$1 Billion Redevelopment Planned for a Former Mall in Cutler Bay, Florida

Mall not making money like it used to? How would a $1 billion redevelopment sound?

2 minute read

September 22, 2022, 7:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


A map highlights Cutler Bay, located in South Florida along the Atlantic coast.

SevenMaps / Shutterstock

The city of Cutler Bay, Florida, located 20 miles south of Miami, Florida, is attracting intense redevelopment interest, as evidenced in a recently proposed plan to spend $1 billion to transform the former location of a mall into a massive mixed-use development with housing, retail, commercial spaces, and hotel rooms.

Erika Morphy reports for Globe St. on developer Electra America’s plans to redevelop the location of the Southland Mall into an 8-acre development called Southplace City Center.

“It will feature more than 4,000 residential units, over 500,000 square feet of retail with an additional 150,000 square feet of prime retail space and outparcels for food and beverage operators. There will also be a 150-key hotel and 60,000 square feet of medical office space. The phased project will be a self-contained community with abundant green space, bike and golf cart trails, walking trails, a trolley system and access to the soon-to-open Miami-Dade SMART Plan mass transit route,” writes Morphy.

The evolving future of American mall locations (remember the pre-pandemic discussion of a “retail apocalypse”?) is an ongoing concern with multiple potential consequences—for Main Street businesses, small businesses, ground-floor retail space in urban mixed-use developments, and, of course, malls. Here is sampling of previous Planetizen coverage of the struggle of American malls and the ongoing effort to repackage and redevelopment struggling malls.

Wednesday, September 21, 2022 in Globe St

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

"Altadena - Not For Sale" yard sign in front of burned down house after Eaton Fire in Altadena, California in January 2025.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations

Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

July 7 - Dwell

Dense multistory residential buildings in hilly San Francisco, California.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean

Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

July 7 - The San Francisco Standard

Blue self-driving Ford Transit van shuttle in Jacksonville, Florida.

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US

A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.

July 7 - Smart Cities Dive

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Associate/Senior Planner

Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development

Senior Planner

Heyer Gruel & Associates PA