Bankunited Plans To Add Three Branches In County

By Samantha Joseph
Coral Gables-based BankUnited plans to add three branches in Miami-Dade County, creating up to 25 jobs by summer, President and CEO Ramiro Ortiz said Tuesday.

The first new full-service operation is planned to open by mid-April in South Miami at 6308 S Dixie Highway. June openings are planned for branches at 15201 NW 67th Ave. in Miami Lakes and 300 Arthur Godfrey Road in Miami Beach.

"We feel very strongly about the Miami market and we feel that we have very unique opportunities that fit our bank very well," Mr. Ortiz said.

Jobs being created will range from managerial posts with annual incomes of about $80,000-$90,000 to teller jobs that pay $20,000-$25,000.

Mr. Ortiz said Florida’s deposit-rich environment plus Miami-Dade’s rapid population growth in the past five years account for the expansion decisions.

"As a banker, I love that combination," he said. "What we see is opportunity everywhere."

With $107 billion on deposit in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties, financial institutions in the tri-county area hold 44% of all deposits in Florida.

BankUnited, with $7 billion in assets, has $4 billion in deposits in the 47 branches it operates in the tri-county area, Mr. Ortiz said, and is looking to grow that figure by adding locations. About one-third of its branches are in Miami-Dade.

The bank employs 800 in Miami-Dade. Its assets grew about 20% last year.

BankUnited is also planning to renovate its corporate headquarters at 255 Alhambra Circle and a South Miami branch at 6075 Sunset Drive.

Mr. Ortiz, who also was the 2001-02 chair of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce, said, "There’s just an awful lot of room for expansion."