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Doral council creates Mall Mixed‑Use district and approves Miami International Mall redevelopment framework
Summary
The council approved a multi‑item package to create a new "Mall Mixed‑Use (MMU)" comprehensive plan and zoning district and rezoned the Miami International Mall parcels to permit up to 896 dwelling units across three phases (25.6 acres) under density‑sharing and "creative excellence" incentives; staff and the applicant said residential reuse will reduce daily vehicle trips and help revitalize the mall.
Doral’s City Council on June 10 approved a multi‑part planning package that creates a new "Mall Mixed‑Use" designation and applies it to approximately 25.6 acres at Miami International Mall, allowing residential development alongside retained retail under a phased master plan.
Staff presented the proposal to create the MMU comprehensive plan and zoning categories and to apply them through a small‑scale amendment, rezoning, a modification of the Miami International Mall DRI (consolidated development order) and a master development agreement. Planning staff and the applicant explained density rules: a base of 25 dwelling units per acre and the option to reach up to 35 units per acre if projects achieve "creative excellence" design standards. The total maximum across the three phases was described in staff materials as about 896 units, with the applicant describing a mechanism to share density between phases.
Planning staff told the council that converting retail to residential would lower overall vehicle trips compared with the site's maximum retail buildout; staff presented a traffic analysis claiming a reduction of roughly 26,391 daily trips and a large decline in peak‑period trips. Applicant counsel James Williams and project team members noted the national trend of redeveloping underused malls into mixed‑use neighborhoods and stressed local connectivity, green space and design standards.
Councilors questioned densities, phasing and traffic mitigation and expressed support for a methodical, phased approach. After public hearing and deliberation, the council approved each ordinance and the master development agreement on first reading or by motion (comprehensive plan text amendment, small‑scale land‑use map change, LDC text amendment creating MMU, rezoning to MMU, DRI modification to permit residential, and the master development agreement). Votes were recorded on each item and all passed on the council floor.
Why it matters: The approvals open the door for a major redevelopment of a regional mall site to include housing, commercial space and upgraded infrastructure; the project could significantly change land use, traffic patterns and housing supply in the area over multiple years.
Next steps: The applicant will proceed with detailed site plans and building permit filings; staff will coordinate required traffic improvements, turn lanes and signal work with county partners as part of concurrency and DRI modification requirements.
