Aventura Mall Breaks Ground On Expansion Amid Pending Competition
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- Power tools are adding to the sounds of ringing cash registers at Aventura Mall, as mall owners expand Florida's largest shopping center by 300-thousand square feet.
"They're tearing out the whole food court, from my understanding and putting in a new one. State of the art, everything you can imagine and additional retail merchants," said Aventura Mayor Enid Weisman, who may just be the mall's biggest fan.
"I'm excited about new tenants coming in. It is an economic driver," she told CBS4's Natalia Zea.
The more than $200 million private investment into the mall will mean more sales tax dollars flowing through this community.
What many in Aventura fear will not be flowing? Traffic.
"Traffic here is going to be ridiculous," said Jessica Camacho, who works near the mall.
Frequent mall shopper Dominick Mateo added, "We were driving through the traffic just now. It's going to be a whole bunch of mess over there."
Residents and visitors fear Aventura's already congested streets will become more of a nightmare with the construction and expansion.
"It's already a lot of traffic trying to come here and go home," said Camacho.
In addition to construction at the mall, people driving through Aventura will also soon see a big construction project on Biscayne Boulevard. FDOT is making improvements and they say there will be lane closures and detours for the next 10 months between Northeast 196th Street and Northeast 213th Street.
Mayor Weisman is concerned about traffic too, but says the project will include a transportation hub inside one of its garages.
"All of the bus traffic, whether it's Dade County Public transit or our own transit would all go in an enclosed structure, no longer parked on the street and the design can be expanded."
The expansion may be in part to compete with massive mall projects in the works around South Florida.
Brickell City Centre is working on half a million square feet of retail space in its mixed use mega project.
Just up the road, in Downtown Miami, high fashion stores would anchor restaurants and entertainment at the proposed Miami Worldcenter project.
And the push to build the largest mall in the country, American Dream Miami, could bring shopping, an amusement park complex, and even skiing to Northwest Miami-Dade, sitting on more than 200 acres.
Mayor Weisman says her city is not worried about the competition.
"I think our mall, the mall, will give a much better experience to everyone who comes to it."
Zea requested more information about traffic solutions, as well as renderings and specific details from the mall owner, Turnberry Associates.
A spokesperson declined to release any specific information.
