BankUnited Expanding Miami Headquarters

BankUnited (BKU) will expand its headquarters in Miami Lakes, Fla.

The $12.7 billion-asset company said Tuesday that it had signed a lease to add 20,000 square feet to its headquarters, which already occupies five buildings and 120,000 square feet.

BankUnited plans to open six branches in Florida this year. The company, which has 97 Florida branches, recently opened four branches in New York.

"BankUnited is growing at a rate you just don't see in banking anymore," John Kanas, the company's president and chief executive, said in a press release.

Kanas recently hired 125 bankers for a New York push, after launching an aggressive hiring campaign. In May, the company handed out free soft serve ice cream to build its brand in Manhattan. Kanas hired two Capital One Financial (COF) executives in March to head the New York operations.