By Coral Gables Gazette staff
The Coral Gables City Commission will take up one of the most consequential land-use proposals of the year on Tuesday, Oct. 28, when it holds first reading on the creation of a new University Station Rapid Transit District Overlay — a zoning framework that would permit high-rise, mixed-use development along South Dixie Highway across from the University of Miami and its Metrorail station.
First reading for major corridor rezoning
The two companion ordinances would amend the city’s Comprehensive Plan and Zoning Code to reclassify five parcels between 1150 and 1350 South Dixie Highway. The change would shift the sites from Commercial Low-Rise Intensity to a new Commercial High-Rise Intensity category and establish a “Rapid Transit District Overlay” governing architecture, height, and design review.
If adopted, the overlay would allow buildings of up to 120 feet and encourage transit-oriented development intended to concentrate residential and commercial activity within walking distance of the Metrorail. City staff say the initiative seeks to balance regional housing needs with Coral Gables’ architectural standards.
The concept was first reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Board in July, which voted 5-to-1 to recommend approval.
Preserving local oversight
The overlay is the city’s response to Miami-Dade County’s Rapid Transit Zone (RTZ) program, which gives the county authority over development surrounding Metrorail stations. Without a local overlay, large-scale projects in the corridor could bypass Coral Gables’ design and permitting review.
According to a recent city statement, the new overlay would allow the city to retain impact fees, maintain architectural control, and apply its own Mediterranean Design Guidelines. City Manager Peter J. Iglesias said the goal is “to support smart growth near transit while safeguarding the character and quality of life that make Coral Gables unique.”
Under the proposed framework, projects would still undergo local design review by the Board of Architects and be subject to the Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program, which lets developers purchase unused development rights from designated historic properties elsewhere in the city. Officials say this approach connects redevelopment along U.S. 1 to preservation incentives in the urban core.
Community reaction
At the Planning Board’s July meeting, several residents raised concerns about traffic congestion, building height, and the compatibility of high-rise structures with nearby neighborhoods. Some questioned whether Metrorail ridership has increased enough to justify higher density.
Daniel Millay, who lives near the corridor, said the plan “goes too far” for Coral Gables. “Just because they’ve done it in other places does not mean it works here,” he told the board. Michael Malone added, “We don’t want to be Miami. This is a huge change and it’s being pushed through under the radar.”
Supporters countered that the overlay would let Coral Gables maintain influence rather than leaving zoning control to Miami-Dade County. Planning Board member Nestor Menendez said approving the overlay “lets us have input and shape what happens instead of watching from the sidelines.”
Commission review ahead
On Tuesday, commissioners are expected to review final staff recommendations covering setbacks, shadow studies, and traffic-impact analysis. The proposal will be open to public comment before a vote on first reading. A second reading and possible adoption would follow at a later meeting.
If approved, the overlay would mark Coral Gables’ first transit-district zoning area and could serve as a model for future corridor planning near Douglas Station and other Metrorail nodes. City officials have emphasized that any development within the overlay would remain subject to Mediterranean design standards and local architectural review.
Regional context
The University Station proposal aligns with broader regional efforts to expand transit-oriented development (TOD) along existing rail infrastructure. Miami-Dade’s Smart Plan identifies the South Dixie Highway corridor as a priority growth area aimed at reducing car dependency and expanding workforce housing near employment centers.
The proposal also interacts with the Live Local Act, the state law that allows developers to build affordable and workforce housing on commercially zoned land with limited local review. City staff note that adopting a local overlay could preserve municipal design authority otherwise limited by state statute.
Public participation
The University Station items are time-certain for 2 p.m. The meeting will be held at City Hall, 405 Biltmore Way, and broadcast live on the city’s website. Residents may speak in person or submit e-comments in advance.
This Post Has 14 Comments
too much already stop this
This is why the commission is a useless arrogant bunch of blind and deaf people who do not belong in a leadership position in our City. MORE BUILDING ?? Haven’t you heard us over and over and over again. NO MORE CONCRETE !!! I am so sick of all of you and how you have destroyed this city with overbuilding, congestion and lack of sunlight. Lago, you have destroyed this city with your sidekick Anderson and your support of developers. US1 is a parking lot. Cars are being pushed into side streets that were quiet because of it. Mixed use? There are more empty stores than before so selling this mixed-use is just not feasible. Hopefully the people of Coral Gables will open their eyes and see what a mess you all have made of the Gables. We are, or should I say were the City Beautiful, not Brickell or downtown. No more building, No more building, No more building, No more building. I hope every single one of you are out in next election so we can reclaim our City and stop your destruction of same.
It’s a complete abuse of power from the mayor and commissioners of Coral Gables to approve this excessive development in front of the University of Miami in the University Center and surrounding areas. They must stop this. It harms residents and the city. This corruption with developers must be stopped somehow. Stop Stop
Coral Gables, the City Beautiful or Queens, NY? Greed will turn it into Queens.
If the commissioners do not step up, listen to the well known wishes of the majority of us Coral Gable residents, and stop this overdevelopment, then they are just as guilty as the Mayor and Vice Mayor of being in the pockets of the developers who are trying to ram this through. The corruption from the developers and special interest groups with the Mayor have long been established, but I really hope at least three or four of the commissioners stop this dead in this tracks. I am not very confident they will as we have seen in the past many usually sway towards the developers, but I hope they see that WE RESIDENTS do not want the Gables to turn into another Brickell.
Alan
While I, and a majority of long time residents of the city, obviously want to limit development…but that isn’t the issue here. The city can’t stop the development but it may have some say in the architectural design of what is built.. How we got here is another story. The commission was blindsided by developers who were stifled by the city so they went to the county and got what they wanted. Shame on all of us who believed the promises our elected officials said prior to taking office.
I believe that you’re absolutely correct, Alan! The City of Miami is going to develop this area because it’s along the Metrorail corridor. Sounds like an eminent domain takeover of the area. We want our City Beautiful to retain its originally intended character and charm, so this may be the ‘solution’.
spot on
How soon will the city change its name to:
New York at Coral Gables?
What “guarantees” are being given that the design will adhere to the current aesthetics for the city? Given that this process is a reaction to exercise some level of control on what is ultimately an inevitable process dictated by the county and above, is it naive to think that promises will be kept?
Local resident meetings with the developers regarding this project (‘The Mark’) were held from May 2023 thru Feb 2024, at least five of which I attended, and the room was packed every time. No CG City Commissioners attended any of those meetings to express their opposition, but the residents were heard — concerns as to height, density and traffic were ‘to be considered’. After that, the meetings stopped. Fast forward to July 2025 when Miami Commissioner Raquel Regalado (District 7) attended a City Commission meeting and then the Planning & Zoning meeting to announce that the developers had decided to pursue and had been granted RTZ status. What a shame that our government officials were not more proactive, but let us hope that they step up to protect our City Beautiful now and in the immediate future.
It sounds like we all need to make sure we vote in state elections looking for candidates that will restore home rule to municipalities to control their zoning. It blows my mind that “conservative” politicians in Tallahassee keep more and more control away from local governments.
Correct. There are politicians at the state and local level who align themselves with what is supposed to be the party that is conservative, but the interest of developers take precedence.
I strongly urge anti-overdevelopment Floridians across the state to run for elected office, to counter the insanely pro-development, pro-infinite growth plague.
We currently have government of developers, for developers, by developers. Anyone who doubts that is invited to look at the list of campaign contributors to our elected officials.