Amicon Breaks Ground on Make-A-Wish Headquarters
South Florida Business Journal // October 16, 2021
By Brian Bandell
The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida broke ground on its headquarters in the Overtown neighborhood of Miami on Wednesday.
The nonprofit is constructing a 30,000-square-foot building of five stories at 343 N.W. Sixth St. Called the Finker-Frenkel Wish House, it's expected to be completed in early 2023.
It will house office space and a “wish house” where children who are dealing with illnesses can have their wishes fulfilled.
“It is a dream come true to break ground on the Finker-Frenkel Wish House and bring our vision for the wish experience to life,” said Norman Wedderburn, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish Southern Florida. “Our goal is to bring hope and love to these children and their families as they walk through the halls of the new wish-granting headquarters.”
Boston-based Suffolk Construction is the general contractor of the project. It was designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica. Miami-based Amicon is managing the construction process.
“The innovative design of the new Wish House is certainly pushing the boundaries on traditional structure, and is set to be a beacon of light and inspiration in South Florida,” Amicon CEO Adam Mopsick said.
Make-A-Wish is relocating its South Florida headquarters from Fort Lauderdale.
The project was made possible through a fundraising campaign that has attracted nearly $30 million in donations. The nonprofit acquired the property for $8 million in January.
Greenberg Traurig attorneys Danielle Gonzalez and Iris Escarra worked pro bono on the project’s development approvals and MIA Miami donated a “substantial portion” of its commissions from the deal to Make-A-Wish.
