The South Florida Business Florida From the April 11, 2003 print edition Darcie Lunsford  

The metal security gates fan out in a checkerboard grid, guarding empty booths.

Banner signs stripe the tops of many: Rebecca Jewelry Dis-count, Gifts-O-Rama, and Josie's $5 or Less Store. An empty, two-story carousel collects dust, its stampede of bouncing horses frozen in an eerie halt.

But Weston-based Millennium Development Enterprises plans to change that.

The small retail developer signed a 60-year lease on April 3 to take control of the abandoned Hollywood Super Mall at U.S. 441 and Hollywood Boulevard.

The plan is to fill the 935,140-square-foot mall, a faded testament to 1970s retailing, with 850 booth-based vendors, 40 shops, food stands, a 35,000-square-foot farmers market and a family entertainment center.

If Millennium can do that, it promises to create nearly 2,600 new jobs, $657 million in sales, and $39 million in sales tax within five years, according to a September economic impact study.

Millennium's plan sounds similar to one floated last year by Pompano Beach flea market operator Daniel Shooster.

Shooster's deal died this winter and that's when Millennium stepped in.

Terms of Millennium's lease with the mall's New York-based owners call for the firm to pay about $3.5 million a year in rent with an option to buy the mall in 10 years for $33 million, according to Millennium Chairman Ignacio Martinez II.

Millennium also expects to pump about $20 million into renovations, said Martinez, who is redeveloping the center with his father, brother and partner Noel Epelboim, a local engineer.

Caracas flea markets

The Martinez family, which moved to South Florida from Venezuela about eight years ago, owns three flea markets in Caracas. The family, under its Millennium moniker, also owns 450,000 square feet of retail centers and a new condominium development in western Broward County.

Millennium's deal comes after mall owners failed to seal a deal with Shooster, owner of the Festival Flea Market Mall, whose Web site says it is more than 400,000 square feet.

Shooster also planned a flea market-style shopping center and entertainment hub in the building.

"Shooster wasn't ready to make up his mind so we moved forward without him," said Chiam Stern, one of the mall's New York owners, who paid about $12 million for the property in 1997.

Shooster could not be reached for comment.

Millennium lawyer Roy Oppenheim said that when his clients found out that Shooster was out of the picture, they pounced.

"We only went into intense negotiations with them in March," said Oppenheim, a senior partner with Oppenheim Pilelsky in Weston. "We did the whole deal, literally, from start to finish, in 10 days."

Martinez said he began chasing the mall deal two years ago because the family was interested in bringing their South American flea market know-how to the United States.

But Shooster became the lead contender.

"We were always the backup option," he said.

Offshore hedge fund

The family created Millennium Equity last year, an offshore hedge fund that pools cash from Latin American investors for U.S. real estate deals. The fund now has about $1.5 million in it, Martinez said. The objective goal is to build up the fund's cash position and use it as leverage to buy Millennium developments once they are up and collecting rent.

Millennium's plan, which may include taking the fund public in about five years, comes as retailers nationwide deal with sluggish sales spurred by the nation's wobbly economy and general uncertainty about terrorism and the war in Iraq.

Many national chains have put their expansion plans on ice until these economic storms blow over.

The Super Mall had a lineup of major retailers - including department stores Burdines, Jordan Marsh and JCPenney - when it opened in 1974 as Hollywood Fashion Center. The death knell for the mall was in 1992 when Burdines and JCPenney moved down the road to the new Pembroke Lakes Mall.

For the rebirth, Millennium plans to target local tenants, generally regarded as riskier than national retailers, but more apt to make a move even in uncertain times.

"We really feel like they are the ones that are going to take the largest market position right now," Martinez said.

E-mail real estate editor Darcie Lunsford at dlunsford@bizjournals.com.

TCPalm.com By Tyler Treadway features columnist April 13, 2003

A Stuart Marine who joined the corps to show his gratitude to his adopted country has become something of a hero in his native land.

Lance Cpl. Eugenio Caceres emigrated from Venezuela with his family in 1987. After growing up in Stuart and graduating from South Fork High School in 2002, he enlisted in the Marine Corps.

Now the 19-year-old, son of Eugenio and Livia Caceres Sr., is serving in Iraq with the Marines' 2nd Division.

On April 3, he was featured in a "Treasure Coast Troops" story about local service men and women in Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers (The Stuart News/Port St. Lucie News and the Fort Pierce/Port St. Lucie Tribune).

Journalists from El Nacional, a nationwide newspaper in Venezuela, saw the story and contacted the Caceres family in Stuart.

"We talked," Livia Caceres said, "and they asked me to (e-mail) them some pictures. I thought they might write a cute little article. I asked my mother in Venezuela to look for it. I told her it would be very small."

The April 4 edition of El Nacional did run a small photo of Eugenio Jr. in his Marine dress blues -- on the front page. And two-thirds of page B10 was taken up with a story and two more photos: one of the entire Caceres family and another of Eugenio Jr. in combat gear.

Stories about the Caceres family also appeared on Venezuelan television and radio.

"People there are very proud that Venezuela is being represented," Livia Caceres said. "They're saying what a brave young man he is to be there. I'm very proud of him, but I'm also very humbled, too."

The mother thinks her son's reaction to the attention he's getting might be very much the same.

"Being a 19-year-old young man," she said, "the son who left me might enjoy the notoriety. But after being there, I don't know exactly who will be coming back. These experiences he's having, they'll change him. He will grow. Gaining a certain notoriety through war and all the suffering that goes on in a war, that might make it a humbling experience for him."

The family last heard from Eugenio Jr. when he phoned from Kuwait on March 17, two days before the invasion of Iraq began.

Red Cross forming support groups

To help ease the pain of family members of men and women serving overseas, Treasure Coast chapters of the American Red Cross are offering to form support groups for families of overseas service men and women.

The Martin County Red Cross will hold a preliminary meeting at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the chapter headquarters, 2715 S. Federal Highway in Stuart.

Anyone interested in joining the group who can't attend Tuesday's meeting can call the chapter office, 287-2002.

The North Treasure Coast chapter is asking people interested in joining a support group to call 461-3950 in St. Lucie County and 562-2549 in Indian River County.

Both chapters will determine the best places, days and times to hold regular meetings based on input they receive.

Tyler Treadway can be reached at 221-4236 or at tyler.treadway@scripps.com via e-mail.

Canoe Saturday, April 12, 2003 By CP

TORONTO -- Convicted mobster Alfonso Caruana is facing the possibility of more jail time after Italy filed a request for his extradition.

Already serving an 18-year sentence for running what authorities called one of the largest drug-smuggling rings in the world, Caruana was slapped yesterday with an extradition request from Italy, where he's been convicted in absentia of mob association and conspiracy and sentenced to 21 years.

Caruana was arrested yesterday morning at Fenbrook Institution near Gravenhurst, Ont., and brought to a Toronto courthouse. The case was put over until April 24.

Patrick Charette, a spokesman for the federal Justice Department, said the Italian government now has 45 days to forward its case for extradition, after which the department will have another 30 days to consider it. If the minister of justice approves the request, the case will then go before a judge, Charette said.

Caruana and three relatives pleaded guilty in 2000 to operating the sprawling Cuntrera-Caruana crime family, described at the time as the most powerful Mafia drug clan in the world.

BILLION-DOLLAR DRUG OPERATION

The family left Sicily in the 1960s and set up shop in Venezuela, where they rapidly assembled a billion-dollar drug operation capable of shipping heroin, cocaine and hashish by the tonne.

They later moved to Montreal, where members would make bank deposits with hockey bags of cash, before shifting headquarters to a quiet home in Woodbridge, Ont., near Toronto.

Quinto Día Cheo Gómez Cheogomez@cantv.net

***SI NO OCURRE UN MILAGRO, Edelca debe comenzar a parar unidades la semana que viene, por el bajo nivel del embalse de Guri, cuyo nivel ya está cerca del borde superior de las tomas de las turbinas de la Casa de Máquinas II. Además del cierre de las compuertas de toma de algunas unidades, tendría que reducir el caudal que mueve a las unidades de Casa de Máquinas I, cuyas tomas están más abajo, lo que significaría reducir su capacidad nominal de generación. El propio desastre, porque de todas maneras, pase lo que pase, viene un racionamiento eléctrico, anunciado desde hace dos años, y que muy bien pudiera haberse evitado si hubiéramos adoptado a tiempo las medidas necesarias. Si es cierto que hay un “golpe eléctrico”, los complotados lo vienen preparando desde hace tres años y tendríamos que concluir que somos bien malos en materia de Seguridad de Estado cuando, sabiendo lo que estaban preparando, publicitado en todos los medios, no fuimos capaces de impedirlo. Ya me duelen los dedos de escribir, hasta el fastidio, que Cadafe tenía que haberse declarado en emergencia frente al descenso del nivel de Guri. Pero las lluvias siempre llegaban, aunque escasas, cada vez que estábamos a punto de mate. Eso nos hacía olvidar de momento la gravedad de lo que venía. Para remate, Venezuela es el único país petrolero que no utiliza gas para generar la energía eléctrica que complemente en un porcentaje racional la que proviene de su potencial hidráulico. Los tecnócratas de Edelca, con un lobby político de la excelente escuela de Leopoldo Sucre Figarella y Efraín Carrera, secuestraron para sí el desarrollo eléctrico del país. Nuestro país ha invertido en tendidos eléctricos para llevar energía eléctrica de un extremo a otro de nuestra geografía, mucho más de lo que habría costado instalar allí una central termoeléctrica. Nos sobra gas, que lo quemamos, pero en lugar de utilizarlo para generar electricidad, hemos invertido en centrales hidroeléctricas todos los recursos disponibles en el país para su desarrollo energético. Y no sólo hemos invertido allí todo lo que teníamos para electricidad, sino que nos hemos endeudado para que Edelca pueda llevar adelante sus planes de crecimiento. Edelca ha crecido, es verdad, pero el país no está ahora más seguro en materia energética y este problema es la mejor evidencia de ello. Los tecnócratas de Edelca podrán inventar ahora los argumentos y análisis que quieran, pero a la luz de la crisis actual estuvieron y están equivocados en sus planes de desarrollo. Los hechos se encargaron de hacer añicos ese eslogan de Edelca de “Energía confiable...”. Para que fuera confiable tendría que haber sido acompañada de otras fuentes de energía eléctrica, lo cual no ocurrió, entre otras cosas, porque todos los recursos disponibles, los que había y los que no había, se fueron para el Caroní. Como dice el viejo refrán castellano, pusimos todos los huevos en la misma cesta, y la pusimos. Y no me vengan a decir que la culpa es de Cadafe, por no haber hecho las inversiones necesarias, ni en plantas ni en mantenimiento, porque yo no recuerdo haber visto jamás a algún ejecutivo de Edelca hacer esos reclamos de manera pública, sabiendo como lo sabían que la naturaleza nos podía jugar una mala pasada, tal como ha ocurrido. ***LA BOLSA DE TORONTO suspendió el jueves la cotización de las acciones de Crystallex y aunque la reabrió el viernes, la dejó en revisión. El problema es que Crystallex modificó los balances que había presentado en EE UU, lo que incluyó convertir las utilidades en pérdidas, pero no hizo los mismo en Canadá, en donde seguía apareciendo con utilidades. Esta situación provocó que la prestigiosísima firma Davidson renunciara la semana pasada a seguir siendo su auditor externo. ***EL MINISTRO DE MINAS estuvo dos días en las minas del sur de Guayana, casi de incógnito, alternando con mineros de manera directa sin la engorrosa presencia de los protocoleros de costumbre.

<a href=www.sun-sentinel.com>The Sun Posted April 11 2003

Cacao 1737 Cuisine: Contemporary South American Where: 141 Giralda Ave, Coral Gables, 305-445-1001 Cost: expensive Credit cards: all major Hours: lunch Monday-Friday, dinner Monday-Saturday Reservations: recommended Sound level: moderate Bar: full service Smoking: areas allowing and prohibiting Wheelchair accessible: yes Children's facilities: yes Complete restaurant info

Everyone loves chocolate, and with health experts even talking about the benefits of what may be the world's favorite confection, it is possible to wonder why we haven't seen anything quite like Cacao 1737 before. Chef Edgar Leal, a culinary star in Venezuela before moving to Miami two years ago, is the innovator, teaming with Venezuela's El Rey chocolate and the Bodegas Pomar winery to create a restaurant aimed at featuring chocolate as one of many ingredients in a variety of dishes.

There are smug diners who will think that Mexico already gave us mole, but few know that bitter chocolate is actually a fairly minor player in this complex sauce. Leal makes this sort of complex blend in dish after dish and does it subtly enough that, once seated in the calm, well-appointed dining room, one isn't so much aware of a concept at work and an intriguing mind in the kitchen.

It is a considerable leap from concept to balance on the plate however, and not everything that issues from the kitchen at Cacao has the balance the concept requires, nor does everything have a strong chocolate presence. Take a starter of duck escabeche with a white chocolate and carrot mousse ($11). It sounds odd, but the sauce actually works beautifully -- the carrot adds sweetness, and the chocolate gives a velvety texture. It's the duck that doesn't fly: this escabeche is so tart, the duck is more pickled than marinated and so acidic not even white chocolate can give it balance.

Salmon ceviche with guacamole ($8) is nearly flavorless, but arepa chips with diced chicken and creamy avocado mayonnaise ($9) is subtly appealing in flavor and texture, and a plate of empanadas ($10) -- beef, chicken, seafood and vegetable -- were delicate and ever so light without a hint of greasiness. A salad of watermelon and goat cheese ($6) also made for a nice contrast of temperature and texture. I had great hopes for a seafood-stuffed yucca ($14), but the nondescript seafood mixture had a nebulous, fishy taste without any real focus.

Main courses are also inconsistent, though some are quite good. The matambre ($23), a long and slow-cooked flank steak with a citrus marinade, was terrific. The flavors were deep and rich without losing a sense of balance. Rabbit with yucca gnocchi ($18) was tender and served as a good foil for a slightly sweet mango sauce.

Less successful is a hollowed round of gouda cheese stuffed with chopped pork ($17). The pork is well-flavored, but like so many dishes at Cacao, this one is very salty. Perhaps the kitchen thinks salt helps temper the sweeter side of chocolate and some of the other ingredients, but it overpowers everything. Many of the dishes would be considerably better if they didn't seem determined to raise our sodium levels.

Cacao 1737 is as remarkable for its incongruities as for stellar success. Bodegas Pomar apparently doesn't have distribution in the United States so, though it is a partner in the restaurant, its wines haven't been included on any of the wine lists I've seen. El Rey chocolate intended to have a boutique next door to the restaurant, but so far that hasn't opened either, and there's no sign anything will happen soon on that front.

There's a lovely wine cellar off the main dining area that practically begs diners to order something interesting from the small wine list, but several white wines I ordered were not chilled, I was told. On the other hand, the serving staff offers to decant practically any decent red they do sell, and that's a great thing (and the decanters are lovely). Service is friendly and the chef makes a point of greeting diners throughout the evening. He's such a pleasant, eager-to-please fellow you want to thank him even when you weren't blown away by the food. Cacao has a lot of potential to be a warm, friendly place, as smooth a chocolate ganache. It just isn't there yet.

Please phone in advance to confirm information on hours, prices, menu items and facilities. For review consideration, please fax a current menu that includes name and address of restaurant to 954-356-4386 or send to Sun-Sentinel, 200 E. Las Olas Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301-2293.

If you would like to contact freelance writer Lyn Farmer, e-mail him at diningout@sun-sentinel.com or write to him in care of the Sun-Sentinel.