History
 

The North Island at Island Estates, the epitome of exclusivity, represents the vision and dream of one of South Florida’s most prominent real estate families.

With origins dating back more than half a century, The North Island and its adjacent ‘brother,’ The South Island, emerged from the water as the surrounding city burgeoned in size. In the 1950s, the U.S. Department of Transportation was dredging the Intracoastal Waterway and subsequently created these two “spoil islands.”

Years later, in 1975, the Cohen family, with a long-standing history and vested interest in real estate and development, recognized an invaluable opportunity. With the backing of a family trust, controlled by the Cohen family, they purchased both islands, known today as The Two Islands, and embarked on a mission to establish one of the region’s most rare and intimate coastal island communities.

The Family
 

The Cohen family has been in development since the 1960s. In South Florida alone, the family has been involved in the land development and planning of more than 1,000 acres including land creation by dredge and fill, planning, entitlements, shopping centers and the construction of commercial offices, high-rises and multi- and single-family homes.

Gary Cohen, trustee of his family trust, developer and owner of Two Islands Development Corp., the company which purchased The South Island and its marina from the family trust in 1998 to build Island Estates, formally went into the family business in 1979. He had previously spent his summers between school working in nearly every aspect of the industry -- from dredging to construction and land planning to sales -- and gaining a true appreciation for the Cohen family mission.

On The North Island, specifically, Gary Cohen has worked on securing everything, from zoning, permits, bridges, marina and shoreline stabilization, to establishing the mean high water as the legal shoreline of the island [See recorded covenant].

“Real estate development has been very good to my family and to me. The Trust has worked diligently to create a unique opportunity for development -- one that has allowed for the widest range of possibilities. Subject to current building code as well as the vision and financial capabilities of a buyer, this Island opportunity is one that remains unmatched. I look forward to educating a sophisticated buyer on all of its potential and how it can be taken to the next level of luxury development.” – Gary Cohen The Island Life
 

A treasure nestled in the heart of city life but shielded from the flurry of activity, The North Island at Island Estates represents the ultimate hideaway. To the west is what’s internationally known as the Florida Riviera, Williams Island, and to the east are the notable communities of Golden Beach and Sunny Isles.

This eight-acre parcel of land is private and undeveloped – one of the last of its kind in Miami – and accessible only by bridge or sea. Its private deep-water marina, capable of housing large yachts, provides a portal to the Atlantic Ocean through the adjoining Haulover Inlet in Bal Harbour as well as other nearby inlets. The North Island is the ideal location for a quick vacation or a permanent home site -- away from it all, yet in the middle of everything.