Cement instead of fertile soil: Who are the (Live Local Act) projects in Miami-Dade really for?

Cement instead of fertile soil: Who are the (Live Local Act) projects in Miami-Dade really for? Enough Concrete or Never Enough?

By News Miami Dade

Miami-Dade and South Florida are experiencing a development frenzy disguised as a “solution” to the housing crisis. Under the excuse of creating “affordable” apartments, politicians and developers are reviving old neighborhoods, raising towers, and filling every vacant lot within the urban boundary with cement and concrete. But the question nobody wants to answer is simple: if there are hundreds of acres available and projects underway within the urban zone, why are they so determined to eliminate the little agricultural land we have left?

The “Live Local Act”: Incentives, Exemptions, and Zero Transparency

The “Live Local Act” (LLA) arrived as a lifeline… for developers. It grants them unprecedented construction rights: maximum density, exemption from public hearings, tax reductions, and fewer parking requirements, as long as they reserve 40% of the units for “affordable” housing (up to 120% of the area median income). All of this is negotiated behind closed doors, with no real consultation with affected neighbors.

Projects Inside the Urban Boundary: Urban Area Revitalization?

Just look at the list of the largest developments approved under the LLA in the past year:

• Laguna Gardens (Miami Gardens): 341 apartments, 100% “affordable.”
• HueHub (West Little River): 3,233 units in five towers up to 37 stories tall.
• Miami River Rapids (Grapeland Heights): 1,000 apartments and over 1,300 parking spaces.
• Sears Coral Way: Proposed 1,050 apartments on the old Sears lot.
• Oasis at Doral: 630 apartments on 18 acres, transforming an office park.
• Infinity Collective (Little Haiti): 454 apartments in a 28-story building.
• Shoma 88 (Kendall): 404 apartments next to Baptist Hospital.
• Palmetto Station (Medley): 948 apartments on Metrorail land leased from the county itself.
• Residences at Palm Court (West Little River): 316 affordable apartments.
• Bazbaz Wynwood: 544 apartments in a 48-story tower in Wynwood.
• Homestead Apartments (Goulds): 303 apartments where there used to be an avocado farm.

The list goes on and on. Tens of thousands of units, most on already urban land—many of them underutilized for years, others abandoned or with obsolete commercial uses.

Questions No Official Answers

Why, then, the brutal pressure to rezone agricultural land?

Is there really a shortage of urban land, or do they simply want to multiply their business by extending the city and leaving the countryside at the mercy of asphalt?

At every rezoning hearing, the story is the same: promises of “solving the housing crisis,” nice words about working families, while the big projects in the city grow—and so do prices. Because the truth is that apartments at 120% of the area median income are, in practice, not accessible to the majority. The salary needed not to be “drowning” in rent already exceeds $110,000 a year in Miami-Dade.

Who wins with this model? The big investment funds and developers.
Who loses? The residents, who will see less green land, more traffic, less water, and more heat. And above all, the countryside, the farmers, and the agricultural heritage of the county—devastated forever.

Concrete, Yes, But With Common Sense

Miami-Dade has an urban boundary for a reason: to preserve fertile land, control urban chaos, and guarantee quality of life. “Live Local” projects could be useful if focused inside the city, renewing and densifying where infrastructure already exists.

Destroying the little agriculture that remains is not progress. It’s business for a few, and loss for all.

Question for the Reader:

Does it make sense to destroy Miami-Dade’s agricultural land when there are plenty of projects and space within the urban area? Who really benefits from turning the county into a sea of concrete?

The Live Local Act: A Boost for Affordable Housing With Less Local Control

The Live Local Act (SB 102, 2023), together with its 2024 (SB 328) and 2025 (SB 1730) amendments, has transformed urban development in South Florida—especially in Miami-Dade—by prioritizing the construction of affordable housing in the face of the ongoing housing crisis.

Designed to increase the supply of units accessible to moderate-income workers, the law provides significant incentives to developers and removes traditional local zoning barriers. However, by overriding municipal regulations and limiting citizen participation, it has raised concerns about the loss of community control and the broader impact on neighborhoods.

Below, we explain how the law works and its implications:

1. Administrative Approval to Streamline Projects

Multifamily projects that reserve at least 40% of their units as “affordable” (for incomes up to 120% of the Area Median Income, or AMI) for 30 years are eligible for administrative (“by-right”) approval. This eliminates the need for public hearings, quasi-judicial reviews, or commissioner votes on issues such as height, density, or land use. The process is managed by planning offices and aims to accelerate development, but it reduces the opportunity for residents to have a direct say.

Source: SB 102 (2023) and SB 1730 (2025), available at www.flsenate.gov; Miami-Dade County Live Local Act Guide (2024), www.miamidade.gov; Holland & Knight, “Live Local Act Update” (2025).

Nuance: Projects must comply with local regulations not preempted by the law (such as setbacks, building codes). In historic districts, like those listed in the National Register before 2000, additional reviews by boards such as the HEPB in Miami are required.

Impact: This streamlining benefits developers and can increase housing supply, but the lack of public hearings has drawn criticism for reducing transparency (Miami Herald, 2023).

2. Flexibility in Land Use

The law allows multifamily or mixed-use housing to be built on land zoned as commercial, industrial, or mixed-use—including properties owned by religious institutions with places of worship—without the need for rezoning or comprehensive plan amendments. This expands the areas available for development but overrides municipal master plans concerning land use.

Source: SB 102 (2023), SB 1730 (2025), www.flsenate.gov; Bilzin Sumberg, “Live Local Act Amendments” (2025); Florida Housing Coalition, “Guide to Live Local Act” (2024).

Nuance: The law does not apply to single-family residential zones, coastal industrial land, or protected areas (such as the Everglades, military zones, or airports). In Miami, zones like T4-L, T5, T6, CS, CI, D1, D2, and D3 qualify for this kind of development.

Impact: It facilitates projects on underutilized lots (e.g., obsolete shopping centers), but may result in developments that are incompatible with the community vision, as seen in Hollywood and Doral (Palm Beach Post, 2025).

3. Increased Height and Density

Developers can build to the highest density allowed in any residential zone in the municipality, and to the highest height of a commercial or residential building within a one-mile radius (or at least three stories). In neighborhoods with 25 or more contiguous single-family homes on at least two sides, height is capped at 10 stories or 150% of the tallest adjacent building.

Source: SB 102 (2023), SB 328 (2024), SB 1730 (2025), www.flsenate.gov; Nelson Mullins, “Live Local Act Overview” (2023).

Nuance: In historic districts, municipalities can restrict height and design. Density and height are based on what was permitted as of July 1, 2023, or the least restrictive standard, to prevent intentional “downzoning” by municipalities.

Impact: The law allows for much larger projects, but this can alter neighborhood character. Safeguards for single-family areas and historic districts partially address these concerns (Holland & Knight, 2025).

4. Reduced Parking Requirements

Municipalities must reduce parking requirements by 15% for projects within ¼ mile of transit stops, ½ mile of transit centers, or with parking available within 600 feet. In transit-oriented development areas, parking requirements can be eliminated altogether for mixed-use projects.

Source: SB 328 (2024), SB 1730 (2025), www.flsenate.gov; Shutts & Bowen, “Live Local Act Parking Provisions” (2023).

Nuance: The reduction aims to encourage sustainability and lower construction costs, but in many parts of Miami-Dade, public transportation is limited.

Impact: This can increase unit density, but raises concerns about congestion in neighborhoods heavily reliant on cars (Miami Herald, 2023).

5. Limits on Non-Residential Uses

Local governments cannot require mixed-use projects to include more than 10% of their square footage for non-residential uses, such as retail or offices, prioritizing housing.

Source: SB 1730 (2025), www.flsenate.gov; Bilzin Sumberg, “Live Local Act Amendments” (2025).

Nuance: While this reduces costs for developers, it does not prohibit including more than 10% if the project does so voluntarily.

Impact: This may limit the creation of balanced communities with adequate access to services and jobs, especially in dense urban areas (Florida Housing Coalition, 2024).

6. Limited Citizen Participation

Administrative approval and preemption of local regulations significantly reduce residents’ ability to oppose projects that comply with the law. However, there are safeguards in historic districts, single-family neighborhoods, and in cases of violations of non-preempted local regulations.

Source: SB 102 (2023), SB 1730 (2025), www.flsenate.gov; Holland & Knight, “Live Local Act Update” (2025); Palm Beach Post, “Live Local Act Controversies” (2025).

Nuance: Residents can participate in project reviews in historic districts or challenge developments that violate specific local regulations. Municipalities can conduct informal consultations, but they are not required to do so.

Impact: The reduction in public hearings has drawn criticism for weakening democratic control, but the law responds to “NIMBYism” that has historically blocked affordable housing (Bohler Engineering, 2024).

7. Idle Land and Unused Structures

Since 2019, a Miami-Dade County study has identified a significant inventory of idle land and unused structures that could be leveraged for development. According to the report, about 15% of commercial and industrial land in the county (roughly 12,000 acres) is underutilized or vacant, while thousands of commercial properties—such as obsolete shopping centers—remain inactive. The Live Local Act capitalizes on this potential by allowing the conversion of these sites into affordable housing, aligning with the study’s findings to revitalize urban areas.

Source: Miami-Dade County Land Use Report (2019), www.miamidade.gov/planning; Bilzin Sumberg, “Opportunities Under Live Local Act” (2023).

Nuance: The study estimates that only 40% of these lands are viable for residential development due to environmental, infrastructure, or historic zoning restrictions. In addition, implementation depends on the willingness of property owners and the fiscal incentives provided by the law.

Impact: This approach can optimize existing land use and reduce pressure on green areas, but requires careful planning to avoid negative impacts on surrounding neighborhoods (Florida Housing Coalition, 2024).

8. Decline of Agricultural Land and Its Economic Impact

The agricultural industry in Miami-Dade—which historically supplied the nation with fruits and vegetables during winter months—faces a critical challenge due to the loss of farmland.

A county-commissioned study conducted by the University of Florida in 2023, based on data since 2017, reveals an alarming decline in agricultural areas, threatening the economic sustainability of the sector.

In 1959, the county had 120,000 acres (48,562 hectares) of agricultural land, but this fell to 58,606 acres (23,713 hectares) in 2017, according to agricultural tax exemption records.

The 2017 Census identified 78,543 acres (31,768 hectares), reflecting some variation in estimates. The report projects that at least 64,800 acres (26,221 hectares) will be needed by 2030, 60,900 acres (24,624 hectares) by 2040, and 56,300 acres (22,784 hectares) by 2050 to maintain economic viability, amid the rapid conversion of these lands to other uses—including residential development spurred by the Live Local Act.

Source: University of Florida, Miami-Dade Agricultural Lands Report (2023), www.miamidade.gov/planning; U.S. Census of Agriculture (2017), www.nass.usda.gov; Memo from Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava (2023).

Nuance: Currently, 35% of farmland is used for nurseries and ornamental plants, 38% for vegetables, and 27% for orchards. In 2017, the county’s 2,752 farms generated $830 million in sales and held $3.25 billion in assets, but lost more than 10% of their land area in the last six years. Factors such as climate change, urbanization, and lack of agricultural incentives contribute to this trend.

Impact: While 89% of production is exported to the Northeast, Midwest, and Canada, injecting income into the local economy, converting farmland to urban development presents a dilemma. The Live Local Act could accelerate this loss if the 12,000 acres of identified idle land are not prioritized for development. However, with only 40% of those lands viable and owners often unwilling, there is a risk that expansion will continue into agricultural areas.

9. Strategies to Preserve Agriculture

The University of Florida report, requested by the county commission in May 2022, proposes five recommendations to strengthen the agricultural sector, which employs 12,836 workers:

1. (1) maintain the Urban Development Boundary guidelines to restrict urban sprawl and preserve agricultural areas;
2. (2) lobby state and federal authorities for trade agreements that protect local producers;
3. (3) coordinate a more accessible farmworker guest program;
4. (4) provide continued county support for agriculture; and
5. (5) collaborate with regulators to adjust water management regulations in light of climate change and sea level rise.
6. The Comprehensive Development Master Plan designates 27,940 hectares (69,072 acres) for agricultural use through 2040, but reversing the conversion of agricultural land to urban development remains a challenge.

Source: University of Florida, Miami-Dade Agricultural Lands Report (2023), www.miamidade.gov/planning; Miami-Dade Comprehensive Development Master Plan (2023), www.miamidade.gov/planning.

Nuance: Technologies such as salmon aquaculture near Homestead may reduce dependence on large tracts of land but do not fully compensate for the loss of traditional crops.

Impact: These measures could ease pressure on farmland, but success depends on prioritizing idle land before sacrificing more cultivated areas.

A study on vacant and unused land in Miami-Dade was conducted by the University of Florida. According to the report, about 12,000 acres of commercial and industrial land within the urban boundary are underutilized or vacant. The reasons these lands haven’t been used before targeting productive agricultural areas include: only about 40% are viable for development due to environmental, infrastructure, or historic zoning restrictions; a lack of willingness from owners to develop; and insufficient fiscal or economic incentives for redevelopment. Additionally, urban planning resistance to land use changes has delayed reuse, often prioritizing expansion into agricultural areas rather than revitalizing these idle spaces.

Benefits and Criticisms in the Miami-Dade Context

The Live Local Act seeks to address the housing crisis in Florida, where housing costs in Miami-Dade have outpaced the incomes of many essential workers. With $811 million allocated to affordable housing programs, the law has facilitated projects like those reported by Bohler Engineering (2024), approved in less than a month.

However, rents at 120% AMI ($2,925 for a family of four in 2022) are not always affordable for the most needy (Palm Beach Post, 2025).

On the other hand, state preemption has generated resistance in cities like Hollywood, Bal Harbour, Miami Beach, Homestead, and Doral, where local residents and officials feel they are losing control over development (Miami Herald, 2023).

Safeguards in single-family neighborhoods and historic districts offer some protection but do not fully address concerns about neighborhood transformation.

The Florida Housing Coalition (2024) supports the law but advocates for a balance between state objectives and local needs.

The Live Local Act offers an ambitious solution to the housing crisis, giving developers flexibility to build more affordable units. However, by limiting local control and citizen participation, it poses challenges for maintaining community character and democratic debate.

While it does not leave citizens completely defenseless, it significantly reduces their influence, which requires a more inclusive approach in its implementation.

For detailed information, consult the legislative texts at www.flsenate.gov and Florida Housing Coalition resources at www.flhousing.org.

Main Projects Approved Under the Live Local Act in Miami-Dade Up to July 2025

1. Beacon Hill at Princeton (Homestead)

• Location: South Dixie Highway, Princeton, Miami-Dade.
• Details: 112 apartments (100% workforce housing), three-story buildings. All units income-restricted (maximum 120% AMI), rents below local average.
• Developer: Beacon Hill Property Group (Matthew Martinez and David Rothenstein).
• Status: Construction began in 2025, completion expected by 2026.
• Zoning: Did not use the law’s maximum flexibility, as it fits existing mixed-use zoning, but receives tax incentives and administrative approval under the Live Local Act.
• Significance: Considered a model for modest-scale development, avoiding the controversy of mega-projects.

2. Sunset Drive Tower (South Miami)

• Location: 5950 Sunset Drive, South Miami.
• Details: Residential tower of 236 units, second approved under the Live Local Act in Miami-Dade.
• Status: Approved in April 2025, construction start not confirmed.
• Zoning: Used the Live Local Act for administrative approval and likely flexibility in height/density, although not all details have been published.

3. Holland Park / The HueHub (West Little River)

• Location: 8400 NW 25th Ave, unincorporated Miami-Dade.
• Details: 3,233 units (6 towers of 26-37 stories), 57,000 sq ft of retail, 1,293 workforce housing units (40%).
• Developer: Designed by Arquitectonica, known as “HueHub.”
• Status: Application submitted in June 2024, administratively approved. Construction start not confirmed.
• Zoning: Maximizes the law’s density and height prerogatives, ignoring local restrictions.

4. Bluenest at Krome

• Location: Krome Ave and SW 272 St, unincorporated Miami-Dade.
• Details: 700 townhouses on 91 acres, at least 140 workforce housing units (20%).
• Developer: Bluenest Development.
• Status: Approved by the Miami-Dade Commission on July 17, 2025.
• Zoning: Not always explicitly cited as a Live Local project, but aligns with its objectives and may receive its fiscal and procedural benefits.

5. Bluenest Naranja

• Location: 15335 SW 268th St, Naranja.
• Details: 284 townhouses on 26.3 acres, 20% workforce housing (approx. 57 units).
• Status: Approved, July 17, 2025.
• Zoning: May take advantage of Live Local Act incentives.

6. Bluenest Roatta

• Location: SW 226th St and SW 129th Ave, unincorporated Miami-Dade.
• Details: 100 townhouses on 8 acres, 20% workforce housing.
• Status: Approved, July 17, 2025.
• Zoning: Possible use of law exemptions.

Verified Sources

• Here are some of the most significant Live Local Act projects in South Florida
• 37-story Live Local Act project planned in Miami with 3,200 housing units
• Unlocking Hidden Density: How Housing Policy is Reshaping South Florida’s Development Landscape
• First Live Local Act project approved in Miami-Dade County. All the details.
• Live Local Act Mega-Project Planned in South Florida
• “2025 Florida Live Local Act (SB1730) Passed: Updates and Impacts”
• 2025 Florida Live Local Act (SB1730) Passed: Updates and Impacts | Insights & Events
• 2025 Updates to Florida’s Live Local Act
• Florida Legislature Amends Live Local Act’s Land Use Provisions
• City of Miami Is First to Publish Updated Live Local Act 2024 (SB328) Policies and Procedures
• Five key findings from Miami-Dade County’s affordable housing …, accessed July 7, 2025,
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• 2025 Updates to Florida’s Live Local Act | Insights – Holland & Knight, accessed July 7, 2025, https://www.hklaw.com/en/insights/publications/2025/07/2025-updates-to-floridas-live-local-act
• Walter Duke + Partners: Florida’s Proven Appraisal & Valuation Experts, accessed July 7, 2025, https://walterduke.com/florida-commercial-real-estate-valuation/
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