Bindor Secures Approval for First Live Local Dev in South Miami

South Miami officials approved its first multifamily development using Florida’s Live Local Act, South Florida Business Journal reported. 

Bindor’s 21-story project will feature 236 units and 1,708 square feet of retail space at 5950 Sunset Drive, facing Route 1, near the South Miami Metrorail station and The Shops At Sunset Place mall. The rental project’s amenities will include two pools, a coworking lounge, a gym, and a rooftop deck. 

Construction is expected to commence in the second quarter next year. The Miami-based developer bought the 0.6-acre site for $1.2 million in 2015, according to property records. The property currently holds a 10,776-square-foot commercial building.

Enacted in 2023, the Live Local Act forces local municipalities to approve housing developments if they meet certain criteria, including setting aside 40 percent of units for those earning up to 120 percent of the area median income. In Bindor’s development, 95 units will qualify as workforce housing. A representative for Bindor could not be reached for comment. 

Despite the law giving developers broad powers to get their projects approved, some municipalities are still delaying or preventing projects using the mandate, usually over concerns about the proposals’ density. 

Whitman Family Development has sued the Village of Bal Harbour for failing to approve its plans to expand the luxury Bal Harbour Shops mall, which would add four residential towers onto the 18-acre shopping center. Miami Beach officials have also stalled Russell Gabult’s eight proposals, partly over the projects’ height.

Julia Echikson can be reached at jechikson@commercialobserver.com.