Dania Beach, FL (June 4, 2025) – Jamestown, a design-focused real estate investment and management firm, today announced it will oversee asset management, leasing, and creative and marketing for the Design Center of the Americas (DCOTA) on behalf of global investment manager Fortress Investment Group. Funds managed by affiliates of Fortress Investment Group (“Fortress”) acquired the property in November 2024. Jamestown will work alongside property manager Lincoln Property Company.
DCOTA is a 780,000-square-foot commercial property consisting of design showrooms and office space across three interconnected buildings in Dania Beach, Florida near Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
At DCOTA, Jamestown will draw upon its significant home furnishings to the trade experience managing design centers, including the Boston Design Center at The Innovation and Design Building, Brooklyn Design District at Industry City, and Charleston Design District at Navy Yard Charleston. Jamestown will also leverage its substantial home goods and design retail tenancy throughout its portfolio, including at Westside Provisions District in Atlanta. Initial efforts will include cross marketing showroom leasing opportunities to capture new entrants into the South Florida market, better optimizing office space for more diverse users, expanding design industry programming and events, and enhancing signage and wayfinding throughout the campus.
"Through collaborative B2B programming and marketing initiatives, we provide a platform and set of resources to support and strengthen the designers, architects, and creative professionals who comprise our portfolio of design centers,” said Michael Phillips, President of Jamestown. “We believe our specialized experience in both office and design centers uniquely positions us to create new value-add opportunities for the property. Within the broader home furnishing to the trade landscape, we see the Design Center of the Americas as well positioned to be a bridge to Central and South American brands and seek to foster those connections through programming and curatorial leasing."
The appointment of Jamestown follows more than $3 million in campus improvements undertaken by Fortress, with another $3-5 million of investments planned over the coming year. Improvements to the property include modernized exterior landscaping, refreshed interior common areas with new branded signage on showroom exterior windows, elevator enhancements, kitchen equipment enhancements for the on-site café and restaurant, upgraded restrooms, and more refined aesthetics such as foliage across the property.
The DCOTA Resource Center, a communal workspace that provides complimentary access to meeting space for designers and tenants, has also been reintroduced following a complete refresh. The space includes a conference room and open space to accommodate a wide range of events.
DCOTA is conveniently located immediately next to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, Tri-Rail airport stop and the high-speed Brightline rail station, and alongside I-95 and close to the Florida Turnpike. The adjacent Le Méridien Dania Beach Hotel at Fort Lauderdale Airport enhances DCOTA’s appeal and convenience for visitors.
“For more than 40 years, DCOTA has served as South Florida’s epicenter for consumer and trade design services, and with our investment program to enhance the center for tenants and guests alike, and the appointment of Jamestown, we know DCOTA’s appeal today is stronger than ever before,” said David Moson, Managing Director and Head of US Real Estate Asset Management at Fortress Investment Group. “We’re also reintroducing our office and event spaces as a premier location business and social events, extending even further DCOTA’s appeal and importance in the South Fl area.”
“Working with Jamestown at the Boston Design Center has been a truly rewarding experience,” said Alisha Serras, Co-Owner, Scavolini USA, which is a design showroom tenant at both the Boston Design Center and DCOTA. “Jamestown’s investment at the Boston Design Center, as well as in the community, are ongoing, creative, and effective. We have seen over the years how the building has been developed intentionally and beautifully, making a comfortable place to work. The design community is centralized for flow of clients looking for a 'one stop' shopping experience. Their commitment to enhancing the space and fostering a dynamic design community has significantly benefited our showroom and the broader design industry in Boston. We are excited about Jamestown's upcoming leadership at DCOTA and look forward to collaborating with them in new ways.”
DCOTA is the largest design center in South Florida, representing the majority of the gross leasable area for design showrooms in the market. For more than 30 years, DCOTA has served the design community with its world-class designers, architects, decorators, and dealers. The campus features more than 35 showrooms catering to home, yacht, and office design projects. Current design showroom tenants include Cowtan & Tout, Downsview, Holly Hunt, Pierre Frey, Romo, and Quadrille. Current office tenants include Medtronic and JetBlue Travel Products.
Property amenities include: dining services at full-service restaurant DCOTA Cay, which serves locally inspired dishes and Americana classics; C Bar, a gourmet coffee bar serving customized blends of coffee, made fresh daily pastries, and made-to-order caffeinated beverages; complimentary Wi-Fi available throughout the building; and three, four-story atriums, each with lounge areas and shared workspaces. Additionally, full-service restaurants Toro and La Biblioteca, both by Chef Richard Sandoval, are located at the adjacent Le Méridien Dania Beach hotel.
High level services are available and include a full-time concierge and an on-staff Director of Design Services, offering white glove assistance in- and expertise on- all design needs, serving as a liaison for the client to the showrooms.
In addition to DCOTA, Jamestown’s Florida portfolio includes lifestyle center Mercato in Naples and grocery-anchored shopping centers: Country Club Plaza in Miami Gardens, Doral Commons in Doral, Tamarac Town Square in Tamarac, and Polo Club Shops in Boca Raton. In South America, Jamestown partners with local developers to invest in residential and mixed-use development projects in select urban markets, sourcing acquisition and development opportunities from its local office in Bogotá, Colombia.
About Jamestown
Jamestown is a design-focused, vertically integrated real estate investment manager and service provider with over 40 years of experience and a mission to create places that inspire. As of March 31, 2025, Jamestown has assets under management of $14.2 billion and a portfolio spanning key markets throughout the U.S., Latin America, and Europe. Jamestown employs more than 600 people worldwide with 11 global offices, including headquarters in Atlanta and Cologne. Current and previous projects include One Times Square and Chelsea Market in New York, Industry City in Brooklyn, Ponce City Market in Atlanta, Ghirardelli Square in San Francisco, the Innovation and Design Buildings in Boston and Lisbon, and Groot Handelsgebouw in Rotterdam. For more information, visit www.jamestownlp.com.
About Fortress Investment Group
Fortress Investment Group LLC is a leading, highly diversified global investment manager. Founded in 1998, Fortress manages $50 billion of assets under management as of 31 December 2024, on behalf of approximately 2,000 institutional clients and private investors worldwide across a range of credit and real estate, private equity and permanent capital investment strategies.
AUM refers to assets Fortress manages, including capital that Fortress has the right to call from investors, or investors are otherwise required to contribute, pursuant to their capital commitments to various funds or managed accounts.
For more information, please visit www.fortress.com.
