Dave Martin: Leads Swire’s efforts on final Brickell Key development

When Dave Martin became president of Swire Properties’ U.S. operations in March, he stepped into leadership of a company that has spent more than four decades helping shape modern Miami. From the master-planned island of Brickell Key to the billion-dollar Brickell City Centre (BCC) development, Swire has played a defining role in the evolution of Brickell into one of the country’s most prominent urban neighborhoods.

Now, Mr. Martin is charged with leading the company’s next chapter: The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, a two-tower luxury development rising on the final undeveloped parcel of Brickell Key.

Born and raised in London, Mr. Martin did not initially set out to build skyscrapers. After college, he spent a year teaching English in China, an experience that launched a three-decade career across Asia’s luxury real estate markets. He went on to oversee mixed-use, hospitality, office and retail developments in Hong Kong, Singapore, Beijing and Macau, working with globally recognized brands including LVMH, Chanel, Hermès and Mandarin Oriental. The experience gave him a front-row seat to the rapid growth of some of the world’s most dynamic cities and shaped his approach to large-scale urban development.

Mr. Martin joined Swire Properties in 2018 to lead the retail strategy for BCC, where he helped reposition the development into one of the nation’s top-performing shopping destinations. Under his leadership, the project reached full occupancy before Swire completed a record-setting $512 million sale of the retail component to Simon Property Group in 2025. The role gave him a unique perspective on Miami’s transformation from a tourism-driven economy into an increasingly influential center for finance, technology and international business.

Today, his focus is firmly on the future of Brickell Key. Following the implosion of the former Mandarin Oriental hotel, Swire is preparing to break ground on a new destination expected to be completed in 2030. The development is to include a new North American flagship Mandarin Oriental hotel, private residences, multiple pools and expansive landscaped amenity spaces designed by a Thailand-based landscape architecture firm, reflecting the company’s Asian roots.

As Miami continues its emergence as a global city, Mr. Martin sees the project not only as the culmination of Swire’s 40-year vision for Brickell Key, but as part of the next phase of growth reshaping the city itself.

Mr. Martin spoke with Miami Today reporter Genevieve Bowen.

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