has successfully leased the retail space to an established restaurant group and leased the second floor office to ZG Property Group. The building is under construction with completion and occupancy anticipated Spring 2021.