After six years of planning, Sunset Place still has no official date for demolition to begin. The once-popular South Miami mall on South Dixie Highway is slated for a major redevelopment, but continues awaiting its next chapter after delays.
The 10-acre site was purchased by Midtown Developments by the end of 2020 for $65.5 million. The real estate firm, which specializes in mixed-use construction, then designed a plan in collaboration with the City of South Miami and the Miami-Dade County aiming to modernize the area.
South Miami Vice Mayor Brian Corey argues that this development would tackle a problem that has been present within the city for a long time.
“Our commercial density has always been very low,” Corey said. “The mall has had a history of success and not success, but the mixed use aspect of this and the 1500 units that are planned…will almost guarantee the success of it as a commercial venture.”
Corey said the scope of the project should be considered as a delaying factor.
“Even demolishing it would cost tens of millions of dollars,” he said. “It’s just not as easy as let’s knock it down and build it up.”
But for some residents, the long waits are starting to feel uncomfortable.
“Yeah, you do have nice places around, but to walk by and see this, it’s like a ghost building,” said local resident Carlos Muñoz.
For Muñoz, the concern also goes way beyond just a long awaited project.
“Unfortunately the mentality is that, you know, ‘We’re going to turn it down and build something else,’ instead of preserving what was part of the fabric of the city,” he said.
Despite the controversy, Corey says the redevelopment will bring more activity to the area and will be worth the wait.
