Robert Gorlow, the head of Florida operations for Triple Five Group, revealed new details about the massive American Dream Miami mall and theme park project during a meeting with the South Florida Regional Planning Council on Wednesday.
Gorlow has been working with the developer for two years to build what could be North America’s largest mall and theme park on 225 acres near the southwest corner of Interstate 75 and Florida’s Turnpike in Miami-Dade County. As he prepares to submit a comprehensive plan amendment application with the county for the project in November, Gorlow spoke to the regional planning board members about the scope of the project and showed them a presentation.
Here are 5 new things about the $4 billion project from Gorlow’s presentation:
Size
American Dream Miami would have over 3 million square feet of retail, about 2 million square feet of entertainment and 2,000 hotel rooms. That's larger than the Mall of America in Minnesota. As previously mentioned, the entertainment would include a theme park, the world’s largest indoor ski slope measuring 180,000 square feet, 800 feet long and 16 stories high plus an ice climbing wall, a water park, a giant observation wheel, a submarine lake with marine life such as sharks and manta rays, an Art Deco village with performance halls and a 3,000-seat movie theater, an ice skating rink, a museum, bowling, and mini golf. Gorlow said the previously mentioned sea lion show and residential units would not be part of the project. It would be developed all at once, he added.
Branding
Triple Five Group is seeking a branding partner for the project’s entertainment. Gorlow mentioned DreamWorks and an associated on-site film/TV production studio as a possibility for the project, as Triple Five Group has partnered with DreamWorks for its American Dream project in New Jersey. However, Gorlow said they aren’t in serious negotiations with DreamWorks for the Miami project.
One rendering from Triple Five Group’s presentation has DreamWorks on the side of a building.
Traffic
The developer is working with the Florida Department of Transportation with recommendations to improve the interchange between Interstate 75 and the Florida Turnpike, which was in the works even before this project was announced. The developer wants a new ramp on the interchange so people on Interstate 75 can get on the Turnpike in both directions. It’s also proposed a Turnpike exit at Northwest 170th Street.
“Traffic is important because if the traffic doesn’t work, people don’t come. It’s too crowded and people don’t like it,” Gorlow said. “We have extreme interest in having the traffic be better than anyone would want."
Tenant mix
Gorlow said the retail tenant mix would be very similar to Triple Five Group’s Mall of America, “just about everyone you can think of.” He said there would be over 100 restaurants, with a focus on fine dining.
Water usage
Most of the water for the indoor ski slope and water park will be recycled and retail doesn’t have much water usage. Triple Five Group is in ongoing discussions with the city of Hialeah, which just built a reverse osmosis water treatment plant, and the South Florida Water Management District about water consumption.
Gorlow said the project would probably take four years to open.