MIAMI—The Allen Morris Company has launched a new division: Allen Morris Residential. The commercial real estate firm is responding to what it calls “increased market demand for residential projects.”

“We invest in buildings for the long term,” says W. Allen Morris, chairman and CEO of Allen Morris. “Our goal is to approach construction design in a way that considers the quality, architecture, design, and materials to create a lasting and thoughtful development for the community where we ourselves would love to work or live.”

Morris has assembled a team of professionals to lead the charge, including Dennis Suarez, Gordon Crozier, and Kevin Blakey. Suarez, who is director of Development at Allen Morris, will serve as managing director of the residential division. Crozier, a CPA, will serve as director of Investors. Blake is director of Construction.

Allen Morris has grown to one of the largest commercial real estate firms in the southeast with more than $5.6 billion in gross business volume and 79 office, retail, and industrial developments. The company's work includes the Florida headquarters for AT&T, the regional headquarters of FPL, IBM, and CBS, and the Federal Reserve Bank of Miami.

“We will continue to enforce these standards and maintain our ambitious vision for Allen Morris Residential around Florida and the Southeastern U.S.,” says Morris. “I am extremely confident in the team we've assembled to lead us to another 55 years of success in every area of mixed-use development.”

Suarez is the former vice president of the Southeast region for Archstone, the second-largest multifamily developer in the U.S. He previously held senior-level positions at JPI and Trammell Crow Residential. His more than 30 years of experience in development and design of multifamily residential units includes the construction of 15,000 apartments and a number of mixed-use developments.

With more than 20 years of senior level financial experience, Crozier previously served as CFO of the Southwest Florida Region of Beazer Homes and as the director of Financial Operations for Atlantic Gulf Communities. Prior to joining Allen Morris, he was a CPA with Deloitte & Touche and directed financial efforts for several start-up companies in the charter school industry.

Leveraging his diverse background that includes single family, low- and high-rise rental, high-rise condominium, commercial, and assembly projects, Blakey has managed the construction of several of South Florida's most prestigious residential projects during his more than 30 years in the industry. His work includes Portofino Tower in South Beach (47 stories, $92 million), Turnberry on the Green in Aventura (28 stories, $74 million), and 50 Biscayne in Miami (56 stories, $127 million).