American Dream, the country’s largest shopping mall, it’s up for some challenges
August 18, 2018The South Florida planning council voted 5 to 4 votes against the construction project of the American Dream Miami shopping and entertainment complex that promises to be the largest in the United States. In May, the project was approved by the Miami-Dade County Commission, but the planning council argues that there are several flaws in the impact on traffic and the environment.
According to the newspaper Sunsentinel, this means that this denial will be reported to the Department of Economics and Opportunities, which has the final say on whether or not to approve the project.
The American Dream Miami Mall, which is being planned for the northwest of Miami-Dade and should be the largest mall in the United States, has already had the project approved and should generate, when ready, 25,000 jobs. The venture will be entitled up to the amusement park and cinema studio within its premises, with daily movement of 30 thousand people.
Located in an area of 200 acres, northwest of Miami-Dade County – near the Turnpike near I-75 – the American Dream Mall will cost $ 4 billion. The forecast is that everything is built by 2023.
The Traffic Department has estimated that, by 2040, 130,000 visitors from all over the world will ‘invade’ Miami and fill the access roads to the complex. They presented a project to expand I-75 and other traffic interventions to reduce the region’s traffic impact but failed to convince board members. “You’re kidding, right? These improvements in traffic will never be ready in five years. Let’s be honest, that’s not going to happen,” said Greg Ross, mayor of Cooper City, one of the cities impacted by the project.
“I am against the project because I have concerns about impacts on the environment and traffic. I do not see these two topics adequately addressed in the project,” said Levine Cava, a board member.