The term ‘smart growth’ is repeatedly overused in the real estate development world as a semantics tool aimed at gaining support or other benefit from the community. The end result doesn’t always match the ‘smart’ with the ‘growth’ and too often projects fail to deliver on their promised vision. However, sometimes a project concept comes along that seems to check many of the boxes on the ‘smart growth’ checklist – combining responsible, low density development with transit-accessible and pedestrian oriented offerings. Add a sprinkle of economic development by way of new tax revenues and residents’ purchasing power, and the recipe for success begins to emerge.
A good example is Miami Townhomes, a proposed new townhome development which would provide working families with an opportunity to live in the heart of Miami-Dade County and within close proximity to schools, hospitals, local restaurants and shops. The 30-townhome project, located at the southeast corner of SW 80th street and SW 69th Avenue, would also be within a ten-minute walk of the Dadeland North Metrorail station and a short rail ride to the University of Miami campus.
The homes are the vision of Somi Apartments, LLC and the project would revitalize the area by bringing community and true transit oriented living to what otherwise would be yet another uninspiring office building or industrial warehouse. Our local news are filled with stories about traffic gridlock and vehicular saturation, and while some believe that the solution is to build more highways, projects such as Miami Townhomes surface as an example of a smart approach to urban infill, while still adhering to neighborhood characteristics and aesthetics.
The residents of the proposed project would also serve as potential customers to the local shops and restaurants in the neighboring area, many of which count on the vitality of nearby residential communities for their own economic sustainability. Yet another benefit would be the new property taxes that would stem from the development, helping to fund essential services that so many in our community depend on.
The Miami Townhomes project is currently in the design phase and will require approval by the Miami-Dade County Commission before the vertical construction could commence. For more information on the project, contact Somi Apartments, LLC at 305-823-6721.
