Alicia Cervera
Born (1930-03-14) March 14, 1930
Lima, Peru
Occupation(s)Founder and chairman of Cervera Real Estate
Entrepreneur
Philanthropist
SpouseJavier Cervera (dec.)
ChildrenVeronica Cervera Goeseke
Alicia Cervera Lamadrid
Javier Cervera Jr.

Alicia Cervera (born March 14, 1930) is a Peruvian-American businesswoman, real estate broker and philanthropist known for her work as the founder and chairman of Cervera Real Estate, a real estate brokerage firm headquartered in Miami, Florida.[1][2][3][4] Cervera has worked alongside notable developers including Harry Helmsley and Jorge M. Perez.[1][2][3] She has been compared to Julia Tuttle as one of the women whose impact on the development of Miami has been the most prolific."[5][6]

Early life

Born in Peru in 1930, Cervera is the second of three daughters of Teodosio Cabada, a Peruvian ambassador, and Alicia Cipriani, a real estate developer in her hometown of Lima.[2] In 1954, while her father was the Peruvian ambassador to Cuba, she married Javier Cervera, whose family business was centered in the Cuban sugar industry.[2][4] She emigrated to Miami with her husband and their two daughters in the early 1960s, seeking safety in the United States from the Cuban Communist Revolution.[2][7]

In 1966, Cervera learned of the transformation of Brickell Avenue in Miami from single-family lots to multifamily development.[1][2] She then pursued and purchased (and later flipped) a property on Brickell Avenue, a move that would kickstart her real estate career.[1][3][4]

Career

In 1979, she approached New York real estate developer Harry Helmsley with a proposal to exclusively represent his planned 254-unit Palace on Brickell.[1][2][3] She is credited for helping the present-day model of development sales and marketing.[1][3]"[4]

Within one year of the Palace high-rise, Cervera secured several other major jobs on Brickell Avenue, including The Atlantis (known for its appearance in the opening credits of Miami Vice), Villa Regina and Bristol Towers.[2][4] As of 2023, Cervera has represented and sold more than 30 residential high-rise condominium towers in Brickell.[1][3] She worked with developers to help revitalize neighborhoods such as Miami Beach’s South of Fifth, downtown Miami, Coconut Grove, and Edgewater.[6][8]

Between 1969 and 2023, Cervera's career in new development sales and marketing included more than 120 condominium high-rise towers represented and sold across South Florida.[2][6][9] Among these, include: Aston Martin Residences Miami (downtown Miami), Apogee (South Beach), the Ritz Carlton Coconut Grove, St. Regis Bal Harbour, and Grove at Grand Bay (Coconut Grove).

Cervera has been a supporter of the American Red Cross and the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. For the last 40-years, she has been President of Clinica San Juan de Dios Miami Foundation, a hospital for disabled children in her native Peru.[10][11]

Awards and recognition

Cervera has been referred to in the press as the "Grand Lady of Real Estate Sales" and the "Queen of Brickell."[1][6][4] Her contributions to Miami's growth and development have earned her various accolades, including:

  • In 1991, Cervera was recognized in the Congressional Record for her achievements in real estate as an example of an immigrant businesswoman who helped make America the great country it is.
  • In 2001 Cervera received the Red Cross Spectrum Entrepreneurial Award
  • In 2006 CAMACOL recognized Cervera as a Successful Hispanic Businesswoman of the Year
  • In 2009 the Realtor Association of Miami and the Beaches granted Cervera the "Miami Real Estate Icon Award"
  • In May 2013 the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce presented Cervera with a South Florida Real Estate Achievement and Leaders Award for her Lifetime Achievement.
  • In 2014 Cervera received several recognitions:
    • South Florida Executive Magazine recognized her as a “Legend” for her dedication and commitment to the South Florida community.
    • The Miami Master Broker’s Forum “Legacy Award” for her dedication to excellence in business and impact on South Florida real estate.[12]
    • The American Cancer Society Award for Inner Circle of 12.[13]
  • In 2016, Miami Dade County Mayor Tomás Regalado proclaimed October 18th “Alicia Cervera Day,” stating that “no woman other than Julia Tuttle has had a larger impact on the development of Miami than Alicia Cervera.”[5][6]
  • In 2018, Cervera was invited to give a lecture about successful women in business at Columbia University.
  • In 2022, Miami-Dade County dedicated a stretch of South Miami Avenue as "Alicia Cervera Way" in recognition of her efforts to revitalize existing neighborhoods and create new ones.[1][10][14]
  • In 2023, Cervera was honored with the South Florida Business Journal's Lifetime Achievement Award, in recognition of her influence and dedication to the real estate industry.[3] Speaking about Cervera's recognition, City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said “I don’t know what Miami would look like, I don’t know what my job as mayor would be without the achievements Alicia gave to our community.”[1]
  • The same year, Cervera was bestowed with the “Urban Warrior: Legacy Award” by Miami’s Center for Architecture and Design for her dedication to the development of Miami’s urban core into a vibrant cosmopolitan center.[15]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Zbar, Jeff (2023-04-13). "'Queen of Brickell' Alicia Cervera Sr. transforms Miami real estate (Video)". South Florida Business Journal. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 McCaughan, Sean (2020-02-03). "'Starting over was daunting' — but for three generations of Cervera women, it's paid off". The Miami Herald.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Bandell, Brian (2023-02-17). "Alicia Cervera Sr. named SFBJ's 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award honoree". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Arauz, Jorge (2018-06-19). "REAL ESTATE ROYALTY". Brickell Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  5. 1 2 Staff, T. R. D. (2016-10-25). "Alicia Cervera | Cervera Real Estate | Alicia Cervera Day". The Real Deal. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 Nehamas, Nicholas (2023-10-18). "Miami Mayor honors prominent local Realtor with special day". The Miami Herald. Retrieved 2023-10-17.
  7. ↑ Levy, Art (2022-08-11). "Florida Icon: Alicia Cervera". Florida Trend. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  8. ↑ Warren, Katie (2021-07-29). "Miami's billionaire 'Condo King' is selling his waterfront mansion in a gated Florida community for $33 million. Take a look inside". Business Insider. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  9. ↑ Kallergis, Katherine. "Brokerage Exec Alicia Cervera Lamadrid On Her Life and Career". The Real Deal. Retrieved 2023-10-19.
  10. 1 2 Regan, Patrick (2022-04-14). "Portion of South Miami Avenue renamed in honor of Miami real estate legend Alicia Cervera Sr". South Florida Agent Magazine. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  11. ↑ Cela, Victoria (2022-04-25). "County commisioners co-designate part of S. Miami Ave. as 'Alicia Cervera Way' | Biscayne Bay Tribune#". Miami's Community News. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  12. ↑ "Legacy Awards". Master Brokers Forum. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  13. ↑ "News". The Brickellian. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  14. ↑ Castrope, Daniel (2022-04-14). "Honran a empresaria Alicia Cervera con calle en Miami-Dade". diariolasamericas.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-10-18.
  15. ↑ "Urban Warrior Awards - Miami Center for Architecture & Design, Inc". Miami Center for Architecture & Design, Inc. Retrieved 2023-10-18.
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