FYI Miami: June 12, 2025

GENTING SITES SOLD: Construction is announced to begin early next year on a project of luxury residential apartments and retail on six contiguous parcels that Genting Americas Inc. had acquired in the Omni area at a time when Asia-owned company was planning to build the world’s largest casino and resort on the former site of the Miami Herald building. Genting sold the six parcels on May 30 to A&E District Holding Co. LLC, owned by SF QOZ Fund I LLC. The 35,955-square-foot undeveloped site in a qualified opportunity zone sold for $20.9 million to the fund, which says it is focused on acquiring and developing land in high-growth, high-density areas in South Florida for ground-up mixed-use projects. The sites are at 1515 and 1525 NE Miami Place, 75 NE 15th St., and 1502, 1512 and 1516 NE First Ave. 

RAIN BONANZA: Commissioner Raquel Regalado is asking Miami-Dade to set up a one-year pilot program in her district to add rain barrels and collect data to assess the barrels’ impact on mitigating flooding and water pollution, piggybacking on the area’s frequent heavy rains to capture water and use it later for irrigation, landscaping and other outdoor uses. A measure before the county’s Port and Resilience Committee this week would ask the administration to set up the program, monitor it and report within 90 days of completion what the rain barrel program captures. Since 2006 the state, the South Florida Water Management District and the county have collaborated on a water conservation program that includes use of rain barrels and offers a $50 rebate to those who go through a workshop and buy and install a rain barrel. Ms. Regalado’s legislation says discretionary funds from her district can buy the rain barrels and data-collection devices for the pilot program.

EAT WHAT WE GROW: Miami-Dade County commissioners voted unanimously last week without discussion to ask Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to develop strategies to buy more fresh locally grown produce countywide and to report on progress within 60 days. The legislation from Commissioner René García says locally grown produce will increase nutritional value, taste better and reduce the environmental impact of shipping in produce.

SIGNATURE INN OPENS: Sonesta International Hotels Corp. has opened upper-economy Signature Inn Miami, a 119-room hotel at 7330 NW 36th St. As Miami Today previously reported, according to analytics and benchmarking firm STR, in September 2023 the Miami hotel market totaled 65,126 rooms in 551 hotels.

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