Stanley Whitman

Stanley Finch Whitman was born on November 15, 1918, in Evanston, Illinois, to William and Leona E. Whitman.[2][4] William Whitman owned a printing company in Chicago and also developed real estate properties in the Miami area.[5][2]

In the 1920s, William and Leona Whitman developed some of the most iconic destinations in Miami Beach, including Española Way,[6] properties on Lincoln Road and much of the ocean frontage on Collins Avenue between Twenty-Ninth Street and Forty-Fourth Street. They also developed Whitman-by-the-Sea, the first hotel built on Miami Beach after the 1926 Miami Hurricane.[2] In 1930, Leona Whitman became a founding member of the exclusive Surf Club.[7] In the 1950s, she sold to Ben Novack the property that became Novack's Fontainebleau Miami Beach.

Stanley Whitman grew up on Miami Beach with his brothers, Bill and Dudley, in a single-family home on the oceanfront side of Collins Avenue at 32nd Street and Collins Avenue, the current site of the Faena Hotel Miami Beach.[8] He graduated from Ida M. Fischer High School,[5] and enrolled at Duke University in 1936.

Stanley's father, William F. Whitman, died of a heart failure on November 25, 1936, at the age of 77.[5] His mother, Leona, sold the Chicago printing business and invested most of the proceeds into Florida real estate, including properties on Lincoln Road and mid-Miami Beach oceanfront properties.[5]

At Duke, Stanley met his future wife, Dottie Stivers. After graduating during World War II, he served as a U.S. Navy officer, based in Miami Beach, overseeing a fleet of submarine chasers. He was honorably discharged in 1945. After the war, he helped to incorporate the Village of Bal Harbour.[8]

Bal Harbour Shops

Whitman was influenced by the peak glamour of Lincoln Road in the 1920s – the so-called "Fifth Avenue of the South" at that time[5] – Whitman envisioned "Lincoln Road North" – a theater of shopping featuring the most luxury brands for the world's most affluent shoppers on 96th and Collins Avenue.

In 1951, The Broad Causeway opened providing better access to the mainland and bringing motorists directly to 96th Street; nearby luxury hotels were sprouting quickly, most notably the 467-room Americana in 1956, created by Bob Tisch and Larry Tisch.[2][5]

In 1957, Whitman acquired the future Bal Harbour Shops location, 16 acres of land on the corner of 96th and Collins Avenue, for $2 per square foot, then a record price for retail property. Some critics at the time mocked the high price and called it, “Whitman’s Folly.”[1][5]

Whitman first hired architect Victor Gruen, but soon fired him and hired Herb Johnson, based in Miami.[4] They developed an open-air shopping center with shade trees – going completely against the conventional wisdom of enclosed, air-conditioned malls. Instead, they built a two-story structure with balconies and open air “streets” with tropical foliage, sculptures, fountains and koi ponds – as well as palm trees for shade in parking lots.[5] Whitman wanted to make Bal Harbour Shops to feel as exclusive as a private club; there would be no supermarkets, convenience stores or discount stores. Shoppers were even required to pay for parking – although parking was discounted with validation from any of the shops.[5]

On November 26, 1965, the shopping center opened with stores including FAO Schwarz, Abercrombie & Fitch and Martha's.[5] In 1971 Neiman Marcus opened as an anchor tenant at the north end of the Bal Harbour Shops complex – its first store ever outside of Texas.[5] In November 1976 Saks Fifth Avenue opened a 75,000 square foot store to anchor the southern end of the Bal Harbour Shops complex. Meanwhile, Bal Harbour added its first two European designer stores – Cartier and Courr`eges. In December 1977 Gucci opened a store at Bal Habour; over the next decade Yves Saint Laurent, Emanuel Ungaro, Versace, Chanel and other luxury brands opened stores.

In 1986, Bal Harbour added a $25 million expansion with 100,000 new square feet of retail space.[5]

In 1965, the shopping center opened with 120,858 square feet of retail space and 25 stores including FAO Schwarz and Abercrombie & Fitch.[5] Between 1971 and 1977, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Gucci opened stores at Bal Harbour Shops.[1]

In 1983, a second level was added.[1] Overall sales rose from $1,000 per square foot in 1997, 5 times the national average, to $2,000 per square foot in 2008, and to $3,000 per square foot in 2015.[1]

Bal Harbour's current anchor stores are Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, while other notable retailers include Salvatore Ferragamo, Alexander McQueen, Audemars Piguet, Balenciaga, Balmain, Bottega Veneta, Brioni, Bvlgari, Chanel, Chloe, Chopard, Dolce & Gabbana, Ermenegildo Zegna, Fendi, Giorgio Armani, Goyard, Graff, Gucci, Harry Winston, Missoni, Miu Miu, Prada, Rolex, Saint Laurent, Stella McCartney, Tod's, Van Cleef & Arpels, and Versace, among others.[9]

Whitman served the Bal Harbour community as president of the Bal Harbour Rotary Club, head of the Bal Harbour Resort Tax Committee and as an active member of the Interama Chamer of Commerce. He served chairman of the Board of the Miami Dade Water and Sewage Authority, and Chairman of the South Florida Highway Users Federation. In 1972, the Interana Chamber of Commerce named Whitman its Man of the Year.[5]

In the 1990s, Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas honored Whitman "for contributions which serve to enrich the fabric of the community."[8]

In addition to founding Bal Harbour Shops, Whitman made contributions to his community by supporting charities such as the Buoniconti Fund to Cure Paralysis and the University of Miami's Miller School's Project: New Born.[5][8][13]

In recognition of his philanthropy and civic engagement, Miami-Dade County recognized "Stanley F. Whitman Day" in 1998 and The Village of Bal Harbour followed suit in 2015.[8][13]

Mr. Whitman is survived by a son, Randall, Chairman of Whitman Family Development; a daughter, Gwen W. Lazenby, a grandson, Matthew W. Lazenby, President and CEO; three other grandchildren; and four great-grandsons. His wife, Dottie Stivers, died in 2008.[2]

• Whitman Family Development website