By Coral Gables Gazette staff

The Coral Gables Development Review Committee will review a broad package of planning and zoning amendments tied to the University of Miami’s long-term campus growth, alongside a prominent Miracle Mile restaurant redevelopment, when it meets on Friday, Jan. 30.

The meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. at 427 Biltmore Way, First Floor Conference Room, with public participation available by Zoom and phone. While the committee does not issue approvals, its technical feedback often shapes development proposals before they advance to the Planning and Zoning Board and City Commission for formal public hearings.

Together, the two agenda items reflect both long-range institutional expansion and continued redevelopment pressure in the city’s historic downtown corridor.

University of Miami seeks comprehensive planning and zoning changes

The meeting’s primary item involves a wide-ranging set of requests from the University of Miami aimed at updating the regulatory framework that governs future campus development.

The university is seeking Development Review Committee input on:

• A proposed Development Agreement
• Comprehensive Plan text and map amendments
• Zoning Code text and map amendments
• Revisions to the University of Miami Campus Master Plan

Rather than focusing on a single construction project, the application package establishes the policy groundwork that would guide how the campus can grow in the years ahead.

Such changes typically influence building density, land use flexibility, development intensity, and long-term expansion potential. Adjustments at the comprehensive plan and zoning map level often carry lasting effects not only for institutional property but also for surrounding neighborhoods.

While the Development Review Committee’s role is technical and advisory, proposals of this scope generally move forward to the city’s formal public hearing process, where they receive broader scrutiny and final decisions.

Two-story restaurant planned for key Miracle Mile corner

The second agenda item centers on a redevelopment proposal at 87 Coral Way, at the northeast corner of Miracle Mile and Galiano Street.

The applicant is seeking review for the demolition of an existing retail building and construction of a new two-story restaurant with outdoor dining, within a site zoned Mixed Use 2 (MX-2). The project is also pursuing the city’s Mediterranean Style Bonus, Level 1, an incentive designed to encourage Mediterranean-inspired architectural design.

According to materials submitted to the city, the proposed restaurant would include:

• Approximately 18,787 square feet of ground-floor restaurant and bar space
• About 1,029 square feet of ground-floor lounge area
• Roughly 2,553 square feet of second-floor outdoor patio lounge space
• Seating for 470 indoor patrons
• Seating for 208 outdoor patrons
• Operating hours from 11 a.m. to midnight, seven days a week

Project renderings and site plans show a full replacement of the existing structure, creating a visually prominent redevelopment at one of downtown Coral Gables’ busiest intersections.

If the project advances, it would become one of the larger dining destinations in the Miracle Mile area, adding pedestrian activity while also raising considerations related to traffic flow, parking demand, outdoor dining impacts, and nighttime operations.

Meeting highlights long-term growth pressures

Together, the two proposals underscore the ongoing balance Coral Gables faces between encouraging investment and managing the long-term impacts of growth.

The University of Miami planning amendments point toward future campus expansion under revised development rules, while the Miracle Mile restaurant proposal reflects continued private redevelopment in the city’s commercial heart.

Although the Development Review Committee will not approve either item, the technical guidance offered during the meeting will influence how both proposals evolve as they move through the city’s development review process.

Meeting details

Development Review Committee
Friday, Jan. 30 | 9:30 a.m.
427 Biltmore Way, First Floor Conference Room