The Largest Mall in America Looks Bound for Approval

"The largest mall in America moved closer to winning a key approval in Miami-Dade on Monday, as a county planning board gave a thumbs up to a $4 billion retail theme park that expects 30 million visitors a year," reports Douglas Hanks.

The American Dream Miami project would cover 6 million square feet on 175 acres of wetlands and employ an estimated 14,000 people if it opens. The project is also expected to generate roughly 100,000 vehicle trips a day.

Project developer Triple Five, the Canada-based developer of Minnesota's Mall of America, is pitching the retail theme park as an alternative to Disney World.

The advisory board cleared the way for a final vote by the County Commission on May 17. The commission has already granted preliminary approval to the project. The final vote adds a development agreement to the equation. According to Hanks, the agreement includes "a string of terms committing developers to addressing various impacts from a project, including managing storm water runoff so it doesn't flood nearby areas and paying the county to boost transit services around the mall."

Planetizen last shared news of the proposed development in March 2017, when the price tag was estimated at a more modest $3 billion.