Renowned S. Florida Developer, Donald Soffer, Passes Away at 92

Donald M. Soffer, the visionary behind the town of Aventura, died at his home in Aventura, Florida, at the age of 92.

His development company, Turnberry Associates, played a role in shaping Pittsburgh’s postwar landscape, with early developments such as South Hills Village and One Oxford Centre. Among his most notable early achievements was the Monroeville Mall, a 1.1 million-square-foot retail destination that became both a commercial success and a cultural landmark.

In the late 1960s, Soffer purchased 785 acres of swampland north of Miami and turned it into a sprawling master-planned community that became Aventura.

Aventura became a hub for a growing community that evolved to include numerous luxury towers with almost 25,000 residences, private clubs, tennis courts, marinas, and entertainment spaces. In 1983, Soffer secured the first Macy’s outside of New York with the opening of the Aventura Mall.

Turnberry’s $10 billion real estate portfolio includes $2 billion in hospitality projects, as well as 3.7 million square feet of retail space and 1,705 multifamily units.