Doral council approves Trump Doral master plan, rezoning and site plan for 56.4-acre project

The City of Doral on Jan. 15 approved a three-part package from Trump Endeavor 12 LLC that rezones about 56.4 acres to Downtown Mixed Use, adopts a master development agreement and approves the project's site plan.

The approval affects property at 44100 Northwest 87th Avenue. Planning staff said the project, referred to in staff presentations as Doral International Towers, will include about 1,498 residential units, roughly 470 hotel units and approximately 141,694 square feet of commercial space.

The approvals came after staff and consultants described the project's compliance with Doral's Downtown Mixed Use (DMU) standards and a traffic mitigation plan. Michelle Lopez, planning and zoning director with the Corradino Group, told the council the developer requested second reading of the rezoning and the master development agreement and site-plan approval. "The applicant Trump Endeavor 12 is proposing a development located at 44100 Northwest 87th Avenue, approximately 56.4 Acres," Lopez said.

Why it matters: The package changes the site's zoning and establishes a binding development agreement detailing zoning specifications, infrastructure and phasing requirements, public-benefit commitments, and concurrency assurances the city and county require before large mixed-use projects move forward.

Staff and traffic analysis: Edna Cibila, transportation manager in public works, outlined off-site improvements the developer agreed to and that Miami-Dade County must approve because the affected roadways are county-owned. Among the changes Cibila described: new right-turn deceleration lanes at project driveways, closure and modification of several medians to add storage for left turns, an exclusive southbound right-turn lane at a major entrance and "high emphasis crosswalk on every leg of the intersection to ensure pedestrian safety." She said the city reserved the right to require an additional traffic analysis before the developer receives a 50% certificate of occupancy if post-opening operations show problems.

Applicant statements and community concerns: Felix Osarte, attorney representing the applicant, introduced the project team, including the Trump Organization's Eric Trump and hotel management staff. Osarte said the project had been reduced in density over time and called the current proposal a "less intense" and more luxury-oriented product. He said agencies including Miami-Dade County, the Federal Aviation Administration and the school district had reviewed the application and found it met concurrency requirements. Osarte estimated the project could produce about $6,000,000 in annual ad valorem revenue to the city at full build-out and another $11,000,000 annually to Miami-Dade County related to condo closings.

Public comment: Bruce Kaplan, a resident who identified his address for the record, spoke during the public-comment period and urged the council to require remediation and accountability for alleged air-contamination from a local incinerator operator (Covanta) before approving large developments. "Covanta must pay to fix what they have done to us," Kaplan said, and he encouraged the council not to let remediation be delayed while approving private projects.

Council discussion and votes: Several council members said they supported preserving the site's existing golf course uses and praised the reductions in density and the project's design commitments. Vice Mayor Maureen Porras moved approval of the site-plan resolution; Councilwoman Nicole Reynoso seconded. The council then separately approved the rezoning on second reading and the master development-agreement ordinance on second reading; each motion was made by Vice Mayor Porras and seconded by Councilwoman Reynoso. The recorded votes on all three items were: Vice Mayor Maureen Porras — yes; Councilwoman Nicole Reynoso — yes; Councilman Rafael Pinedo — yes; Mayor Christie Fraga — yes. All three items passed.

What the approvals do: The rezoning changes the official zoning map from multifamily residential and industrial commercial to the DMU district, which requires a mix of residential, retail and office uses and allows higher densities with design and public-benefit commitments. The master development agreement sets development standards and performance obligations the city can enforce; the site plan approves the project's layout, building massing and related infrastructure commitments.

Next steps and conditions: Staff noted multiple agency approvals are incorporated in the development agreement and remain conditions for implementation. Cibila emphasized required coordination with Miami-Dade County on signal timing and off-site roadway work, and she said the city can require additional analysis if traffic operations after partial opening warrant mitigation.

Votes at a glance: The council approved three related items by unanimous recorded votes: the site-plan resolution (Item 20a), rezoning ordinance (Item 20j, second reading) and master development agreement ordinance (Item 20k, second reading). All motions were moved by Vice Mayor Maureen Porras and seconded by Councilwoman Nicole Reynoso.

Funding and scope clarifications: Staff materials and the developer's presentation specified the site acreage (about 56.4 acres), the approved residential unit count (1,498), an approved hotel component of roughly 470 units, and commercial space described in staff materials as about 141,694 square feet. The master development agreement requires specified public improvements, public-art commitments and phasing deadlines; the development must meet applicable concurrency and level-of-service requirements from the city and relevant agencies before final approvals are issued.

Council members and staff who spoke on record about this item include Michelle Lopez (Corradino Group, planning and zoning director), Edna Cibila (transportation manager, Public Works), Felix Osarte (applicant counsel), Bruce Kaplan (resident/commenter), Vice Mayor Maureen Porras, Councilwoman Nicole Reynoso, Councilman Rafael Pinedo and Mayor Christie Fraga.