Miami Eyes Major Development Expansion Near Transit Hubs

The Miami City Commission is set to vote  on a sweeping proposal that could significantly increase development near Metrorail stations and other major transit centers.

Under the first phase of the plan, as outlined by city planning officials, certain properties currently capped at five stories could see high-rises up to 12 stories tall. In some areas, density could more than double.

City officials argue the changes are necessary to offer a city-backed alternative to the Miami-Dade County’s Rapid Transit Zoning (RTZ) rules, which override Miami’s more restrictive zoning. Both residents and city leaders have criticized RTZ for encouraging unchecked, oversized development.

The vote will focus on creating a new zoning designation called Transit Oriented Nodes (TON). It will be paired with upcoming zoning reforms branded Transit Station Neighborhood Development (TSND).

Officials from the planning department declined to answer questions about the proposal. District 2 Commissioner Damian Pardo did not respond to multiple requests for comment from The Spotlight.

If approved, the new TON designation would increase allowable housing density from 36 to 150 units per acre — with some sites permitting up to 500 units per acre.

In Coconut Grove, areas within a one-mile radius of the Coconut Grove, Douglas Road, and Vizcaya Metrorail stations could be impacted. This includes neighborhoods like Brickell, Shenandoah, and The Roads. While single-family zones are excluded, properties currently zoned T4 and higher — including key commercial corridors in Coconut Grove such as Grand Avenue, Bird Avenue, Douglas Road, and 27th Avenue — would qualify for the new designation.

Any property seeking TON status would require separate, neighborhood-specific commission approval. The first such proposal — a 144-acre site in Miami’s Little River — is included in Thursday’s vote.

Also in progress are updates to the city’s Miami 21 zoning code. These changes, expected to come before the commission later this month, will establish the specific rules developers must follow to build taller and denser under the new framework.

Despite the magnitude of the proposed changes, city planning officials admitted they currently lack the tools to assess their full impact.

“Right now, I have no tools to be able to do that,” said Planning Department Assistant Director Sevanne Steiner during a recent Planning, Zoning, and Appeals Board hearing. “There’s nothing really within our comprehensive plan or Miami 21 that allows me to do the type of analysis.”

That uncertainty raised concerns among board members. Paul Mann questioned whether such sweeping zoning and land-use reforms should instead be subject to a citywide referendum.

“The changes you’re pushing are so major that people living nearby are going to be deeply affected — and they don’t even know what’s coming,” Mann said. “They don’t understand.”

Source: WLRN