The Miami-Dade County Board of County Commissioners has approved a proposal to redevelop a portion of the Pullman Miami Airport Hotel property at 5800 Blue Lagoon Drive with a 600-unit mixed-use residential development. Developed by LR Miami Airport Hotel, LLC, an affiliate of London + Regional Properties, the project calls for the construction of two eight-story mixed-use residential buildings designed by BIZI ARQ on the hotel’s existing surface parking lot while preserving the existing 15-story, 281-room hotel.
YIMBY first reported on the proposal in October 2024 after the developer filed an Administrative Site Plan Review application with Miami-Dade County. The approval marks the latest milestone for the project, which also required amendments associated with the Blue Lagoon Development of Regional Impact, assignment of the property to the County’s SMART Corridor Subzone under the Rapid Transit Zoning regulations, revisions to an existing zoning condition, and a non-use variance related to frontage landscaping requirements. County staff recommended approval with conditions prior to the Board of County Commissioners’ approval.
Credit: BIZI ARQ
As part of the action, approximately 11.3 gross acres, or about 10 net acres, were removed from the Blue Lagoon Development of Regional Impact, allowing the parcel to be redeveloped independently under the SMART Corridor Subzone while the remainder of the DRI remains intact. County staff concluded the proposal is consistent with the Comprehensive Development Master Plan and supports the County’s transit-oriented development objectives for the East-West SMART Corridor.
Credit: BIZI ARQ
The redevelopment will introduce two eight-story mixed-use residential buildings containing a combined 600 apartments, including 300 workforce housing units that satisfy the SMART Corridor workforce housing requirements. The project will also include approximately 14,900 square feet of ground-floor retail space, approximately 1,151 parking spaces within structured garages, resident amenities, landscaped open space, and pedestrian improvements throughout the site. The existing Pullman Miami Airport Hotel will remain in operation alongside the new residential component.
Credit: BIZI ARQ
According to county staff, the project advances redevelopment within the Urban Development Boundary by introducing residential uses to the Blue Lagoon office district, which is primarily characterized by office, hotel, and commercial development. The property is located within one-quarter mile of the East-West SMART Corridor and adjacent to State Road 836, making it eligible for development under the County’s SMART Corridor Subzone regulations. Staff further concluded that the redevelopment would not create significant adverse impacts on surrounding infrastructure, public facilities, or the remaining Blue Lagoon Development of Regional Impact.
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So when is Metrorail going to be extended along the Dolphin Expressway, or existing CSX spur utilized for commuter rail? Otherwise, all this is adding is more traffic to roads that are already parking lots.
That’s a job that involves tax money and sticking together as a society. So not gonna happen with the zgOP don’t tread on me attitude. Oh well