The $4bn American Dream mega mall and entertainment complex is moving closer to reality as the project received a key approval from the Miami-Dade county planning board earlier this week.
Approval was near unanimous for the American Dream development agreement that was backed by Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. The county commission will now take a final vote on the project on 17 May.
The brainchild of real estate group Triple Five, the American Dream mega mall was originally planned to open in 2020 but this was pushed back to 2023 due to delays in gaining regulatory approvals from the Miami-Dade County Commission.
It is estimated that the mall would attract 30 million visitors a year and generate 100,000 vehicle trips a day. American Dream would be the largest mall and amusement park in the US, if it is built.
The proposed complex would cover a vast area of 668,000sqm. Plans include a comprehensive selection of 450 retailers, restaurants and services.
Retailtainment is a strong component with what’s touted as the world’s tallest indoor ski park, a permanent Cirque du Soleil, a water ballet fountain, submarine rides, an aquarium, an arts centre for live performances and events, a multi-screen theatre complex and an indoor water park.
The development agreement contains terms committing Triple Five to addressing various impacts from the project, including managing storm water runoff and paying the county to boost transit services around the mall.
The project still faces a series of challenges before construction could begin. It needs to receive various permits and regulatory approvals as well as have the zoning of the area changed to allow retail and entertainment elements to be built.
Triple Five is also developing an American Dream mega mall in New Jersey. The company is perhaps best known as the owner of the current largest mall and amusement park in the country, the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, where it recently proposed a new 20,000sqm indoor water park costing $200m for a plot of land next to the mall.
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article210642844.html
