Ugo Colombo.
Ugo Colombo
Founder at CMC Group
For almost 40 years, Ugo Colombo has played a larger-than-life role in Miami’s residential and commercial development. From the Santa Maria tower in Miami’s Brickell neighborhood to the redevelopment of South Beach’s Waldorf hotel, Colombo’s projects helped put Miami on the map as a global luxury market.
Born in Milan, Italy, Colombo came to the U.S. in the early 1980s to study business administration at the University of Miami. His career in real estate began soon after with the buying and selling of a group of residential units in buildings along Brickell Avenue, an area that would later become his sandbox. Colombo formed CMC Group in 1986 with an initial focus on property management, though he quickly shifted to luxury design and construction. The firm’s breakout moment was its development of the Bristol Tower on Brickell Avenue in 1993, whose success was followed by the 52-story Santa Maria tower a few years later.
“To be successful in any business, you need to be in the right place at the right moment, keep your eyes open for opportunity, and be prepared to seize it,” Colombo said. “I’ve mostly made the right decisions throughout my career because of my ability to take advantage of those opportunities.”
These days, Colombo’s CMC Group is continuing the trend of bringing high-end luxury condominiums to life, whether that be the 42-unit Onda Residences in Bay Harbor Islands, or the 65-unit Vita at Grove Isle on a 20-acre private island in Miami’s Biscayne Bay, near the city’s affluent Coconut Grove neighborhood.
Aside from residential development, Colombo is passionate about cars (“Who isn’t?” he said). In 1994, he acquired The Collection, a seven-brand lavish automotive dealership in Coral Gables. He spent years racing Porsche 911 GT2 and GT3s, as well as driving in the Ferrari Challenge, an annual international championship series for Ferrari owners. Although he doesn’t race anymore — much to the good fortune of the racers tired of losing to him — Colombo implied that his real estate competitors will never be so lucky.
“I’ve been doing this for 35 years, but I have no plans of stopping,” Colombo said. “I will stay the course and continue doing what I do best.”
