The city council in Doral recently settled an agreement with The Apollo Companies, greenlighting the developer's Oasis at Doral project to advance despite a six-month moratorium on new permits. The moratorium, enacted on August 23, was a reaction to the Live Local Act—a state law allowing residential development on commercial or hospitality zones without the need for local zoning approval, provided 40% of units are designated as workforce or affordable housing.
The Aventura-based Apollo Companies had already submitted their application for Oasis at Doral in June, prior to the council's moratorium. Arguing that the delay had inflicted considerable harm, the developer reached an agreement with the city on October 18, allowing their application to bypass the moratorium. In return, all legal claims against the city were dropped by the developer. However, the settlement stipulates that city approval for the project is not guaranteed.
The proposed Oasis at Doral is slated for an 18-acre location at 4090 N.W. 97th Ave., also encompassing 9800 and 9850 N.W. 41st St. Currently, two office buildings exist on the site, built in 2001 and 2006, with a combined floor area of 265,821 square feet. These structures are planned to remain. A 20,778-square-foot bank/medical office building will be taken down as per the preliminary site plans.
According to the proposal, the development will feature 630 multifamily units, with 40% allocated for workforce housing. Additionally, it will offer 185,000 square feet of retail space and a roughly 110,000-square-foot structure hosting offices, commercial outlets, and possibly a gym. The tallest building in the complex is expected to rise to eight stories.
The estimated value of the project, designed by Miami-based Arquitectonica, is nearly $650 million. Tenants currently occupying the existing office buildings include noteworthy companies such as World Fuel, GE, and Samsung.
The firm Apollo Companies, under the leadership of Edward Abbo, is also actively involved in other ventures, including apartment developments in Dania Beach and an office building project in Hallandale Beach.
Meanwhile, municipalities are grappling with the challenges posed by the Live Local Act, as it permits maximum residential density and building height within a one-mile radius but fails to address other zoning details like building setbacks, residential unit sizes, and floor area ratios.
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