MIAMI—Aria Development Group—a cool group of young developers who are making a name for themselves in complex deals—have found a sweet spot in distressed assets. Beyond that, though, the company is also developing 321 Ocean, the last oceanfront lot to be built out in Miami Beach's South of Fifth neighborhood

There are also plans for 825 Collins, a 10,000-square-foot retail space just up the street. And just weeks ago the group closed a $6.5 million deal for 727 Collins Ave., a mixed-use building that just received approval from the Historic Preservation board to convert the ground floor into 5,000-square-feet of retail.

GlobeSt.com caught up with Aria managing principal Joshua Benaim to discuss the key drivers for retail real estate in Miami Beach. He also offers insight into how Lincoln Road and Collins Avenue stack up to New York retail.