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Council approves Publix‑anchored Doral Plaza redevelopment with variances
Summary
The City of Doral council approved variances and site‑plan modifications for a Publix‑anchored redevelopment at Doral Plaza (9705–9779 NW 41st St), allowing reduced parking, a lower solar reflective index in portions of the lot, and modified landscape island spacing; councilmembers debated parking counts and stall size tradeoffs before approving the project.
The City of Doral on March 11 approved variances and a site‑plan to allow redevelopment of Doral Plaza, the Publix‑anchored shopping center at 9705–9779 NW 41st Street.
Planning consultant Michelle Lopez told the council the project seeks variances from the city’s development code to reduce required off‑street parking from 521 to 445 spaces, lower the minimum required solar‑reflective parking surface (SRI) from 20% to 8.1% and adjust the number and configuration of landscape islands (proposing islands every 8–15 spaces with some end islands narrower than the 12‑foot minimum). Lopez said the parcel is about 11 acres, the existing center dates to 1987, and staff recommended the variances and site plan subject to standard conditions because the overall plan meets the city’s site‑plan standards.
Barney Danzanski, the developer, described demolition of older storefronts and a redesign that will add green space, a pedestrian breezeway, standardized stall sizes, improved lighting and updated facades. Attorney Mario Garcia Serra representing Publix said the applicant’s peak‑demand field study found 328 spaces at peak demand and that the proposed plan provides 445 legal, modern‑sized stalls — more than the observed peak demand — while improving safety and circulation.
Council discussion focused on the tradeoff between stall count and stall usability. One councilmember said she supports the overall redevelopment but cannot support a 76‑space reduction and would have preferred a smaller cut. Other members and staff said many existing stalls are substandard and that bringing stall dimensions up to current code (generally 9 by 19 feet for redevelopment) will increase usable parking, improve pedestrian safety and reduce internal collisions. Staff and the applicant confirmed code requires larger stalls when a site is redeveloped, which constrains the total number of legal spaces compared with the older configuration.
After the discussion the council voted to approve the variance requests and the site‑plan modification. The applicant said construction is expected to start in the second half of 2027 with a roughly one‑year build period and that a ribbon‑cutting will follow once the new store opens.
Actions and next steps: The approvals permit the developer to proceed to permitting with the conditions recorded in the planning and zoning staff report; any required permits and final engineering approvals remain prerequisites to construction.
Speakers quoted or referenced: Michelle Lopez (planning consultant, Corradino Group); Barney Danzanski (developer, Equity Development Group); Mario Garcia Serra (attorney for applicant); Council members and the mayor (by role).
