Whitefield Academy celebrates the opening of Morris Hall amid falling confetti and smiles. Pictured in the center are board of trustees member Allen Bell, Ida Morris, and headmaster Dr. John Lindsell.
Allen Morris believes in giving back to the community.
In addition to its employees volunteering and serving in leadership roles with the area’s most respected business and civic non-profit organizations, the company and its employees contribute financial support. All of the Allen Morris companies contribute a minimum of 10% or more of annual profits to the Allen Morris Foundation, which in turn, supports many civic non-profit, charitable, cultural arts and ministry organizations. These benefit the communities we serve, as well as initiatives around the country and the world. We also support primary and secondary education in facilitating the building of the L. Allen and Ida Morris Academic and Administration Building of Whitfield Academy in Atlanta, GA., named for the company founder. We are also proud to have donated The Allen Morris Brickell Parks to the City of Miami for public use and enjoyment. Allen Morris is also the creator and co-sponsor with the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce of the annual George E. Merrick Award of Excellence to honor outstanding community leaders in Coral Gables.
All one has to do is walk through the lobby of Alhambra Towers, Allen Morris’ signature building and company headquarters in Coral Gables, Florida, to be convinced of the priority we place on art in our projects. We don’t build cookie-cutter, bland buildings. Rather, we strive to create aesthetic experiences through art and architecture that add meaning and uniqueness to the community. Our stated mission is to Inspire, Impress and Improve – and certainly that includes building office, multi-family, and mixed-use spaces that exude a sense of place and identity. The original stained glass from a church that once stood on the property was recycled into the design of the lobby, resulting in a warm, somewhat ethereal glow. The elegant space has been used many times for art exhibits and fundraisers.
During the 2004 Junior Orange Bowl Youth Arts Celebration, which was sponsored by Allen Morris, 150 talented young artists submitted their interpretations of Alhambra Towers.
In addition, the Allen Morris family has the largest private collections of paintings by esteemed Florida landscape artist A.E. “Beanie” Backus, and the company uses originals and reproductions of his work in our properties.
The family also founded The American Sporting Arms and Art Museum and loans exhibits to other museums and galleries for display. Currently, 60 Parker hand-engraved shotguns are on display for the public at the Cody Museum in Wyoming.
We are excited to announce that our newest apartment complex in St. Petersburg, Florida, called The Hermitage Apartment Homes, will showcase a gallery dedicated to Backus’ work.
Also, there will be a resident gallery in the lobby where local artists can display their work. The Hermitage, so named in honor of the famed Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia, the city’s namesake, is located in the heart of a burgeoning art scene close to the Salvador Dali Museum and across the street from the newly planned Chihuly Museum and the Morean Arts Center.
We believe a company is more than the business they do. It is what they stand for. Our core values are to improve the lives of the people and the communities we touch. Our green initiatives accomplish this by designing people-friendly green spaces and developing sustainable projects that meet Energy Star or L.E.E.D. certification standards.
We are first to create a non-government LEED Certified office building in North Florida.
See this project in the USBC directory.
We are first to create a LEED Certified log structure executive retreat in America.
See “A Floridian’s Cabin Escape” by the Wall Street Journal.
We are first to create a LEED Certified multi-family project in St. Petersburg, FL.
See “Biggest new apartment building yet set for construction in downtown St. Petersburg” by the Tampa Bay Times. Allen Morris has achieved and maintained Energy Star Certification for our multi-tenant office buildings: Alhambra Towers in Coral Gables, Pembrook Commons in Maitland, FL, and 135 Executive Circle in Daytona Beach.
Allen Morris is an Accredited Management Organization (AMO) with Certified Property Managers (CPMs) and trained engineering staff to maintain energy efficient sustainable operations in all of its buildings. We constantly evaluate new technologies such as LED lighting and HVAC system improvements to continually improve energy efficiencies. We also encourage and implement recycling programs in our buildings.
We are honored to have donated two parks for public enjoyment to the City of Miami, which the city has named The Allen Morris Brickell Parks, located in the Brickell Avenue area of Miami.