Officials broke ground for the regional headquarters of Popular Bank to rise adjacent to its current location at 7900 NW 154th St in Miami Lakes. The Kislak Organization will build the $26 million project for the bank, which is its tenant. Said Israel Velasco, Popular Bank’s South Florida region executive, “We’re very happy this project is coming to fruition.” The five-story building may be occupied by 2021. From the left are Miami Lakes Councilman Joshua Dieguez; Thomas Bartelmo, president and chief executive officer of The Kislak Organization; Miami Lakes Mayor Manny Cid and Rene Vivo, president of Vivo Real Estate Group, a developer and broker assisting on the project. Photo by David L. Snelling, The Miami Laker.