Dulce Vida Advances Toward Groundbreaking Following $35 Million Financing

Plans are advancing for Dulce Vida, an eight-story mixed-income residential development in Allapattah, following the closing of a $35 million construction loan, according to reporting by Floridian Development. The project, developed by Coral Rock Development and designed by Behar Font, is one of the neighborhood’s first residential proposals enabled under Florida’s Live Local Act and is targeting a groundbreaking in early 2026.

The financing was provided by Citibank and is complemented by an additional $15 million loan from the City of Miami through its Forever Affordable Housing Bond program. The city-backed portion is structured as a 30-year loan. Dulce Vida previously received approval from Miami’s Urban Development Review Board in early 2024.

The project is planned for 1785 NW 35th Street on a Miami-Dade County-owned site currently occupied by a one-story public library and surface parking. As part of the redevelopment, the existing library will be replaced with a new, integrated public facility, while the overall density of the site will be substantially increased along this section of Allapattah.

Dulce Vida will deliver a total of 227 residential units comprised of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom layouts. The building is planned as a mixed-income development, with 40 percent of the units designated for households earning up to 60 percent of Area Median Income, 35 percent for households earning up to 100 percent of AMI, and the remaining 25 percent for households earning up to 120 percent of AMI.

Amenity space is planned at the ground level and will include outdoor barbeque areas, a dog park, a children’s playground, and additional shared resident spaces.

According to documents submitted to the Urban Development Review Board, the replacement public library will be located at the corner of Northwest 18th Avenue and Northwest 35th Street and will total 8,494 square feet. The development will also include 372 structured parking spaces, along with 15 on-street spaces, for a total of 387 parking spaces intended to serve both residents and library users.

The eight-story building will rise approximately 80 feet in height. The exterior design incorporates stucco finishes, concrete parapets, metal balconies, and impact-resistant windows, with a facade palette dominated by shades of gray and blue.

City leadership has expressed support for the project. In comments previously reported by CityBiz and cited by Floridian Development, District 1 Commissioner Miguel Angel Gabela said the development would contribute positively to the neighborhood.

“Dulce Vida is a great addition to Allapattah and District 1 where the city teams up with the developer to continue the redevelopment of the area while providing needed affordable housing, public parking and a new public library,” Gabela said.

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